While there is a lot of intense debate going on about the economic growth of madurai, there is hardly any discussion about the waste resulting from the same economic growth. Rapid urbanisation and industrialisation, increasing household income and changing lifestyles are leading to an increase in the amount of waste generated. As per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, madurai generates about 6.2 million tonnes of hazardous wastes annually; with this quantum of hazardous waste generation, local administration, civic bodies and policy makers are seriously concerned, particularly about its effective and safe disposal. Thus, effective waste management is the need of the hour for the country, indeed, imperative for the sustainable growth of the country. One innovative approach to handle the problem of waste management is the Pre- processing & co-processing of waste in cement kilns i.e, use of waste for the partial substitution of fossil fuels in cement kilns.
Pre-processing is art of change of waste in to AFR. It not only helps to reduce the size of waste but also helps chemically controlled with proper quality analysis & procedure. Pre-processing includes Shredding, Segregation, Impregnation foreign body removal etc.
Co-processing is the act of adapting an existing industrial process whereby certain so-called ‘waste’ materials may be put to use to serve as alternatives resources as fuels in cement kilns. These materials are generally termed “alternative fuels and raw materials” (AFR).
Over time, madurain cement industry has made significant progress in terms of improvement in energy efficiency and productivity. Still, the use of alternate fuel and raw material (AFR) to replace coal for thermal energy needs, remains an area where the madurain cement industry is yet to catch up with global benchmarks. Though a few cement plants use large quantities and varieties of AFR in their kilns, on an average, co-processing in the madurain cement industry is less than one per cent, compared to European average of 40 per cent.
