Study on the Use of Refuse Derived Fuel in Cement Industry as an Alternative to Coal

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Article Type: Research Article
Issue: Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025)
Published: 14 November 2025
Pages: 3-12

How to Cite

Mohammad, N., Batool, S., & Huma Khan, N. (2025). Study on the Use of Refuse Derived Fuel in Cement Industry as an Alternative to Coal. Global Waste Valorization, 1(1), 3-12. https://doi.org/10.65773/gwv.1.1.49

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Authors

Nafees Mohammad 1 * , 
Saira Batool 1 , 
Nazish Huma Khan 2
1 Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Peshawar,Pakistan
2 Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Swabi ,Pakistan

Abstract

The focus of this study was on preparation of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and its utilization in cement manufacturing process. The aim of this study was to evaluation of RDF as a fuel supplement in cement manufacturing. For this purpose, municipal solid waste composition and calorific values were calculated. To know about its impact on environment in terms of flue gases and particulate matters, the cement plant was kept under observation for three months. It was found that 69.6% of the municipal solid waste consists of combustible material with 3500 kcal/kg calorific value. It was estimated that 4 tons of RDF was equivalent to 1 ton of coal, already being, used in the cement plant. Emissions of various pollutants, CO, SO2 and ash were within the permissible limits set by National Environmental Protection Agency of Pakistan. Therefore, because of high prices of coal and associated atmospheric pollution, it is recommended to use RDF prepared from MSW, as an alternate of coal or as fuel supplement.  

Keywords:
municipal solid waste, Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF), air pollution, waste to energy, cement industry, combustible waste

Article Details

References

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