Circular Economy is one of the pillars of our Sustainability Strategy. We promote an increasingly integrated approach so as to transform waste into new resources.
We are committed to adopt a co-processing and circular approach to waste.
Co-processing of waste in cement kilns is an established and environmentally effective option, and a circular solution for the end-of-life materials. It does not only recover the energy content of the waste, but also recycles its mineral content into high value products. Co-processing results in the reduction of raw materials and fossil fuels consumption mitigating green-house gases effects. It also offers an effective solution to the waste management (e.g., storage and disposal). E.g., Co-processing of waste allows for prevention of plastic pollution in the environment and for avoid options not environmentally sustainable like landfill disposal.
Alternative fuels and raw materials
The thermal energy produced in our plants is generated by the combustion of fossil fuels (fuel oil, petcoke, coal and natural gas) and in part, by alternative fuels, such as waste oils, tires, rubber and plastics.
Our goal is to increase the proportion of alternative fuels in the fuel mix to 50% for producing grey cement and 13% for white cement. The percentage of white cement is lower because market specifications impose strict chromatic consistency standards, which could be compromised by the use of alternative fuels.
In addition to the fuels necessary to carry out the process, cement production requires large quantities of raw materials of natural origin such as limestone, clay and gypsum, extracted from natural quarries that have different characteristics.
Since these are natural ecosystems with a precise natural balance, we calculate the impact of our activities to limit the effects on the areas concerned and pursue the objective of reducing the use of non-renewable raw materials, promoting the use of alternatives raw materials.
In fact, we target a clinker ratio reduction from 79% to 64% for grey cement and from 79% to 78% for white cement, by replacing clinker with alternative raw materials, such as fly ash and blast furnace slag.
Of the nearly 15 million tons of materials used in 2023 to produce cement in our plants, almost 12% was recycled, including fly ash, blast furnace slag and other additives deriving from the extraction activities of the quarry inside CCB plant in Belgium.
In summary: our 2030 objectives
| Grey cement | White cement | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2030 | 2023 | 2030 | |
| Use of alternatives fuels | 33% of total | 48% of total | 2% of total | 14% of total |
| Clinker ratio | 79% | 64% | 79% | 78% |
Waste as a secondary raw material
Waste is a source not only of recyclable materials, but also of alternative fuels with a high calorific value. The use of alternative fuel derived from solid urban waste and industrial waste brings high environmental benefits, because it reduces the use of fossil fuels and offers a solution to storage and disposal problems.
From a business perspective, the Group was one of the leading industrial players to capitalise on these opportunities and since 2009 has been operating in the renewable energy, urban and industrial waste management and processing sectors. These operations are conducted through Recydia, which owns the Sureko businesses in Türkiye.
In 2023 Cementir waste treatment plants produced over 11,000 tons of waste fuel.
We use the most advanced biological technologies, minimizing landfilling and contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Furthermore, unlike what happens in waste-to-energy plants, the use of waste as an alternative fuel in cement factories does not produce residual waste as the ash resulting from combustion is recycled in the production of the cement itself.
In 2023, the Group’s plants collected and processed more than 60,000 tons of waste: 4% solid urban waste and 96% industrial waste.