French cement producers to burn more wood waste

French cement producers plan to lift alternative fuels use from 41 per cent of the fuel mix to 50 per cent by 2025. To support the initiative, they have set, in collaboration with the BTP’s Union of Recycling Companies, the goal to double the amount of wood waste used in the energy supply of the cement industry.

"At the national level, the reduction of landfills and the substitution of fossil fuels by biomass are objectives pursued by the profession through commitments, which have been defined by the ecological transition law for green growth," recalls Fabrice. Copin, Deputy Director of ATILH, the Technical Association of the Hydraulic Binder Industry.

In addition to using around 300,000tpa of solid recovered fuels (SRF) and 120,000tpa of tyres, cement companies want to access around 0.5Mta of wood from the building industry. At present, this type of alternative fuel amounts to around 90,000tpd.