Displaying items by tag: Kiln

China: Authorities in the province of Hunan have identified a cement plant as the source of thallium contamination in the Leishui River following a botched demolition at the end of 2024, according to Sixth Tone news.

Yongxing County officials said that rainfall had washed thallium-laden dust from a dismantled kiln into the river. Levels peaked at 0.13μg/L, exceeding the national standard of 0.1μg/L, but have since returned to safe levels. The nearby city of Chenzhou is reportedly a hub for non-ferrous metal mining and processing, and a number of Chinese cement plants have begun to process industrial solid waste in recent years. According to Peng Yingdeng, a researcher at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, this method is a common approach for hazardous waste disposal, but can lead to high concentrations of thallium salts in the kiln’s residue. The owner of the plant, Hunan Liantian Cement, added solid waste management to its list of businesses in September 2024.

The local government has despatched teams to apply chemical treatments to the affected areas, with water quality since returning to safe levels. Local residents’ drinking water was reportedly not affected.

France: CBMI has completed installation of a new rotary kiln at Eqiom’s Lumbres plant for the ‘K6 Project’. The plant is now reportedly carbon-neutral and is equipped with an oxyfuel kiln to reduce CO₂ emissions. The supplier said via social media that its team ‘delivered precise execution despite tight space and complex challenges’.

Eqiom announced back in 2024 that it would upgrade the Lumbres plant to expand its capacity and reduce emissions by 20% by 2026.

Sweden: Heidelberg Materials has successfully operated a 300kW plasma-heated cement kiln at its Slite cement plant, which it claims is the first of its kind. The producer has achieved 54 hours of continuous operation, with 60% CO₂ concentration in the flue gas. The aim is to reach 99%.

The kiln is part of the ELECTRA project, which aims to replace traditional combustion processes with electricity-based solutions, like plasma. The project consists of 17 partners from 8 countries.

Project manager Bodil Wilhelmsson said "It looks very promising. We started the tests at the end of last year and can now say with certainty that this is the right way to go: we will be able to produce clinker with plasma."

Fuel-related CO₂ emissions from cement production are eliminated because no fuel needs to be used in the production process. Instead, CO₂ is heated to over 5000°C, where it becomes a plasma jet that heats the material in the kiln.

Wilhelmsson added "The absence of fuel in the process means that there is no ash in the product. This means that a parameter that could affect the quality of the product if it fluctuates is no longer considered. So, it looks like the quality of the clinker can actually be slightly higher in this process."

Heidelberg Materials plans to build a 1MW kiln in Skövde cement plant in 2026, where further tests will continue.

Zimbabwe: South Africa-based Robtek is working on a ‘refurbishment’ project at Khayah Cement’s integrated plant in Harare. The project work on the kiln includes replacing 10 planetary coolers, installing 23m of kiln shell sections and refurbishing eight support rollers. Work on the raw mill includes replacing trunnion bearings, overhauling raw mill bearings, upgrading the internal diaphragm and head wall liners and installing a new double-flap valve to replace the star feeder.

Jamaica: Caribbean Cement Company has reached a milestone in its kiln expansion project with the installation of a 160t-capacity surge bin and solid fuel equipment.

The development ensures a stable and increased fuel supply to the kiln during cement production, according to Loop News.

Jorge Martinez, managing director of Caribbean Cement, said “The successful installation marks a significant step forward in enhancing our production capabilities. This investment is a main milestone of the expansion project to be completed in the first half of 2025 with the aim of increasing the efficiency and stability of our operations. It also demonstrates our commitment to meeting the local demand for cement.”

Colombia: Ultracem's general manager, Julián Vásquez, has announced plans to establish a clinker kiln in the municipality of Galapa with an investment of US$100m. This new facility aims to eliminate the need to import clinker, which is currently sourced from Turkey, Vietnam, and Spain. The kiln is expected to be operational within two years.

Vásquez said "This will give us competitive advantages and will involve increasing the workforce from the 1200 direct and indirect jobs we generate today by 20%."

Zimbabwe: Khayah Cement plans to invest approximately US$25m in capital expenditure in 2024, focusing on a kiln refurbishment project at its plant in Harare. The investment aims to increase production capacity and sales volumes, NewsDay Business News has reported. Preparatory work has begun, with completion expected by the end of 2025.

Khayah Cement's CEO, Innocent Chikwata, said that the project will address issues with its current equipment and stabilise the company’s operations by ensuring a reliable supply of raw materials. He noted that the plant's current capacity utilisation rate is 60%, with a target of 70% by the end of 2024.

Canada: Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, announced the reinvestment of up to US$1.6m from industrial pollution pricing proceeds into a new emissions reduction project at St Marys Cement in St Marys, Ontario. This initiative will involve the installation of a new kiln utilising low-carbon fuels, including discarded plastics, to reduce the use of carbon-intensive fuels used in the manufacturing process by up to 30%. The project aims for a reduction of over 39,900t of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, according to Foreign Affairs news.

Zambia: Chilanga Cement has commissioned a US$20m kiln upgrade project, known as the Phoenix Project, at its Ndola plant. This initiative will double the plant's cement production capacity from 500,000t/yr to 1Mt/yr.

Spain: Cemex has announced the definitive closure of its clinker production kilns at the Lloseta plant, aligning its operations with the global 'Future in Action' programme that targets carbon neutrality by 2050.

The company has confirmed its plans to the government and the Lloseta City Council to dismantle the two cyclone towers at the Lloseta plant by 31 December 2030. While clinker production will cease, the site will continue to engage in grinding, storage, marketing and dispatch of bulk and bagged cement; maintain its regional offices, aggregate treatment plant, ground transport base and operate the Can Negret quarry in Alaró.

The plant’s closure has led to the dismissal of six of the seven employees who worked at the kilns. Cemex has offered these workers positions at other company production centres.