Cement Australia upgrades Railton plant to increase AFR

Cement Australia has temporarily suspended operations at its Railton cement plant in Tasmania to upgrade the kiln fuel feeding and firing system. The project represents an investment of AUD 106 million (Australian dollars), including AUD 59.6 million in funding from the Australian Government.

The new system will enable the co-processing of significant volumes of alternative fuels, including end-of-life tyres and wood chips produced from wood waste. The six-week kiln upgrade at the Railton site is already underway, with the commissioning of the new fuels scheduled for the third quarter of 2026.

At present, the alternative fuel rate (AFR) at the plant is approximately 15 %. Following completion of the project, this figure will exceed 35 %.

Despite the substantial capital investment, the upgrade will reduce coal consumption by 111,000 tonnes per year, resulting in an annual reduction of 107,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.