AMCORD CONVERTS TO COAL IN WESTERN CEMENT PLANTS.

A report issued by the Cost of Living Council in December, 1973 indicates that portland cement is the most energy-intensive industry in the United States. In terms of energy costs expressed as a percentage of total cost of materials, cement - at 43% - is by far the highest. Because of the increased importance of fuel as a component of manufacturing costs and the increasing uncertainty of adequate fuel supplies, Amcord, Inc. , one of the nation's major cement producers, was the first to convert its western plants from natural gas and oil to more abundant coal. The kilns can be operated on coal, natural gas or oil by interchanging the burners. No further modification is necessary. The only facility that Amcord has not converted to coal is its white cement kiln operation at Crestmore. In addition to coal conversion, Amcord's cement subsidiaries have incorporated other fuel-saving technologies. For instance, some plants are generating 80% of their electrical requirements with steam from waste heat boilers. Other plants use kiln exhaust gases to pre-heat feed materials before they go into the kiln, thus reducing the total energy requirement. Hot air from cement clinker coolers is reclaimed for use in the coal grinding operation. It dries the coal, preheats it, then sweeps the finely ground coal into the kilns.