TAIHEIYO CEMENT CORPORATION (TAIHEIYO) shall commence its operations for recycling the soil generated at the construction sites from April 1, 2003.

TAIHEIYO has constantly carried out the basic research and development study on soil treatment for a long time. And the demand for recycling the soil generated at construction sites is increasing day by day.
Therefore, TAIHEIYO has decided to start recycling the soil generated at construction sites as cement raw material at its Ofunato cement plant, Iwate Prefecture, Japan from April 1, 2003, after improving the property of soil and removing unwanted materials at its Transfer Station in Kanto-Region where much soil is being generated at the construction sites.
The soil samples are checked for its property at first, and after confirming its suitability as cement raw materials, and the soil is conveyed to the Transfer Station for improving its properties. At Ofunato cement plant, receiving and storing facilities for improved soil shall be provided and required modification works shall be carried out in order to use the soil as cement raw materials.
This recycling techniques shall be gradually introduced to other TAIHEIYO's cement plants. During the first year, about 200,000 tons of soil shall be utilized in Ofunato cement plant.

Furthermore, apart from recycling the soil generated at construction sites, new recycling system with water and heat treatment combined is expected to be applied at Ofunato cement plant in the year of 2005, in order to make it possible to recycle other various range of waste materials.
The feature of this new recycling system is that it doesn't generate secondary waste materials, which is called "Zero-emission system", and it dissolute and decompose oil or other minor components which are not required as cement raw materials, and these recovered resources are utilized as alternative cement raw materials. And separated oil etc. can be used as fuel and metals which are contained as minor, can be recycled as metal materials.

The need for recycling the soil generated at construction sites is expected to increase more,
and, in this connection, TAIHEIYO is aiming at to recycle one million tons of the soil at its Nation-wide cement plants, in the year of 2005.

Along with increase in recycling the soil generated at construction sites, the new product development is now under study utilizing the existing cement manufacturing facilities and the new recycling system for soil to be newly installed in Ofunato cement plant.

TAIHEIYO is actively involved in recycling technology development with a view to provide solutions to waste problems in order to expand environmental business and contribute to the recycling society.