The Situation of RDF Utilization in the Cement Industry in Thailand

Thailand still faces problems with municipal solid waste (MSW) management. No law enforcement about waste sorting from waste generators affects the contamination of contrary objects in the waste stream. Due to a high proportion of organic waste, mixed waste has high moisture and chloride content, considerable obstacles in the recycling and waste-to-energy businesses. Although refuse-derived fuel (RDF) production to use as a source of fuel for heat and electricity generations is one of the best-available solutions to handle this waste crisis, many factors still disrupt the operation. That is why landfilling is ordinarily used as a waste disposal method. The total RDF usage volume in the cement industry in Thailand is approximately 0.4 million tons per year. The substitution rate is less than 20%. It is quite a few compared with MSW volume and the substitution rate in other cement plants in foreign countries. This study compiled documents and focus group interviews on reviewing the current situation in the MSW supply chain. The results illustrate the problems which need to be solved through the chain. People, as the waste generator, have to sort the waste. The government should impel a policy about waste-to-energy, primarily supporting the private sector to play a more significant role. Moreover, with cost-effectiveness, RDF production and quality improvement technology must be developed to meet cement plants' RDF quality standards. The new RDF products with higher quality, such as low chloride and small size RDF, should be developed to consume RDF in larger quantities. Finally, cement plants as the user need to invest in supporting technology to increase usage volumes, such as chloride by-pass and mechanical feeding systems. In addition, using RDF at other burning points in cement kilns is one of the most exciting issues that cement plants should not be overlooked.