FAQs

As part of our commitment to sustainability and reducing emissions, the Birkenhead Plant has used Alternative Fuels and Raw Materials (AFRM) for 21 years.

Alternative fuels are energy-rich materials which replace natural gas as a source of energy in the cement manufacturing process.

Alternative raw materials rich in calcium, silica, alumina or iron replace traditional mined raw materials such as limestone, clay, and ironstone.

At the Birkenhead Plant we substitute natural gas with Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) and Carbon Powder. We substitute mined raw materials with Black Sand, Blast Furnace Slag and Blended Mill Scale.

For 21 years, the ARFM program has successfully diverted 2.7 million tonnes of waste from Adelaide landfills, replaced 0.7 million tonnes of non-renewable mined raw materials, reduced oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions by 25%, and conserved over 20 million GJ of natural gas.

Alternative fuels currently replace 30% of the Birkenhead facility’s fossil fuel requirements, and as part of our Sustainability Framework, we have committed to a target of 50% of South Australian kiln fuel to be sourced from alternative fuels by 2025. We want to continue to deliver excellent environmental outcomes for our business and our community, so have recently commenced exploring the use of a new RDF in our process.

For any AFRM used at Birkenhead, we will only consider materials that are demonstrated to be safe for our employees, the community and the environment.

As part of our Sustainability Framework, we have prioritised four United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to actions that most closely align with our business objectives and in areas where we can make the most difference for Australians.

Our AFRM program is designed to address these goals by developing and investing in new products and processes to divert waste materials from landfill, which can help to produce low-carbon building materials and reduce environmental impacts.

Learn more about how our parent company, Adbri Limited, is helping to build a sustainable future for all Australians.

Our AFRM program has been operating safely for 21 years at Birkenhead.

In that time, the program has made significant progress towards making the cement process more sustainable and has improved environmental outcomes for the community, while delivering the same quality product that ABC is known for.

We have already reduced our natural gas reliance by 40% and replaced 0.7 million tonnes of non-renewable mined raw materials.

By reducing fossil fuels in the cement manufacturing process, our AFRM program will help to provide sustainable materials for Australia’s infrastructure.

The program also delivers excellent environmental and safety outcomes for our local community; the programme has already delivered a 25% reduction in oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions, a 900,000 tonne reduction in CO2 emissions, and diverted 2.6 million tonnes of waste from Adelaide landfills.

As defined by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, “a circular economy is based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems”.

As the first to introduce RDF in Australia, ABC is among those leading the cement industry’s transition to a more circular economy. The program is already helping to reduce our reliance on raw materials and fossil fuels and give new life to waste that would otherwise be destined for landfill.

Learn more about the circular economy here.

The waste management hierarchy sets out priorities for managing waste. It can be used as a tool to manage waste in an environmentally sound manner and make the best use of the recoverable materials it contains. It prioritises practices based on resource and energy consumption / recovery, with waste avoidance being the most favourable action and landfilling the least. ABC AFRM program has been designed to support and align with the waste management hierarchy.

Learn more about the waste management hierarchy in South Australia.

Co-processing refers to the use of waste in the cement manufacturing process where energy recovery and the recycling of mined materials occur simultaneously.

The mineral part of the waste replaces raw mined materials (such as limestone, clay or ironstone) and the combustible part provides the energy needed to achieve the high temperatures required for clinker production.

Because co-processing involves energy recovery and material recycling at the same time, it falls somewhere between those two steps on the waste management hierarchy.

Although new to Australia, co-processing is a proven technology that is widely used as a waste management tool in Europe, with the European Union considering updating the waste management hierarchy to specifically recognise co-processing as a useful form of material recycling.

Learn more about how co-processing contributes to a circular economy.

At ABC, taking action to address our carbon emissions is a key part of our sustainability journey to address the shared global challenge of climate change.

Use of alternative fuels at our Birkenhead facility has already delivered excellent results across key emissions measures, with a 25% reduction in oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions and a reduction of 900,000 tonnes of CO2 since the program’s inception in 2003.

By replacing approximately 30,000 tonnes per annum of non-renewable mined raw materials such as limestone, clay and ironstone with alternative raw materials, and by substituting the ash components of our alternative fuels we can further reduce our emissions across our supply-chain by reducing our reliance on energy-intensive mining processes for raw materials.

Studies in Europe and Asia using life cycle analysis tools to assess the overall emissions outcomes for co-processing found that co-processing of certain wastes delivered far greater emissions outcomes than landfilling that material.

AFRM’s used at Birkenhead are all sourced from wastes or by-products destined for landfill, which, in line with the waste management hierarchy, has had all recyclable materials removed. RDF is produced by Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), receiving waste from construction and demolition (C&D), commercial and industrial (C&I) and municipal solid waste (MSW) sources. All recyclable components are removed, leaving a residual waste stream that is diverted and segregated at a specialised third-party facility to produce a consistent fuel.

Yes, RDF currently replaces 40% of the Birkenhead facility’s fossil fuel requirements, and as part of our Sustainability Framework we have committed to a target of 50% of South Australian kiln fuel to be sourced from alternative fuels by 2025.

We want to continue to deliver excellent environmental outcomes for our business and our community, so have recently begun exploring the use of a new RDF in the Kiln at Birkenhead, in addition to the RDF already used in our Calciner process.

Learn more about how energy use at ABC’s Birkenhead plant supports our parent company’s sustainability goals in Adbri Limited’s Sustainability Report.

Use of alternative fuels at our Birkenhead facility has already delivered excellent results across key environmental measures, with a 25% reduction in oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions and a reduction of 900,000 tonnes of CO2 since the program’s inception in 2003.  

We want to continue the success of the program. So, as part of our Sustainability Framework, ABC has committed to a target of 50% of South Australian kiln fuel to be sourced from alternative fuels by 2025. For any fuel used at Birkenhead, we will only consider highly engineered products that are based on well-established technologies and that have been proven internationally to be safe for people and the environment.

Each step of our alternative fuels journey involves extensive evaluation which involves monitoring and requires approval by the South Australian Environment Protection Authority (SA EPA) before any change in fuel can occur.

ABC strives to be a good neighbour and our alternative fuels program is part of our efforts to continually improve outcomes for our local community. Community consultation is a crucial part of the AFRM program and we look forward to working together to build a sustainable future for all Australians.

Learn more about community engagement.

At ABC, our focus is on open and transparent communication and continued investment in our community.

We have been a proud member of the Port Adelaide and Birkenhead communities for more than a century and want to continue to be a valued community member for the next century. Part of that is a commitment to continuously seek to improve our practices and look for ways to deliver positive outcomes for the community.

Please return to this website for the latest information on alternative fuels and raw materials, including our engagement and communications activities. You can also register to be notified of website updates and to be given advance notice of relevant EPA approval activity.

Have questions or comments? Get in touch here.

RDF, or Refuse Derived Fuel, is a process engineered fuel from waste. Our Birkenhead facility currently uses RDF produced from construction and demolition (C&D) (primarily timber) and commercial and industrial (C&I) waste, that has been used safely in our operations since 2003.

It is currently used to replace natural gas as a source of energy in the cement manufacturing process, and is also used to replace raw mined materials, such as limestone and clay.

RDF has a different burning mechanism than natural gas, which has resulted in a significant reduction of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions from our Birkenhead facility.

Download RDF fact sheet.

Each step of our alternative fuels journey has involved extensive evaluation, monitoring and approval by the SA EPA.

ABC is regulated by the SA EPA, who grant a licence for activities of environmental significance at the Birkenhead facility including our fuel use.

Current use of alternative fuels at Birkenhead has required SA EPA approval and the process involved public notification and close consultation with the community.

The SA EPA reviews and approves the recovered product plan for the alternative fuel. The recovered product plan includes fuel specification and quality control. Any changes to fuel use or composition will require further approval from the EPA and consultation with the community.

Learn more about our licence conditions from the SA EPA.

As part of our commitment to sustainability and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the Birkenhead Plant uses Alternative Fuels and Raw Materials (AFRM), including RDF.

In a practice known as co-processing, RDF is being used to replace both natural gas and raw materials in our cement production process.

The use of RDF and other AFRMs reduce the volume of material being disposed to landfill while reducing the reliance on non-renewable energy sources.

Our alternative fuels program has been operating safely for 21 years at Birkenhead.

• The program has already delivered excellent environmental and safety outcomes for our local community; the programme has already delivered a 25% reduction in oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions and diverted 2.7 million tonnes of waste from Adelaide landfills.

Each step of our alternative fuels journey has involved extensive evaluation, monitoring and approval by the SA EPA.

• For any fuel used at Birkenhead, we will only consider highly engineered products that are based on well-established technologies and that have been proven internationally to be safe for people and the environment.

RDF is delivered, unloaded, conveyed and stored within an enclosed system, reducing the possibility of odour dispersion. The fuel is burnt in the kiln and does not produce a visible emission (other than water vapour produced in the process).

Cement manufacturing is uniquely positioned to get the most value out of non-recyclable waste through co-processing in cement kilns, as the process does not produce the same potentially harmful outputs as other forms of energy recovery from waste.

The controlled, high-temperature environment required for the cement process minimises production of dioxins and furans, and any ash produced is safely captured as part of the clinker and is not sent to landfill.

RDF composition is made consistent through off-site processing, and any change to the content of the RDF is approved through the SA EPA following extensive evaluation of which community consultation is a critical part.

Learn more about our licence conditions from SA EPA.

ABC provides live air quality monitoring information to the community and reports regularly on environmental performance.

See the latest results.