Cemex celebrates 1Mt of alternative fuel used at its Rugby cement plant in Warwickshire, UK, thanks to its partnership with SUEZ recycling and recovery and its industry-leading Malpass farm facility. The partnership has helped to reduce coal consumption by over 750,000t at the Rugby facility, in addition to downstream carbon emissions savings from supply chain activities that would previously have been associated with shipping and transporting coal to site.
As well as using Climafuel® to heat the process at Rugby, the ash that is produced from this is then also incorporated into the clinker produced in the kiln.
During a visit to mark the milestone, Environment Minister, Mary Creagh, was shown how the facility uses household, commercial and industrial waste to produce Climafuel®. Since the facility opened in 2015, 1Mt of Climafuel® has been provided to Cemex, allowing the building materials provider to supply its customers with more sustainable products including cement, ready-mix concrete and specialised urbanisation solutions such as mortars, admixtures and pre-cast concrete solutions.
Ms Creagh said, “Where waste cannot be avoided, it is essential to explore what other benefits it can provide – such as in energy generation. That’s why I was delighted to visit SUEZ’s Malpass Farm facility today as they celebrated their significant milestone, providing a shining example of partnership working in action.”
Phil Baynes-Clarke, director of cement operations for Cemex UK, said: “Over the past decade, Climafuel® usage has steadily increased at our Rugby Cement plant. Our ultimate goal is to operate the kiln with 100 per cent alternative fuels, and we are getting close to this target. Through ongoing innovation, we are determined to continue decarbonising our operations and advancing towards our goal of carbon neutrality.”
