The cement industry is responsible for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, mainly due to the high energy demand of its production processes. Cement, in turn, is the main ingredient of concrete, the second most widely used material worldwide after water.

The electrification of kilns in the cement industry has become one of the key strategies to significantly reduce CO2 emissions. This approach consists of replacing traditional energy sources, based on fossil fuels, with electricity from cleaner and more sustainable sources. By doing so, the environmental impact of cement production, one of the most greenhouse gas-intensive sectors globally, can be mitigated.

Clinker is the main component of cement, and almost 90 percent of total CO2 emissions are generated during its production. Of these emissions, approximately 40 percent come from burning fossil fuels to generate heat, 50 percent are associated with the manufacturing process itself, and the remaining 10 percent originates primarily from electricity consumption. Clinker manufacturing, by calcining limestone, occurs in the pre-calciner and kiln, which reach temperatures of up to 900 and 1,450 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Currently, these processes rely entirely on burning fossil fuels. Electrification of the cement kiln could reduce 40 percent of the thermal emissions resulting from fossil fuel combustion. Kiln electrification is the process of replacing fossil fuel-based energy sources with electricity generated by renewable or low-carbon sources, such as wind, solar, hydroelectric or nuclear power.

An electrified kiln powered by renewable energy could significantly reduce emissions from cement production. Furthermore, the use of carbon capture, utilization and storage with kiln electrification from renewable sources can reduce net manufacturing emissions to zero.

Coolbrook, a Finnish electrification and technology company has made significant progress in the field of kiln electrification. The company has committed to beginning commercial-scale deployment of its innovative Rotodynamic Heater (RDH) technology by this year.

The RDH, Coolbrook’s flagship product, can reach extremely high temperatures – up to 1,700 degrees Celsius – which are required in manufacturing processes in hard-to-abate sectors such as cement, iron and steel, and petrochemicals.

The technology company has partnered with ABB Ltd, a multinational automation company, to develop these RDHs. The RDH works by heating air, nitrogen and processing gases to high temperatures. The heated gas is then used outside the heater to replace the burning of fossil fuels in process heating.

According to Coolbrook, the RDH can be retrofitted into existing kilns to reduce costs. However, the company has not yet achieved the temperatures required in a cement kiln, which are above 1400°C. In 2023, the technology demonstrated that it could reach a temperature of 1000°C at its pilot plant in Brightlands, the Netherlands.

Coolbrook has formed several partnerships with Indian companies, such as Ultratech in 2022, to explore the use of its RDH technology in the electrification of the cement manufacturing process. More recently, in 2024, they signed an agreement with the Finnish group JSW to decarbonize steel and cement manufacturing. Also, the Swedish company SaltX collaborated with Dalmia Cements in 2023 on a similar project, while Vattenfall and Cementa are experimenting with plasma generators in Sweden.

In summary, the electrification of the cement industry is moving forward with several key initiatives and partnerships that seek to transform this sector towards more sustainable practices. Through innovative technologies such as RDH and strategic collaborations between global companies, the foundations are being laid for reducing CO2 emissions and improving energy efficiency in cement manufacturing. Although these projects are still in their early stages, they represent a crucial step towards a greener and more resilient future for the industry, aligning global decarbonization goals and the drive towards a more sustainable economy.

Source: downtoearth.org.in

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *