Gypsum industry news

Vietnam: DAP Joint Stock Company has found a solution to deal with gypsum created during production processes. The public has criticised the company for many years because of the 'acid leaking from its gypsum dumping ground.' However, the problem will be solved as DAP has found a way to recycle gypsum, turning it into artificial plaster to be used as a cement additive.

Since 2009 DAP has produced some 2Mt of gypsum, which is being kept at its temporary dumping ground. The ground is surrounded by clay and stone embankments with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) stratum to ensure that the water does not leak. There is a reservoir to collect acid from the waste and pump it back to the plant for use. When the pH content falls below the allowed level, the gypsum will be relocated to a major gypsum gathering ground, covering an area of 0.4km², where it will be recycled into cement additives. A monitoring report from 30 September 2014 showed that the waste water was within the safety limits in accordance with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MONRE) QCVN 09:2008/BTNMT standard on underground water quality.

Dinh Vu Gypsum JSC was established in 2010 following initial success in gypsum recycling tests. The company has finished the construction of a gypsum recycling plant and has installed 25% of the processing lines, with a capacity of 150,000t/yr per line. The plant, now in its trial run, has provided 10,000t of artificial plaster to the But Son Cement Plant in Ha Nam Province.

DAP has also joined forces with the Vietnam Cement Corporation (Vicem) to develop a project on processing gypsum. The two sides have signed a cooperation agreement, under which Vicem would be responsible for the consumption of the resulting cement additive.

UK: Cuddy Recycling Ltd, a start up company that is supported by the Welsh Government, plans to invest Euro1.49m to create the first wood, wallboard and gypsum recycling centre in South Wales. It will create 22 jobs.

Backed by Euro285,000 from the Welsh Economic Growth Fund, the purpose-built centre will be based on the former Wern Works site in Briton Ferry, Neath Port Talbot which, subject to planning, will be partially demolished and redeveloped. The new centre will process and recycle demolition aggregate from construction and demolition projects across Wales, as well as waste timber and wallboard from the construction industry and civil amenity sites.

It aims to provide a green alternative to landfill with waste timber used for animal bedding, panel board manufacture and biomass fuel, with the option of introducing a garden mulch product at a later date.

Aggregates will be sorted for reuse in construction companies. Wallboard will, where possible, be taken back to wallboard manufacture, or the gypsum recycled as a soil conditioner for agricultural purposes. There is also potential for use as a cement additive.

"This project supports two of our key economic sectors, providing a specific service for the construction sector while the new business will operate in the energy and environment industry, one of the fastest growing sectors in the Welsh economy with waste management - the largest sub sector," said economy minister Edwina Hart. "Companies working in this area are not only making a significant contribution in terms of job creation and financial impact, but by reducing waste to landfill they are helping us achieve recycling targets and ensure that we create a sustainable environment for future generations. The proposed new centre will provide an important facility to deal with construction and demolition waste and I am pleased to support this new start up through the Economic Growth Fund."

Japan: Daiseki Eco. Solutions subsidiary Green Arrows Kyushu has opened a wallboard recycling plant in the suburbs of Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. The recycling plant will separate used and dismantled wallboard, collected from construction sites, into plaster powder and paper for sale to wallboard and paper manufacturers, respectively. The plant will begin with 15,000t/yr of processing capacity, which will be raised to 36,000t/yr.

Daiseki entered the wallboard-recycling business in 2009 through a subsidiary named Green Arrows Central, based in Tokai, Aichi Prefecture. Its Tokai plant currently recycles 30,000t/yr of used wallboard from the local area.

China: The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has released China's 12th five-year (2011-2015) plan for major industrial solid waste. The plan will target US$80bn from recycling solid waste with a comprehensive utilised volume of 1.6Bnt by 2015.

Under the plan, which will cover industrial by product gypsum, gangue, coal ash smelting slag, red mud and carbide slag, China is expected to generate 2.5 million new jobs in the field of industrial solid waste management. In the case of gypsum, it is likely that the by-product will be used in the production of wallboard.

MIIT predicts that China will generate an incredible 15Bnt of industrial solid waste in total during 2011-2015.

UK: Eastern Waste Disposal Ltd has won a Euro0.85m multiple awardees contract award from Essex County Council to provide services for the collection and recycling of gypsum.

According to the description, "In accordance with its duties under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Essex County Council sought services in relation to the collection and recycling of waste gypsum and tyres sourced from recycling centres for household waste in Essex and waste collection authority/waste disposal authority premises, including transfer stations, in Essex."

The contract period will be 21 months from October 2011 until June 2013 with options for the council to extend.