Partnership Will Recycle Waste Into Improved Cement
Following more than 3 years of development and full scale commercial trials, this privately funded project is an excellent example of sustainable development at work in Quebec. The three companies involved in this environmental project are Alcoa, Nova Pb and St. Lawrence Cement, a major global cement manufacturer with cement production located in Joliette, Quebec. Also, significant research in this project was provided by the University of Sherbrooke. CALSiFrit technology, developed by Nova Pb, recycles spent aluminum potlining into a supplementary cementing material that enhances the performance characteristics of Portland cement. The process recycles 100% of incoming waste material, with no solid or liquid waste created that is not 100% recycled or re-used.
This project will recycle over 50,000 mt of industrial residue during this approximately 3 year period. In addition, as a partial replacement of Portland Cement, it will result in a net reduction of over 70,000 mt in Greenhouse gas emissions, as compared to the normal production of Portland Cement. "It is also a unique example of three companies from 3 different industries working together in close collaboration with the Quebec Ministry of the Environment to develop a technology that recycles hazardous waste into a valuable commercial material" said Mr. Brian McIver, vice president of Nova Pb.
"St. Lawrence Cement has already secured commercial contracts to consume over 100,000 mt of CALSiFrit providing a new blended cement for our mining sector customers" said Michel Damphousse, Senior Vice-president, Quebec and Atlantic Division.
Alcoa Inc., the world's largest producer of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina, employs more than 119,000 people in 43 countries, and its gross sales reached more than US$23.5 billion in 2004. In Canada, the Corporation has 27 plants and establishments, 22 of which are located in Quebec and Ontario, and employs more than 6,000 people.
In Quebec, Alcoa Canada Primary Metals operates the Baie-Comeau, Deschambault and Bécancour aluminum smelters and the Bécancour Rod Plant. Total annual production is more than 1.3 million metric tons of ingots, castings, extrusion billets and aluminum rods. In addition to its primary metal operations, Alcoa Canada manufactures aluminum components for the automobile (Alcoa Wheels Products) and aerospace (Howmet) industries, packaging materials and consumer goods (Reynolds) and carries out packaging design (Southern Graphic Systems). For more information, please visit the Web site at: www.alcoa.com/Canada.
Nova Pb Inc, located in Ville St Catherine is Canada's largest lead recycler and one of Canada's leading resource recycling companies. Nova has been recycling a wide variety of hazardous waste on its 50-acre facility since 1984. Nova Pb brand lead is a London Metal Exchange approved brand that is currently sold to clients in the automotive and industrial battery manufacturing industry which are located in Canada, the US and Europe.
CALSiFrit, a sister company to Nova Pb, has developed a new technology to recycle spent aluminum pot-lining into a commercial product also called CALSiFrit, which is an additive to Portland Cement that improves the durability and other properties of concrete. For more information, please visit the Web site at: www.novapb.com and www.calsifrit.com.
St. Lawrence Cement is a leading producer and supplier of products and services to the construction industry, namely cement, concrete, aggregates, and construction. St. Lawrence Cement operates in Canada and on the eastern seaboard of the United States, and employs 2,900 people. St. Lawrence Cement is part of the Holcim Group, one of the world's leading suppliers of cement, concrete, and aggregates, with a market presence in 70 countries on all continents. The Holcim Group employs more than 45,000 people. For more information, please visit the Web site at: www.stlawrencecement.com.
Source: Alcoa Canada Primary Metals