Carmeuse Fuel Project Earns International Award

Carmeuse’s alternative fuel project at its Grand River, Ohio, operation has earned the “Outstanding Alternative Fuel Project” award at the 8th Global CemFuels 2014 Conference, held in Vienna, Austria, at the end of February.

The annual CemFuels Conference is an important industry event that is attended by equipment vendors, cement and lime manufacturers, fuel suppliers, academics and researchers from around the world.

In open voting, conference attendees, as well as others, considered nominees in four categories. The Grand River Project was eligible for and won in the “Outstanding Alternative Fuel Project (cement or lime company)” category. Alternative fuels are viewed as a key means of addressing sustainability issues by lessening dependence on fossil fuels, and reducing CO2 emissions through use of “carbon neutral” biomass materials.

Installed in 2013, the Grand River alternative fuel system allows safe, efficient storage and conveyance of an alternative fuel known as VEXOR Engineered Fuel. The VEXOR fuel is delivered in walking floor trailers into the receiving station, then it is transferred into the storage bin where another set of walking floors moves the fuel to the front of the bin and feeds a drag chain conveyer.

The conveyer fills a distribution bin that splits the fuel so that it can be weighed and fed simultaneously into both kilns. Each kiln can be supplied with 5 tph. This equates to 3.8 tph/kiln of coal that can be substituted with alternative fuels. As a result, the operation uses less coal and reduces its exposure to volatile coal prices and supply issues.

The alternative fuel project at the Grand River facility is indicative of the companywide commitment Carmeuse has made to improving fuel efficiency, reducing carbon footprint, and conducting business in a manner that sustains people and the environment.

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