CMA

70 Cement kilns are already in operation and may increase the waste treatment capacity significantly if integrated into the waste management strategy. They are usually cost efficient and do not produce any residues that needs disposal. Possible to use Cement kilns? Cement kilns have proven to be effective means of recovering value from waste materials and co-processing in cement kilns is now an integral component in the spectrum of viable options for treating several waste categories, practised in developed countries for the last four decades. The two cement plants we have in Norway, replace today around 75% of its coal with waste, including plastic, and this has been the only treatment option for disposal of organic hazardous wastes in Norway for the last 30 years – a dedicated incinerator for hazardous wastes was never built. This practice has been cost-effective, resource- efficient, and environmentally sound compared to incineration. The energy utilization efficiency is much better than in an Incinerator with WtE – and no residues are produced, compared to around 30% in a WtE. A preheater cement kiln possesses many inherent features which makes it ideal for waste treatment; high temperatures, long residence time, surplus oxygen during and after combustion, good turbulence and mixing conditions, thermal inertia, counter currently dry scrubbing of the exit gas by alkaline raw material (neutralises all acid gases like hydrogen chloride), fixation of the traces of heavy metals in the clinker structure, no production of by- products and efficient recovery of energy and raw material components in the waste. A win-win opportunity? As not all plastic waste can be recycled, we need to find additional solutions to avoid that the plastic strangles us and our planet! The OPTOCE project is expected to uncover an untapped potential to remove, treat and beneficially utilise non-recyclable plastic wastes by the private sector. Cement production in five countries needs huge amounts of coal and emits the bulk of the CO2. Research has shown that co-processing mixed plastic waste can potentially save as much as -1200 kg CO2 - equivalents per ton waste treated, when accounting for avoided emissions from provision and usage of coal (Astrup, Fruergaard and Christensen, 2009). The world likely needs to halve greenhouse gas emissions within 2030 to prevent dangerous levels of global warming. Global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels will rise for the third straight year in 2019, ticking up an estimated 0.6% to a record 37 billion metric tons, according to the closely watched annual report from the Global Carbon Project. Slight declines in the US and European Union were offset by projected increases in China, India, and other parts of the world, where economic growth is fuelling rising energy demands. We want to showcase the plastic removal potential through local proof of concept OPTOCE will carry out Pilot Demonstrations in local cement plants to investigate and document the feasibility, to prove the concept under various local conditions and to uncover potential limitations of the practice. We have entered into agreements with central and local authorities, and with leading Waste management companies and Cement industry in all the OPTOCE-countries; we have agreements with universities and NGOs and will cooperate with international organisations like the Asian Development Bank, UNDP, UNEP, UNIDO etc. The Pilot Demonstrations will document the performance, i.e., describe the co-processing capacity for Non-Recyclable Plastic Wastes, the environmental performance, cost and energy efficiency, and the need for pre treatment and preparation of the Non- Recyclable Plastic Wastes prior to co-processing, limitations in types and volumes of Plastic Wastes that can be co-processed etc. The overall aim is to provide a quantitative and qualitative assessment of how the involvement of private industry can improve plastic waste management and prevent marine litter reaching the ocean in each country.