[CemExec] Potential for RDF use growing in Africa

Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) has been slower to take hold in the African cement industry than in other parts of the world, however there are indications that the continent's use of this money-saving technique is on the verge of significant growth. To examine the issues involved, CemWeek spoke with Mr. Boris Sassenrath, sales leader for Cement/RDF at Vecoplan.

 

 

CemWeek & Prescon: For an alternative fuels program to be effective for a cement manufacturer, a broader infrastructure needs to be in place to collect, process, and deliver the fuels. What are some of the pre-requisites in the community for an African alternative fuel program to be effective?

Boris Sassenrath: Generally speaking, a range of sources need to be available locally to create waste streams for RDF preparation. These are for example MSW (Municipal Solid Waste), C&I (Commercial & Industrial waste), C&D (Construction & Demolition waste) and Biomass, which will all be handled within different treatment systems.

In some African countries, for example in Tunisia, Morocco, and Egypt, Vecoplan has already installed RDF preparation technologies or is working actively on technical solutions to prepare RDF. In many African countries however,the challenge is not so much to collect and prepare waste as it is to find adequate waste resources.

In the case of industrial waste, for example, successful cooperation between the cement plant and recycling companies has been established in several countries. They are very often based on long term contracts, and an important pre-requisite is that these waste streams for RDF preparation are available long term to assure a reliable fuel supply.

Read the rest of the interview in the March / April issue of the CemWeek Magazine.

Vecoplan develops, manufactures and markets machines and plants for grinding, conveying and processing primary and secondary raw materials in the production process and recycling.

 

Mr. Rob Sassenrath will give a full presentation on the issues raised in his interview during the 2nd Environmental Cement Africa Conference 2011, which will take place in Nairobi, Kenya, on the 11th and 12th of May. The conference, which also features
an exhibition, a Gala Dinner and a cement plant visit, is a prestigious gathering of various stakeholders in Africa's cement industry. For information on participation, the programme and exhibition bookings, please visit the website at www.prescon-int.com