Objective: reduce the natural resources consumption
The use of by-products or residues as raw material for the manufacture of clinker experienced notable growth (+44%) in 2022. 68% of the more than 266 thousand tons recovered came from granulated slag, a vitrified sand obtained by cooling abrupt and controlled blast furnace slag, at the outlet of the latter.
The data for 2022 placed material recovery at 4.7% of the total raw materials used. This allowed saving the extraction and consumption of more than 288 thousand tons of natural resources, an increase of 60% compared to the previous year. Concrete waste, white slag from the steel industry and iron shavings also appear with a significant volume of material recovery.
| Raw material / By-product type | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | Var. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casting sands | 0,62 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cement grinding ashes | 23.658 | 690 | 0 | -100% |
| Dehydrated sludge | 806 | 1.810 | 1.638 | -9% |
| Carbonated sludge (industrial waste) | 6.461 | 7.471 | 4.630 | -38% |
| Sands contaminated with hydrocarbons | 978 | 872 | 0 | -100% |
| Concrete waste | 4.477 | 34.032 | 19.137 | -44% |
| Iron waste (iron silicate) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other alternative raw materials | 5.845 | 10.651 | 26.378 | 148% |
| iron shavings | 26.136 | 22.888 | 16.457 | -28% |
| Granular slag | 27.328 | 100.531 | 169.174 | 68% |
| White slag from steel industry | 759 | 3.917 | 11.498 | 194% |
| Thermal slag | 3.178 | 2.142 | 0 | -100% |
| Industrial rock waste, ornamental and derived from crude oil | 14.959 | 0 | 17.225 | |
|
Total |
114.585 |
185.004 |
266.137 |
44% |
|
% materially recovered raw material |
1,9% |
3,2% |
4,7% |
46% |
|
tons avoided from the exploitation of natural resource |
73.909 |
180.711 |
288.276 |
60% |
Note: Data in tons
Source: Generalitat de Catalunya
