There is a task force for the use of biomass energy, waste, and other materials. As the company has experience in co-processing (with units licensed for use of alternative fuels / co-processing) and has units installed near large urban centers, investment in these projects can be reduced. Thus, several projects are planned in this direction, and some have already been started.

Along with tires, aluminum electrolysis pots are used as alternative fuels. Sand is recycled for the manufacturing of mortar. We also use biomass (rice husk and sawdust) in the operation of the oven. We have projects and studies for the use of shredded waste as fuel and use of rice husk ash in concrete. The use of alternative fuels is a technological challenge, however, allows to reduce costs in addition to the substitution of non-renewable fuels, which reduces our carbon footprint.

These applications are an excellent alternative for reducing the environmental impact of the cement industry: substituting for fossil fuels, reducing CO2 emission rates, and decreasing the amount of waste in landfills and deposits, which alleviates the chances of contamination in soil or groundwater.

Commitments individually assumed by CSI companies:

• Apply the set of actions presented in the “Guidelines for the Selection and Use of Fuels and Raw Materials in the Cement Production Process.”

Guidelines

The objective of the co-processing guidelines is to ensure that the benefits of the use of alternative fuels and raw materials can be obtained in a responsible manner.

The key points are to:

• Guarantee health and safety through the wastes protocol, equipment, training, controls, health monitoring, and emergency plans;
• Reject all banned wastes (nuclear, biologically hazardous, chemical or biological weapons of mass destruction, batteries, unknown or unspecified wastes);
• Ensure product quality, which should always fit the specifications and be submitted to environmental controls (Leaching tests);
• Comply with legal requirements and promote best practices: obtain all relevant licenses and meet the necessary conditions, assess health and safety risks prior to using wastes, even when not required to do so by local authorities;
• Monitor and control all inputs, processes, products and emissions: assess the physical and chemical properties, control volatile metals (Hg, Cd, Tl) and Leached heavy metals (Leaching tests), ensure the traceability of wastes from reception to final treatment and the adequacy of AFR (Alternative Fuels and Raw Materials) feeding points;
• Monitor and control all inputs, processes, products and emissions: monitor emissions in accordance with the guidelines set down in the document “Monitoring Emissions”;
• Communicate transparently;
• Keep the environment safe when using AFRs: ensure that the effluents will not harm the environment;

• The Storage and Handling of AFRs should be done in such a manner that it avoids leaks, spills, leaching, uncontrolled emissions, and keeps odors and noise within acceptable levels.

Alternative Fuels

St Marys Cement is committed to optimizing energy efficiency and continuously seeks environmentally friendly alternative fuel and raw material sources. The company is preparing for a carbon-constrained future that poses challenges for cement producers and other energy-intensive industries. Producing 100 tonnes of cement releases an average of 83 tonnes of CO2, according to the International Energy Agency.

In 2009, the St Marys Cement plant began testing a groundbreaking process to convert CO2 emissions into algae—a green, goopy plant that naturally coats river rocks and neglected swimming pools. This process is the first of its kind. Instead of relying on fossil fuels like coal and petroleum coke, algae could serve as a renewable, eco-friendly fuel source, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In partnership with Pond Biofuels, this algae project went live in 2011 and is believed to be the first in the world to demonstrate CO2 capture at a cement plant. It serves as a small-scale model for what could be achieved on a larger scale.

Supported by funding from the Ontario Centres of Excellence, St Marys Cement and Pond Biofuels launched a pilot project aimed at transforming CO₂ from a liability into a commodity. The CO2-consuming algae are continuously harvested, dried using waste heat from the plant, and then used as fuel in the plant’s cement kilns. This process enables St. Marys to recycle CO2 emissions into a renewable fuel, paving the way for producing what could be considered “green” cement.

Algae technology has recently gained recognition as a promising biofuel production method. Unlike corn ethanol, algae avoids the food-versus-fuel debate and boasts rapid growth—up to 30 times faster than some food crops. Over the course of a year, a half-hectare algae farm can absorb as much CO2 as 200 hectares of mature trees. Once this innovative approach is demonstrated on a commercial scale, the hope is that industrial clusters across North America will adopt similar solutions.