The use of alternative fuels in the cement industry as part of circular economy

Abstract

The alternative waste fuels have a significant share in the fuel mix of the cement industry in Poland. The conditions inside cement kilns are favorable enough for environmentally-friendly use of waste fuels. In the article, the authors discuss the current situation concerning the use of alternative fuels in Poland, from difficult beginning in the 1990s to the present time, different kinds of fuels, and the amounts of used fuels. The use of fuels in Poland is presented against the global and EU consumption (including Central European countries and companies). The increased use of waste-derived fuels, from the level of about 1% at the end of the 1990s to the present level of about 70%, allowed for the limitation of waste storage, including avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions and consumption of conventional energy sources; those effects also contributed to the implementation of the sustainable development and circular economy conceptions. The experiences of the cement plants worldwide prove that the use of waste fuels is ecological and economical. The examples showed in the article confirm that cement plants are greatly interested in using waste fuels from waste, as they invest in the infrastructure allowing to store bigger amounts of waste and dose them more efficiently. Thus, the cement industry has become an important element of the country's energy economy and waste management system.