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Lafarge North America wins at the Energy and Environment Awards

Published by , Editor - Hydrocarbon Engineering
World Cement,


Lafarge North America was recognised for land stewardship, outreach activities and energy efficiency by the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Cement Americas magazine at the 2014 Cement Industry Energy and Environment Awards.

Lafarge Paulding plant

The company received the Innovation Award for its plant in Paulding, Ohio, which recognises cement industry leaders in the development and application of innovative technologies and techniques relevant to environmental protection or energy efficiency.

The Paulding facility fully captures small grain cement kiln dust (CKD) for return back to the kiln feed bed by briquetting the CKD powder prior to reintroduction to the feed bed. After an initial and successful trial using smaller equipment, the Paulding plant installed a larger briquetting machine and feed system to the plant’s kiln systems. As a result, the plant was able to return 1 t of CKD/h to the hood of the kilns. The project increased clinker production, reduced CKD going to the landfill, increased kiln performance factor, reduced the chlorinated grinding aid accelerator, decreased specific heat consumption, and reduced CKD haul truck hours to the landfill. With a yearly saving of US$1 million, the project payback period was less than eight months.

Lafarge Alpena plant

Meanwhile, Lafarge’s Alpena plant, Michigan, was also acknowledged for land stewardship and outreach activities. The plant is working to improve and expand the wildlife habitat project surrounding the former Paxton shale quarry area, which includes about 600 acres in total with a 120 acre lake. The goal is to return this area to its natural state and enhance the living conditions for area wildlife while providing educational opportunities to students, groups, and organisations.

Furthermore, the plant enhanced its curriculum and included additional grade levels for its “Education That WORKS!” programme, taking it to all elementary schools in Alpena County in 2013. The programme is designed to inform students of Michigan’s rock and mineral resources and ultimately, to present the cement manufacturing process to the community’s grade school children.

In 2013, the Alpena plant produced 85% of its own electrical needs. By producing most of its own power in 2013, the plant reduced its potential carbon footprint by approximately 100 000 t of CO2.

The plant was a runner-up for the Land Stewardship. The Land Stewardship category recognises a plant’s efforts to protect and enhance the surrounding land through landscaping, species protection, and remediation and rehabilitation of quarries, wetlands, and other features. The plant was also a finalist in the outreach, energy efficiency and overall environmental excellence categories.


Adapted from press release by Rosalie Starling

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/10092014/lafarge-north-america-wins-at-the-energy-and-environment-awards-449/

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