Building capacity for sustainable and circular waste management in Colombia
Holcim and its sustainable waste management company Geocycle announced the modernization and expansion of their co-processing platform in Nobsa, Colombia in 2025. This technological upgrade allows for the efficient transformation of more than 100,000 tons of waste per year into a sustainable energy source—delivering a tangible, circular solution for waste.
The system upgrade includes the installation of a state-of-the-art shredder with a capacity of over 10 tons of waste per hour, along with new transfer systems and a modern dosing system capable of feeding up to 20 tons of alternative fuels per hour into the kiln.
These enhancements will gradually increase the thermal substitution rate of fossil fuels used at the Nobsa cement plant—from 40% in the short term to more than 70% by 2030.
The alternative fuels are derived from waste materials such as paper, cardboard, plastics, and biomass. Their use significantly cuts CO₂ emissions and helps cut landfilling, which is how nearly 96% of all waste is disposed of annually in Colombia, according to the Superintendence of Public Utilities. According to DANE, in 2021 the supply of solid waste and byproducts from production processes totaled 30.31 million tons, of which 82.2% were solid waste.