Giant Cement Company (GCC) and its sister company Giant Resource Recovery, Inc. (GRR!), operate one of the world's most unique alternative-fuels energy-recovery recycling operations.
In 2006, GCC modernized its kiln operations and expanded GRR!. Today, Giant Cement operates the most modern cement plant in South Carolina regarding alternative fuel utilization.
In addition, GCC, together with GRR!, recently and successfully completed air emission and operations testing that will allow the plant to operate on short-term periods on 100% alternative fuels. Previously, GCC could achieve 50% energy recovery and replacement with alternative fuels over a production cycle within any given year, today, with these short-term periods at 100%; the average annual production cycle will average 70% substitution.
It is important to highlight that not only is the ability to co-process alternative fuels at such high rates that make unique GCC and GRR! They are also only one of two (but the first) cement kiln in the United States to be able to process both liquid and solid alternative fuels.
At the same time, co-processing alternative fuels lowers the plant emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide and reduces greenhouse gases (GHGs). Overall, the increase in alternative fuels in the manufacture of Portland cement will reduce the plant's GHG's by 30% compared to 1990.
