Holcim expands alternative thermal energy capacity at Hagerstown

Holcim US Inc's Hagerstown plant in Maryland, USA, is accelerating its net-zero journey by expanding its alternative thermal energy capacity to 45 per cent, representing 58,000tpa of engineered fuel. The US$11m project will improve the plant’s sustainability profile by replacing traditional fuels with alternative thermal energy, engineered from materials at their end of life, that would otherwise be landfilled, such as non-recyclable paper, plastics and fibres, according to the company.

“Expanding our alternative thermal energy use to 45 per cent provides multiple environmental and economic benefits, from lowering the net carbon intensity of our cement to reducing our consumption of traditional fuels,” said Michael Nixon, senior vice president of manufacturing north for Chicago-based Holcim US. “Importantly, it enables us to play a role in the circular economy, offering a highly safe and ecological solution for unused materials.”

The alternative thermal energy will be sourced from non-recyclable commercial and industrial materials, such as packaging materials. The bulk of these materials will be pre-processed by Geocycle, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Holcim US, at its new facility in Cumberland, Maryland. The facility is permitted to process up to 75,000tpa of materials and will serve the needs of regional industrial manufacturers.

Other sustainability initiatives at the Hagerstown plant include a solar field that will supply more than 28 per cent of the plant's electricity energy.