This is a partial summary of the Holcim Community Advisory Panel meeting, Feb. 2011. The President & CEO of Holcim Canada presented an overview of the Mississauga Plant’s Operations.
-Holcim will soon celebrate 60 years of operations in Canada (1954 in Quebec, 1956 in Ontario)
-over past 10 years, more that $100 million have been invested at the Mississauga Plant, in support of PM 2.5 and 10, NOx , SO2 and CO2 emission reduction efforts
CO2 Emissions:
– since 1990, the net production of CO2 per tonne of cement has been reduced by 30%
– approx. 60% of CO2 emissions from the cement sector result from the chemical process that converts calcium carbonate in limestone to calcium oxide during the production of clinker
– by using suitable industrial by-products, such as slag from the steel industry, this chemical reaction and resulting GHG emissions are minimized
– Mississauga plant spent $88 million on a Vertical Roller Mill (VRM) to produce a slag cement, resulting in reduction of clinker and CO2 emissions
PM10, PM2.5:
– Holcim Canada recognizes concern that emission of fine particulates are concern in Clarkson airshed
– Installed Teflon Bags in system baghouse; these state-of-the-art bags are rated to achieve control of PM1 (ultrafine particulates) – led to 79% reduction in PM, PM10 and PM2.5 from 2006 to 2009 (phased in installation)
Recent emission reduction initiatives:
– fugitive dust control
– road paving
– installation of water sprinklers
– use of water, vacuum and sweeper trucks
– dry fog water spraying
– installation of a wet dust suppression system
– dust spray on off-loading stone
– greening of the Plant through tree plantings
As a member of the Southwest GTA Task Force, Holcim makes recommendations to improve the quality of the Clarkson Airshed.
Holcim promotes that the Ontario GHG policy should incorporate the following:
– A uniform CO2 intensity standard should be adopted. Should be expressed in a form that recognizes the important role that supplementary cement substitutes play in reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from cement manufacturing
– Encourage the use of alternative energies from biomass, engineered fuels, residual material and other combustible by-products
– Aggressive adoption of the new National and Ontario building code standards (release in Q1, 2011), that allow for less use of carbon intensive cementitious material.