Disposing of rubbles started in the big incinerator
[From Ofunato city-my stricken home town]
-3 months since East Japan Great Earthquake & Tsunami Disaster-
Taiheiyo Cement Corporation, Ofunato Plant
A cement manufacturer has gone into disposing of rubbles from the stricken areas caused by the East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. The rubbles disturb reconstruction activities of people in the stricken towns and cities. Taiheiyo Cement Corporation, the most large cement manufacture in Japan, has started to incinerate the rubbles from the stricken areas in Ofunato and Rikezen-takata cities on June 22 at their Ofunato Plant in Iwate prefecture. This is the first full-scale incineration of rubbles and residents of the both cities expect their works while the state and local government have been late for disposing.
However, rubbles caused by the tsunami won’t be able to reuse as raw materials for cement because they contain a lot of salt. Elimination of salt is the problem which now confronts for keeping on incineration and reusing as raw materials for cement.
‘Although, the incineration of rubbles which contains a lot of salt will damage our production lines, reconstruction of stricken area won’t be able to step forward before disposing of rubbles from the site. It will be a good chance to show our real ability.’ Mr. Kunihiro Ando, the plant manager, expressed his desire for reconstruction in front of the incinerator. The cylindrical incinerator of over 100 meters long and 5.8 meters in diameter always emits high heat.
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| The production line of the plant was greatly damaged at the tsunami. |
The total restoration and restarting of their production line is expected in November. The incinerator is located at rather higher ground in the plant and therefore left unhurt from the tsunami. While the plant has been still working on restoration, they try to dispose of rubbles in using this incinerator.
Rubbles are broken into smaller than 5 cm pieces before bringing into the plant from Ofunato and Rikuzen-takata cities. The incinerator can dispose 300 tons a day. Noncombustible refuse will be reduced one third in weight then both cities bury them in the ground. These refuse will be reused as raw materials for cement if the production line is restarted. A risk of damaging the incinerator still exists because of a lot of salt form the rubbles. Frequent change of surrounding firebricks, inside wall of the incinerator, is only the solution of avoiding damages. ‘We need to find some solution for avoiding salt from rubbles, otherwise we can not use refuses for our production in future.’ The plant manager explained. Density of salt must be reduced from the present level of maximum of 2% to 0.1% if it is reused as raw materials for their product. They are now trying to find solution together with local government.
According to the Ministry of Environment, there are still over 23,000,000 tons of rubbles left in the stricken prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima.
＜Reference＞
http://mainichi.jp/
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