Background Waste management remains a major stumbling block in the fulfilment of sustainability objectives outlined in the Europe 2020 Strategic Agenda. In many European regions ‘difficult waste’, such as mixed coarse solid waste (such as sorting rejects, cumbersome waste, etc.) or hazardous waste, is still disposed of in an insufficiently controlled manner, treated in inefficient incinerators or dumped in landfill sites. This is done despite the accepted principle that waste disposal in or on land should be considered the least desirable option, because it can have a significant negative impact on the community. The continuous extension of waste collecting, sorting and recycling has resulted in the production of high volumes of residual coarse solid waste, much of which is incinerated. Unfortunately, most industrial incinerators have only 12% to 25% energy efficiency, and moreover the ash residue represents an environmental hazard. Objectives The project would demonstrate an innovative cogeneration method to unite cement production with the recycling of mixed coarse solid waste. The energy produced by a thermal waste pre-treatment process (pyro-gasification) would be used for cement production purposes, which would result in substantial fossil fuel savings. The technology would work alongside sorting and recycling activities, which would generate a significant volume of coarse waste (up to 70%). The solution would be demonstrated at the industrial scale, in a fully operational cement kiln, by converting four tonnes/hour of residual waste into gas and char, directly fed to the main burner. The whole process would be disseminated to cement production plants across the European Union. Expected results: The demonstration plant in Héming (in eastern France) would process about 25 000 tonnes of hazardous and non-hazardous mixed coarse solid waste per year, providing a thermal capacity of 10 megawatts (approximately four tonnes per hour at an average Lower Heating Value of 12 megajoules/kg); All of the waste would be transformed into useful products resulting in 7 000-7 500 cubic metres per hour of synthetic gas, which would be used in the main burner of the cement kiln, and about 5 000 tonnes of char per year to be used as raw material for the production of clinker (which can then be used to make cement). This would replace about 8 000 tonnes/year of oil, cutting CO2 emissions by 25 000 tonnes/year.Results The project withdrew in July 2014.