Lafarge Canada has commissioned a low-carbon fuel facility as part of its Exshaw cement plant. Image: Lafarge Canada
Lafarge Canada has commissioned a low-carbon fuel facility as part of its Exshaw cement plant to reduce the site’s reliance on traditional fuels and reduce emissions.
It marks a significant investment by Lafarge Canda which is part of the Holcim Group. The $38 million facility will replace up to 50 per cent of natural gas used for one of its kilns. The alternative fuel will be derived from construction demolition waste, primarily discarded wood normally destined for landfill.
Part of the funding, worth $10 million, was contributed by Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) through the Government of Alberta’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) fund.
Lafarge Canada has partnered with Geocycle Canada, also part of the Holcim Group, for the project, with the opening ceremony attended by industry figures and key stakeholders.
“Our commitment to building a sustainable future is at the core of everything we do,” Brad Kohl, president and chief executive officer of Lafarge Canada (West), said.
“The LCF project is a prime example of how innovation and collaboration can drive positive change, lowering our environmental footprint through the use of waste biomass materials while closing the material loop to conserve natural resources.”
Image: Lafarge Canada
Geocycle Canada will be responsible for co-processing the construction demolition waste into low-carbon fuels for usage on the Exshaw site. Part of its remit will be maintaining the high safety and quality standards when selecting the material.
“Advancing technology solutions that will help keep valuable materials in the economy and out of landfills makes good environmental and economic sense,” Justin Riemer, chief executive officer of Emissions Reduction Alberta, said.
“Our hope is that any positive results or lessons learned will encourage others in the cement industry to do the same, giving this investment a greater, far-reaching impact.”
The Exshaw project and commissioning builds on Lafarage’s announcement at the Brookfield cement plant which occured in September. According to Lafarage Canada, Exshaw plant is on track to become one of Canada’s most carbon-efficient cement facilities.
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