Badger Alternative Fuels Project
At the Badger plant, reducing reliance on coal and petroleum coke is part of a broader network-wide commitment to lower-carbon production.
Background
The Badger plant operates as a slag grinding facility, and its approach to alternative fuels reflects that specific role within the St Marys Cement network. A portion of the traditional fossil fuels used in the grinding process is being replaced with energy recovered from non-hazardous, non-recyclable byproducts: materials such as certain plastics, paper, textiles, and biomass that cannot be recycled and would otherwise go to landfill. Co-processing, a regulated practice operating under recognized environmental standards, recovers both the energy and mineral content of those materials and reduces CO2 emissions at the source.
Slag cement carries a lower carbon profile than ordinary Portland cement by design. Produced from a byproduct of the steel industry, its use in concrete reduces the clinker content required in the final mix, which is where the majority of cement’s carbon intensity originates. The alternative fuels work at Badger builds on that foundation, extending the plant’s contribution to lower-carbon production beyond the product itself and into how it is made. Act with Ownership, one of the nine principles of Our VC Way, means taking responsibility for the full picture of how this plant operates, and progress on both fronts is documented in the plant-specific Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) published for this facility.
Contact and Committee Members
Questions about the Badger alternative fuels project are welcome. A plant contact is available to assist and can connect you with the committee that reviews community input and provides ongoing project updates.
Public Comment
Documents
Permits, environmental filings, and supporting documents for the Badger alternative fuels project are available. These documents are published so that the regulatory and environmental basis for this work is accessible to the communities and project teams it affects.
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