The management of LafargeHolcim in Russia spoke about the technology and advantages of using residues from municipal solid waste sorting as secondary energy resources for cement production, and also presented the project of retrofitting the Schurovsky cement plant in Kolomna.
The meeting was held online and was attended by local residents, environmental activists, representatives of the city administration, city deputies, public organizations and businesses.
A special attention at the meeting was paid to safe and environmentally friendly disposal of waste. According to Vitaly Bogachenko, Director of Corporate Relations of LafargeHolcim in Russia, disposal of municipal solid waste in cement plants is one of the best available technologies in Europe and Russia, which combines the recycling of materials with the subsequent production of alternative fuels. Meanwhile, in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, 50% of waste is recycled, while in Russia - only 10%.
"In Russia about 65 Mt of MSW are generated annually, with Moscow Region accounting for about one fifth of the waste. By 2030 the share of MSW sent for recycling in this country should reach 49.5%. One of the ways to achieve these figures is to use waste as fuel at cement plants. The companies receive waste in the form of shredded residues after sorting and extraction of useful fractions. This technology is recognized as advanced in terms of energy efficiency and environmental protection. The use of alternative fuels saves natural gas and reduces CO2 emissions from cement production. As a result, cement plants solve the problem of waste disposal without constructing incinerators," said Vitaly Bogachenko.
Andrey Polezhaev, director of the Schurovsky Cement Plant in Kolomna, presented a project of modernization of the plant, which will include a process line for feeding RDF-fuel. The Schurovsky Cement Plant plans to switch to alternative fuel from MSW in two stages. The first stage will begin in 2021, and the second between 2022 and 2024. The CEO of the plant noted that RUB 290 million of investments will be required to accomplish the task.
"The new equipment will allow unloading material from closed trailers, which guarantees the absence of odor and the possibility of spread and spillage of residual waste on the premises of the plant. Additional monitoring of environmental parameters in accordance with European standards will be carried out in order to improve the assessment of the environmental situation. After the modernization of the cement plant it is planned to utilize 250 thousand tons of RDF by 2024", - said Andrei Polezhaev.
"We do not incinerate garbage at our plants. We use fuel, which is obtained after useful fractions and harmful components are extracted from the collected waste, and the resulting "tails" are shredded and prepared for delivery to the cement plant," said Artur Buziurov, technical director of LafargeHolcim in Russia.
