[CemExec] Howard Klee, WBCSD (Part 2 of 2)

For example, the cement industry has a unique role in that it can process a variety of fuels, including waste streams from other parts of society, and do so in an environmentally responsible and sustainable way.  When you consider some of the poor experiences seen from landfills, and the potentially hazardous residual material from incinerators, a cement kiln looks more and more like an effective way to co-process a number of waste streams.  The energy content is recovered in making a useful product, and residual materials are incorporated into the cement matrix.

Using tires as a fuel is a much more responsible way to deal with them than leaving them in storage piles which can catch fire, or provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes.  The world is now producing over a billion waste tires each year.  Many billions more are in discarded stockpiles. Using them as fuel in a cement kiln reduced the need to use other fossil fuels, and in some cases can even reduce other emissions such as NOx. The steel belts in tires provide iron, which is normally added as part of the cement-making process. In some cases the lower costs of these waste streams can improve the economic as well as the environmental performance of the kiln.

CW: 80% of cement is produced and consumed in emerging economies such as China.  The CSI has no member in China.  Why is this and are you doing anything to work with companies in China?

HK: You are absolutely correct that most of the world's cement is produced in developing economies.  We expect the 80% share that you cited to grow to 90% in the next 15 years.  And you are certainly correct that China is a major factor in cement production, accounting for 50% of the world's supply today.