Cement News tagged under: Environmental
Kilns being pressed to cut emissions29 August 2006, Published under Cement NewsFrom a remote site in the heart of Bavaria, in southern Germany, the modest Solnhofen cement plant is claimed as a model for reducing pollution. The technology’s success in Germany, using SCR technology, has placed the Solnhofen plant at the center of an increasingly contentious debate in Texas over whether cement kilns in Ellis County — long a target of local clean-air advocates — should follow their German counterparts’ lead. The outcome could have serious implications for local residents... |
Plant, regulators cement cleanup deal29 August 2006, Published under Cement NewsCurrent and former owners and operators of a cement plant have come to an agreement with federal and state environmental regulators over what federal officials call "chronic air pollution violations" at the facility. Cemex, the former owner of the plant, agreed in a proposed consent decree to pay a civil penalty of nearly US$1.36m to federal authorities and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, according to the office of United States Attorney in Grand Rapids. The current owner... |
Essroc wins enviro award24 August 2006, Published under Cement NewsIt took seven years for Essroc Italcementi Group to propose and then build a conveyor belt at its Nazareth-area plants, but it took less than a year for the project to earn industrywide praise. The Portland Cement Association industry group and Cement Americas, a trade publication, gave Essroc an award for innovation as part of the Cement Industry Environment and Energy Awards. Essroc’s 1.7-mile conveyor belt carries limestone from a quarry in Upper Nazareth Township to cement plants in N... |
Mexico Cemex projects its own wind station23 August 2006, Published under Cement NewsMexico’s cement maker Cemex is to utilise wind poower of the Istmo de Tehuantepec to install a wind mega-station in Juchitan de Zaragoza, Oaxaca, which will have a generation capacity of 250 megawatts. The wind station, which will have 300 airgenerators, will be the biggest of its type in Latin America and the first to be operated by a private company in Mexico. Mexico’s Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) decided to authorize Cemex to develop self-supply activities on July 6. Thus, the cemen... |
DOE and Lafarge reach agreement21 August 2006, Published under Cement NewsUS Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester today announced that the agency has reached an agreement with Lafarge Midwest over allowable mercury levels from the company’s Alpena site. In the proposed agreement, Lafarge will cap mercury emissions at 567 pounds per year until January 1, 2010, or completion of permitted modifications to its kilns, whichever comes first. Following that, the company will substantially reduce its emissions to a cap of 390 pounds of mercury pe... |
Burning tyres in Puerto Rico21 August 2006, Published under Cement NewsUS environmental regulators have granted a permit to a division of Cemex to burn used tyres for fuel at a plant in the southern Puerto Rican city of Ponce, officials and the company said Thursday. The cement plant would be the first to burn tyres for fuel in the US island territory, which generates about 5 million used tyres annually and faces a shortage of space to dump its garbage. Cemex de Puerto Rico would replace about 20 per cent of the imported coal it now uses to power the plant by... |
What do emission caps mean for California?21 August 2006, Published under Cement NewsCalifornia Portland Cement Co had planned to build more plants this year but put its expansion on hold as it awaits a decision by state lawmakers that the company says could force it to cut production. Cement manufacturers represent just one of several industries that would be required to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases they emit under a bill that would make California the first state in the nation to impose such regulations on businesses. The bill has set off a sharp debate in Califor... |
Apasco boosts sustainable construction17 August 2006, Published under Cement NewsBased on the guidelines issued from offices of Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction, in Switzerland, the company is attempting to boost a sustainable construction culture among its customers in Mexico. “And, as a consequence, we expect to be the most chosen option in the market”, said Gustavo Gastelum, External Communications and Public Relations Director of the cement company. According to the official, Holcim’s guess is that, at a certain moment, consumers will then look for this... |
UK Cemex improving its environmental performan16 August 2006, Published under Cement NewsCemex is now testing a form of processed household waste called Climafuel at its Rugby plant. Sustainability director Dr David Evans explains: "Waste disposal outfits like Biffa treat and stream the waste, taking out compostibles and metals, and end up with four streams, one of which is Climafuel. It’s mainly paper, plastic, low chlorine materials, wood, carpet. It’s a dry fuel, with approximately two-thirds the energy value of coal, but is considerably cheaper." The UK is also lagging beh... |
New EPA energy standards will increase plant efficiency15 August 2006, Published under Cement NewsThe first-ever energy-efficiency ratings for cement plants will enable those industries to cut energy usage, save money and prevent greenhouse gases, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced on August 14. The plant Energy Performance Indicators (EPIs) made available by EPA as part of a national energy performance rating system are the first of their kind for these manufacturing facilities. They provide critical information for driving energy savings by enabling the comparison of ene... |