Holcim to switch to lignite at Swiss Siggenthal plant

Swiss cement manufacturer 680 Holcim plans to use lignite instead of hard coal to produce energy at its Siggenthal plant in Switzerland from later in 2013.

The move has been criticised by environmental associations, as lignite produces more CO2 and less energy than hard coal.

The plant will be supplied with 1,500tonnes of lignite per week, and Holcim is to construct a new steel silo for storage and two additional platforms for the supply trains.

Holcim has made the change for economic and ecological reasons, as the lignite has a much shorter transport distance being transported from Germany, while hard coal is shipped from South Africa and it is supplied already ground.