Sustainability Matters Apr/May 2017

Page 14

Turning waste streams into energy There has been a major growth phase in processed engineered fuel (PEF) for cement kilns, according to ResourceCo, an international leader in resource recovery and advanced manufacturing.

R

esourceCo Alternative Fuels Chief Executive Officer

cessed engineered fuel (PEF) to operate its kiln. This equates to

Ben Sawley said the company currently manufac-

a huge saving in the consumption of traditional fossil fuel usage.

tures 250,000 tonnes of alternative fuels annually

“We are certainly focused on providing an alternative energy

and there is tremendous opportunity to increase

use to cement kilns to displace fossil fuels, and while Australia

this volume significantly in Australia.

has four cement kilns, we have earmarked Asia as a major area

“Fuel diversification of cement kilns is the driver for our

customers, as it reduces fuel price risk as well as the kiln’s environmental footprint,” Sawley said. “Kilns that have introduced an alternative fuel mix among their

for potential growth,” Sawley said. “South-East Asia has well over 100 cement kilns and there are countless more across China. Most of these kilns are yet to be tapped into.”

energy intake have done relatively well in comparison to others

ResourceCo has taken the group’s leading alternative fuel

that have been locked into purely fossil fuels, particularly in recent

technology directly into the Asian markets and is operating in

months where coal and gas prices have increased significantly.

Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.

“We are seeing a turning point in the cement industry in the

The company’s state-of-the-art PEF manufacturing plant in

take-up of alternative fuels and the importance of having diver-

Ipoh, Malaysia, has 100,000 tonne-plus capacity and supplies

sification in energy.”

the world’s largest cement manufacturer, amongst others. These

ResourceCo has a Joint Venture that supplies an Australian cement manufacturer with nearly 100,000 tonnes per year of pro-

14 Sustainability Matters - Apr/May 2017

partnerships are reducing the reliance on fossil fuels in the production of cement.

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