Our solutions for a more sustainable cement industry
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Pure OxyfuelTechnology for a more sustainable cement industry
The cement industry is one of the world’s largest CO₂ emitters. Innovative technologies are needed to reconcile climate protection and competitiveness. With Pure Oxyfuel, thyssenkrupp Calvion offers a solution for more sustainable cement production.
Understanding Pure Oxyfuel: This is how it works
Cement production releases large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2). “Only one third of these CO2 emissions result from burning fossil fuels such as coal or petroleum coke,” explains Jost Lemke, process engineer at thyssenkrupp Calvion.
“The majority is released during the decomposition of limestone, a process known as calcination.” Limestone is the most important raw material in cement production and, depending on its quality, contains around 35% to 44% CO2.
But without limestone, there can be no cement. This is why Lemke and his colleagues at thyssenkrupp Calvion developed a new approach.
Instead of burning the limestone in ambient air, as in a conventional clinker burning process, the Pure Oxyfuel process uses pure oxygen. The high concentration allows us to separate and capture nearly 100% of the climate-damaging carbon dioxide instead of allowing it to escape unhindered into the atmosphere.
Determinedly pursuing sustainability: Catch4climate and CI4C
This efficient solution for making the cement industry more climate-friendly also attracted the interest of Cement Innovation for Climate (CI4C), a research company established by the four cement manufacturers Buzzi Unicem SpA – Dyckerhoff GmbH, HeidelbergCement AG, SCHWENK Zement GmbH & Co. KG and Vicat S.A. As part of its catch4climate project, the research company commissioned thyssenkrupp Polysius to build a Pure Oxyfuel kiln system.
Enclosed raw material storage facilities with modern conveyor systems enable efficient material handling and support resource-efficient cement production.
Activated clay can further reduce CO2 emissions from cement production. And, of course, there is also CO2 capture using the Pure Oxyfuel process. This can prevent a very large proportion of CO2 emissions.
For thyssenkrupp Calvion, the collaboration with CI4C (Cement Innovation for Climate) offers two key benefits. First, the project is implementing a pioneering process technology for cement production that has the potential to transform the industry sustainably. Second, the successful collaboration with a consortium of four major customers demonstrates a partnership-based approach that is driving the development of innovative solutions for more climate-friendly cement production.
The road to a more sustainable cement industry is a long one
However, the transformation of the cement industry is far from complete. Various technical concepts are currently being tested and will need to establish themselves in the market over the coming years. In addition to the technological challenges, key success factors include the considerable investment and financing requirements faced by customers, as well as close collaboration between partners during project implementation. Many projects also depend on political support and permitting procedures – conditions that go beyond conventional plant engineering projects and require close cooperation among everyone involved.
Challenges in transforming the cement industry
The cement industry depends on many different factors. Global changes – whether economic or political – affect almost every part of the cement industry’s process chain, from raw materials and finished cement and concrete through to recycling. “Raw materials, energy demand and CO2 emissions are three areas in which important advances must now be made simultaneously. Our solutions offer improvements in many of these areas,” explains process engineer Jost Lemke.
Intelligent production planning, combined with optimized plants, can increase the use of renewable energy. This would reduce the need for electricity generated from coal and fossil gas.
Outlook: the future of sustainable cement production
The introduction of CO2 capture in the cement industry represents a major step forward. Our experts agree that it will play a decisive role in shaping the cement industry of tomorrow over the coming years. At the same time as the processes are being tested, it is also essential to continuously develop the overall concept, taking other trends into account, such as the increased use of renewable energy. With CO2 capture, thyssenkrupp Calvion is laying an important foundation for optimized concrete recycling. This is one of the next major topics facing the cement industry.