Alternative Fuels
Cement-making operations are one of the key focuses of Lafarge Cement's move towards sustainability.

This is reflected in the drive towards production of more energy efficient products. In Blue Circle Masonry Cement 35% of the raw materials do not go through the kiln (30% crushed limestone, 5% gypsum). This means that for each tonne of product made, less energy is used and environmental emissions are lower.
Alternative Fuels: Saves energy, reduces emissions
Using alternative fuels such as scrap tyres also has a key role to play. For example, scrap tyres have the same high-energy value as coal and have been used as a cement-making fuel worldwide for the last ten years.

Each year in the UK more than 40 million tyres are removed from vehicles (cars and trucks). The disposal of these tyres is a major problem, which is set to grow when whole tyres are banned from landfill sites in 2003 and chipped tyres in 2006.

A cement kiln is ideally suited to help solve this problem by using tyres as a fuel. The tyres are used to heat the raw materials to temperatures in excess of 1,000°C which is hotter than molten volcanic lava. The environmental benefits gained from doing this include:

  • Reducing the factory's impact on the local environment
  • Recovering energy from a product that would otherwise be thrown away
  • Saving fossil fuels for future generation.

Other alternative fuels being used, or on trial at a number of our Works include recycled liquid fuel, PSP (processed sewage pellets), meat and bone meal and packaging waste.


Glacier ARM Ltd's aim is to produce Alternative Raw Materials for the cement production of Lafarge Cement UK and other cement producers in the UK market...visit the Glacier ARM Ltd website