Cement Australia’s Railton Kiln Upgrade Receives $52.9 million in Australian Federal Government funding as support for a $106 million investment that will reduce CO2 emissions from the plant by 107,000 tonnes per year.
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More than 110,000 tonnes of coal will be replaced with alternative fuels - primarily sustainable wood waste and shredded car tyres that would otherwise be sent to landfill. Today Cement Australia uses alternative fuels in its Railton and Gladstone plants where the manufacturing process occurs in rotary Kilns at temperatures in excess of 1200° Celsius. Because of the high temperature the process is globally recognised as an excellent environmentally sustainable means of eliminating hazardous wastes. The alternative fuels and wastes enter the Kiln, the waste is destroyed, and the neutralised ash is co-processed into cement.
What the Railton Kiln Upgrade Will Enable?
The Railton Kiln upgrade will enable the co-processing of Wood Waste - Based Fuel (WBF) and Tyre Derived Fuel (TDF) in the existing Kiln reducing the use of coal by 35%.
Where does TDF come from?
Tasmania annually generates between 4,000 – 5,000 tonnes of end-of-life tyres from passenger vehicles, SUVs, buses, and small trucks each year. While some of these tyres are shredded and exported for further processing, each year a significant number are stockpiled in approved facilities, creating an environmental and community challenge. Cement Australia will co-process these tyres. They will be shredded into 50mm pieces and be used as an alternate fuel in the Railton kiln, without generating additional emissions providing a responsible solution to environmental, health and nuisance issues associated with long term storage.
Where does WBF come from?
Tasmania’s sustainable forestry industry is massive with more than 75% of timber production sourced from plantation forests. Each year the industry generates about 1-2 million tonnes of harvesting residue (waste). The residue (waste) includes fire-affected trees, smaller limbs, and defective wood not suitable for downstream industry use. However, it is an important resource enabling the replacement of fossil fuel. By coprocessing a proportion of this residue, the Railton plant will reduce its CO2 emissions and provide a sustainable use of natural resources without increasing harvesting activity.
Upgrades to utilise TDF and WBF at the Railton kiln will reduce our coal use by up to 35%
Benefits of Co-Processing
- Final treatment, no ash residue
- No increase in emissions compared to fossil fuels
- Emissions are governed by strict EPA approval limit
- Inorganic mineral residues become part of the clinker
- No additional energy required Contributes to the circular economy by utilising by-product from existing industries
- Reduces waste to landfill
- Offers a responsible solution to environmental, health and nuisance issues associated with burn-off and landfill storage
This project is partly funded by the Australian Government’s Powering the Regions Fund.
Contributing towards the cement and concrete industry ambition for net zero carbon concrete by 2050.
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