Railton alternative fuel increase program

Railton alternative fuel increase program is an industrial emissions reduction project located at the Cement Australia facility in Railton, approximately 20km south of Devonport in northern Tasmania. Registered in August 2022, the project operates within the industrial zone of the cement works, situated in a region otherwise characterised by forestry, dairy farming, and intensive cropping.

The project operates under the Industrial and Commercial Emissions Reduction (ICER) methodology. This method credits projects that reduce emissions from industrial processes by upgrading equipment or switching to less carbon-intensive energy sources. Specifically, this project focuses on modifying the existing cement kiln to replace a significant portion of fossil fuels (primarily coal) with alternative fuels. These alternatives include Tyre Derived Fuel (TDF), shredded end-of-life tyres, and biomass sources such as wood waste.

Environmentally, the Railton region benefits from a cool temperate climate with reliable, high rainfall. The surrounding landscape features fertile Red Ferrosols (krasnozems), which are deep, free-draining volcanic clay soils highly prized for agriculture. These conditions support the lush vegetation that earned Railton its nickname, the "Town of Topiary."

Cement Australia’s Railton plant is a century-old facility and the only cement manufacturing plant in Tasmania. The fuel switching activities are part of a broader decarbonisation strategy supported by significant federal funding, aiming to reduce the facility's reliance on coal by up to 35% and divert waste products from landfill.