In 2001, Lafarge, in partnership with WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), committed to reduce its worldwide emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) by 20% below 1990 levels per ton of cement produced worldwide by 2010.
This ambitious commitment goes well beyond the targets set by the Kyoto Protocol, which calls for industrialized countries to reduce emissions by 5% compared to 1990 levels.
Lafarge achieved this commitment in 2009, a year ahead of schedule. By the end of 2010, Lafarge's CO2 emissions had been reduced by 21.7% per ton of cement produced, compared to its 1990 emissions.
Reducing Power Consumption by Waste Heat Recovery |
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In the production of cement at the manufacturing plant, a large amount of heat is produced. However, only a small portion of this heat is being used for raw material and coal drying. Most of the heat ends up being wasted, then vented directly into the atmosphere.
In November 2010, Republic Cement Corporation - Teresa Plant commissioned its Waste Heat Recovery System, the first of its kind in the Philippine cement industry. This system is focused on its 4.5MW capacity turbine which captures and utilizes most of the waste heat produced during the cement manufacturing process, to generate electricity.
Once it has reached its optimum capacity, the system will meet approximately 30% of Teresa Plant's energy requirement. Displacement of this amount of electricity from the Luzon grid, which draws its power from fossil fuel fired power stations, will lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of almost 12,000 tons of CO2 per year.
The Teresa Plant's Waste Heat Recovery System Project was registered as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in March 2011. |
Teresa WHR Turbine and Generator Building |
Reducing Resource Consumption |
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To meet these objectives, Lafarge is:
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Switching to Carbon-Neutral Fuel |
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Traditionally, the primary fuel used in cement manufacturing is coal. The burning of coal and other fossil fuels has been the main source of global CO2 emissions. To reduce our dependence on coal, and ultimately, to lower its green house gas emissions, we are continuously investing on technology and equipment to further develop and expand its program to increase fuel switch from coal to alternative fuels in its manufacturing operations.
Currently, the manufacturing plants are already using about 20% alternative fuel, to a high of 40%. Almost all the alternative fuel used is non-hazardous biomass waste such as rice husk and saw dust, which would have otherwise been left to rot or be burned along the roadside of rice mills and plantations. |
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Last update on 02/01/2012
