Cement plant aiming to test alternative fuel sources
andrea macko The public will have a chance to weigh in on the fires that burn at St. Marys Cement.
The company is holding two information sessions for the public to learn — and comment on — a proposed test of an alternative fuel made of plastic that’s been removed from organic compost.
Martin Vroegh, St. Marys Cement’s environmental manager, explains that the firm is trying to obtain permits from the Ministry of the Environment to conduct tests of the new fuel, over a seven- to 10-day period, hopefully in December.
A similar test would take place at the company’s Bowmanville site.
Vroegh explains that the tests are to collect data on the fuel’s efficiency and its emissions, both in the exhaust coming out of the stacks and in the surrounding atmosphere. The would be “short duration” tests of at least eight hours each, as required by the Ministry of the Environment. The data would be collected and verified by an independent third party.
“The application is for a one-time permit,” Vroegh told the Journal Argus. “It does not mean that we’ll be allowed to go further.”
The two information nights are scheduled for next Wednesday, Aug. 27 and Thursday, Sept. 11. Both are scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. Vroegh says that both sessions will contain the same general information, although the second session may be tempered based on issues raised at the first meeting.
If the tests prove to show lower emissions and are more economical than the coke and coal that the plant is currently mandated to use by the Ministry of the Environment, Vroegh adds, St. Marys Cement will have to apply for another series of permits to implement the technology.
The alternative fuel was developed by Orgaworld, a Dutch waste management company that specializes in handling compost.
The company composts organic waste for resale as fertilizer or soil. This type of waste commonly contains bits of plastic, from bags, tags and other sources which are traditionally sent to landfill; Orgaworld then sells this plastic as fuel.
Due to plastic’s high hydrogen content, it gives off less carbon dioxide than other forms of fuel, and contains more thermal energy.
According to the Cement Association of Canada, the cement industry is an ideal user of this technology because of the long, intense burn times required in the kilns. Orgaworld recently opened a site in London, which is where the fuel would be coming from.
St. Marys Mayor Jamie Hahn, says that while the town has been informed of the tests, “St. Marys Cement doesn’t need our approval, they just want our backing” in applying for the permit to test the alternative fuel.
He adds that “town council and staff are taking a very serious approach to reviewing this proposal — we are very forward-thinking on environmental matters, but having said that, public safety is paramount.”
Hahn says that “council will need to be armed with the real facts and be fully aware of the hazards and the benefits (of this technology).”
As such, there was an information session for staff Tuesday morning at the municipal operations centre, and various departments, such as engineering and zoning are also doing research.
Hahn said, following the meeting, that “we’re going to need some information from muncipal affairs to find out what the provincial standards are,” adding that the town will be in touch with municipal offices in Bowmanville to see what steps it is taking.
He added that he planned to make a recommendation to council at its meeting that evening to enlist its own reviewers for the test, “to ensure peace of mind.”
Hahn also told the Journal Argus that, while town council was invited by St. Marys Cement to attend an information session prior to the public session on Aug. 27, he would also make the recommendation to council not to attend, but rather, attend the public session “to show solidarity with the ratepayers.”
Chief building official Grant Brouwer says that it’s too early to say if the town has any official jurisdiction over the project, but notes that town policies will be reviewed and that “it’s the town’s intent to work with the cement plant to meet common goals” of public safety and environmental stewardship.
If the public has any concerns regarding the test, they can contact town hall and ask for director of public works Kevin Luckhardt (ext. 203), environmental compliance co-ordinator Deb Zehr (ext. 218), or Brouwer (ext. 215).
Vroegh told the Journal Argus that plans for the alternative fuel test has been in the works for between 18 months and two years, and Vroegh notes that St. Marys Cement’s parent company already uses this technology at its facilities in Brazil and in the United States.
In Canada, Vroegh adds, Lehigh Cement in Vancouver, BC, is using a similar plastic fuel, and Lefarge facilities in Vancouver and Quebec are using recycled tired for fuel, as is St. Lawrence Cement, which is also based in Quebec.
The use of non-fossil fuels to operate kilns has been increasing around the world, as the price of fossil fuels rise, with European facilities taking the lead, burning materials such as old tires, scrap wood, waste oils, solvents and sewage sludge in various parts of the cement-making process.