Standard operating procedures for utilizing household combustible waste as an alternative fuel for the cement industry

In the Korean cement industry, cement is not produced using fossil fuel such as bituminous coal alone but rather using combustible waste as an auxiliary fuel. The standards for using alternative fuel in cement processes are specified in the “Waste Management Laws.” However, an analysis process has not been clearly defined, which hinders the development of appropriate standard operating procedures (SOPs) required to objectively evaluate the use of waste as an alternative fuel for cement production. This study proposed clear SOPs to expand the utilization of alternative fuels in cement production, and these procedures were derived by selecting appropriate analysis methods and standards. The thermal, environmental, and quality characteristics of non-recyclable wastes and cement samples treated based on the SOPs were critically examined. Non-recyclable wastes showed a higher calorific value (7010 kcal/kg) and lower chlorine content (0.08 wt.%) compared to bituminous coal, and the cement analysis indicated that the characteristics did not change based on the type of fuel used. Nonrecyclable waste is appropriate for application if processed with a fuel manufacturing system. These findings provide procedural guidelines to promote the use of combustible waste as auxiliary fuels in the cement industry.