Electrification of Lime and Cement Production

Limiting the use of fossil fuels in cement manufacturing through provision of necessary heat from green electricity, along with novel approaches to obtain and separate near-pure CO₂ for capture (which can also be facilitated by electrification) is critical for cement industry decarbonization. In a modern cement kiln, thermal energy for chemical reactions is supplied both in the calciner and the rotary kiln. Fossil fuels are used to operate the rotary kiln. Based on currently available electrification technologies that can attain 1000^oC or more, electrification of only the calciner is a favorable option. The calciner is the most energy-intensive equipment and the highest CO₂ contributor in the cement production process. The benefits of electrifying the calciner are two-fold: (i) it removes the fuel-generated CO­₂, and (ii) it produces near-pure CO₂ . The clean CO₂ from the calciner can be directly transmitted for storage or utilization. Therefore, electrification also enhances the potential of another decarbonization lever, viz., carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). Electrifying the calciner is expected to reduce ³70% of the CO₂ emission from cement production. CAMMS proposes resistance-based heating due to the low losses related to conversion of electrical energy into thermal energy and other related benefits that emerged from discussions with our cement industry partners. Enhancements in calcination efficiency are also being evaluated. CAMMS also explores the use of plasma for high temperature processing.