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ALTERNATIVE FUELS
Dirk Lechtenberg MVW Lechtenberg & Partner
Using olive kernels as an environmentally
friendly fuel resource for clinker production
The use of alternative fuels in clinker production processes is becoming common practice around
the world. However, with regards to time and cost efficiency, it is important that cement plants
have access to readily available and ready-to-feed alternative fuels. In this paper, Dirk Lechtenberg
describes how clinker production plants are making use of the waste matter derived from the
production one of the cooking industry’s most popular ingredients – olive oil.
W aste from the olive industry – as well other agri-
cultural wastes, such as rice husks, coconut shells
or other biomass-derived crops – is, depending on the
country, one of the most common, ready-to-feed alter-
native fuels for the cement industry. Over 750m olive
trees are cultivated worldwide and 95% of the world’s
olive oil production is located within the Mediterranean
basin, which supplies 2.6Mt of olive oil each year!
The process
The olive milling process produces a variety of wastes,
of which a proportion is an easy-to-use and ready-to-
feed fuel for clinker production. The milling process is
described below:
1. The olives are ground into paste using large mill-
stones (traditional method) or steel
drums (modern method). If ground
with mill stones, the olive paste
generally stays under the stones for
30–40min. A shorter grinding proc-
ess may result in a more raw paste
that produces less oil and has a less
ripe taste, while a longer process may
increase oxidation of the paste and
reduce the flavour.
2. After grinding, the olive paste is
spread on fibre disks, which are
stacked on top of each other in a
column, then inserted into a press.
Pressure is then applied onto the
column to separate the vegetal liquid
from the paste. This liquid still contains a significant
amount of water. Traditionally, the oil is shed from
the water by gravity (oil has a lower specific weight
than water). This very slow separation process has
been replaced by centrifugation, which is much faster
and more accurate. The centrifuges have one exit for
the watery part and one for the oil. The separation
process in smaller oil mills is not always perfect, thus
sometimes a small watery deposit containing organic
particles can be found at the bottom of oil bottles.
3. In modern steel drum mills, the grinding process
takes about 20min. After grinding, the paste will then
be stirred slowly for another 20-30min in a particu-
lar container (malaxation), where the microscopic
oil drops unite to form bigger drops, which fa-
cilitates the mechanical extraction. The paste is then
pressed by centrifugation and the water is thereafter
separated from the oil in a second centrifugation as
described before.
Olive kernel
Olive kernel is of the main residues of
the olive oil production procedure (see
Figure 2). Its composition depends on
the oil production procedure. Accord-
ing to its material properties and largely Figure 1 (left): Feeding
lignin- and cellulose-based composi- hopper for olive kernel
tion, olive husk is an excellent source of
biomass.
Olive husk is hugely variable in its
composition and this is largely depend-
ant on the oil production procedure. It
is not a homogeneous chemical com-
Figure 2 (left): Dried olive
pound, but instead is a mixture of a wide sludge.
variety of hydrocarbon compounds and
metals whose structure remains largely
unknown. The main chemical elements within the olive
husk are: Cl, As, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni and Zn. In the ce-
ment industry, heavy metals are also fed with the raw
material and the fuels to the kiln. Due to their behav-
iour, heavy volatile metals will be bound to the clinker
globalcementMAGAZINE May 2009 21
ALTERNATIVE FUELS
completely, while light volatile metals, like mercury and • Receiving hoppers;
thallium, will be bound partly to the clinker and the • Extraction by
remaining parts will be emitted. To prevent exceeding screw conveyors;
emission limits, the addition input of such heavy metals • Automatic weigh-
must be limited. ing by rotor weigh
Olive oil sludge feeders or weigh
Parameter Olive oil sludge Olive kernel Olive oil industry and sludge from oil belt feeders;
sludge processing • Pneumatic feeding
Proximate analysis, % w/w During the olive equipment.
Moisture 13.5 29.2 6.01 processing, the first-
Volatiles 61.1 - 43.15 stage of extraction Emissions
Fixed carbon 16.8 11.5 44.34 produces two differ- The calorific value of the fuel used in the clinker pro-
Combustibles 77.9 - - ent wastes: liquid and duction process is obviously an important factor in
Ash 8.7 1.9 6.5 sludge. The sludge is terms of the plant’s efficiency and profitability. However,
Calorific values (kJ/kg) sold to large extraction CO2 reduction values have also become increasingly
Gross 18,080 - 25,462 units for second-stage important. Therefore, the use of waste materials from
Net 16,782 15,771 - extraction, while the the olive extraction process, which are considered to be
Density (kg/m3) toxic liquid is dried at CO2 neutral and renewable fuels, present themselves as
Density - - 558 open air ponds. These an attractive alternative to coal or gas.
liquids may contain a A typical CO2 emission reduction calculation is
high content of phenol shown in Table 3, below. By using 12,000t of olive ker-
Top right: Olive waste on a and are therefore hazardous wastes. MVW Lechtenberg nel each year (1.6t/h), the plant prevents 20,000t of CO2
weighing belt in a cement
is currently working on a study to process these phe- being released into the atmosphere. This not only has
plant.
nol-based wastes into fuel. Dried sludge from smaller positive environmental consequences, but has also ena-
Table 1 (above): An traditional olive mills is normally dried in open ponds bled the plant to save a total Euro230,000.
overview of the composite and can also be used as a highly calorific fuel for the
properties of olive kernel.
production of clinker. Economics
Besides its effectiveness in reducing CO2 emissions, the
Use as a fuel overall economic value of using olive kernel as an alter-
The direct combustion of olive waste is the simplest way native fuel grows proportionally with prices of petcoke.
to exploit its high energy content. The calorific values of This can be seen in Graph 1, below.
.
the different waste materials from the process are shown
Table 3 (right): Table in Table 2. In the production of clinker, these wastes can CO2 emissions reduction from kernel utilisation Olive kernel
showing the potential CO2 be used directly, without further processing, as alterna- Husk consumption (t/y) 12,052
emissions saving if olive tive fuels in three forms: Husk calorific value (kJ/kg) 16,850
kernel is used as an
• Olive oil sludge Fossil fuel heat equivalent (TJ) 203
alternative fuel.
• Olive kernel CO2 emission factor olive oil husks 100.0
• Sludge from oil industry Total CO2 (t/y) 20,307
This can be achieved through the use of a fuel mix
(mixed with petcoke or coal) or by direct firing. In the
mixing process, the maximum level of substitution of
olive kernel and sludge is limited to 5%. The reason for
this is to reduce the likelihood of sticking problems
Graph 1 (far right): Graph occurring within the mill. To produce this mix, some
demonstrating the potential plants use wheelloaders or ‘mixing drums’ to mix the
economic value of using olive
kernel as an alternative fuel.
Waste source Energy (kCal/kg)
Table 2 (right): Calorific Olive oil sludge 3000
values of various sources of Olive kernel 3500
waste that can be used as
Sludge from olive oil industry 4800
alternative fuels
In many olive oil-producing countries, olive kernel
olive kernel or olive sludges together. Athough this is a is collected and exported in vast quantities to European
simple process, it is not a safe or sustainable solution. coal-fired power plants, namely in Italy, the Nether-
A more effective and sustainable substitution can be lands and Germany. Due to the need for reductions in
achieved by pneumatically feeding the fuel mix directly their CO2 emission levels, these power plants are paying
into the kiln. Since olive kernel has a very small grain up to US$35/t FOB Seaport at the Mediterranean Sea,
size, it can be fed directly to the kiln burner or the pre- therefore a price of up to US$15/t ex-works olive mill
calciner. With this method, substitution rates of up to for long term contracts is a highly competitive price
40% are possible. Using this method, MVW Lechten- for a sustainable and environmentally friendly fuel re-
berg has implemented a number of projects using: source.

22 globalcementMAGAZINE May 2009