Processing end-of-life tyres in cement kilns has a number of environmental advantages, including:
Reduced emissions from cement plants
By substituting tyres as a fuel for coal, the environmental performance of cement plants can improve through a reduction in emissions. The use of tyres as an alternative fuel has shown a decrease in one of the main emissions – oxides of nitrogen. This decrease has led to an improvement in cement plants’ overall environmental performance.
Safeguarding finite natural resources
The use of end-of-life tyres safeguards the supply of fossil fuel reserves such as coal for future generations.Typically a tonne of coal has the same calorific value as a tonne of tyres, so the prolonged use of tyres as a cement kiln fuel can save significant amounts of fossil fuels. The steel content of the tyre is also absorbed into the cement, thereby reducing the requirement for addition of ferrous oxide.
Providing a total recovery solution
With the temperature of cement kilns between 900°C and 1,450°C, all organic matter, including the tyre steel, is consumed and used in the production of cement. There is no waste and no black smoke!
