The Mission is Clear: Researchers and FLSmidth Cement Aim to Make Cement CO2-Neutral

Researchers from Denmark are currently testing a new technology aimed at significantly reducing the CO2 emissions of the cement industry. This initiative is a collaboration between the Danish Technological Institute (Teknologisk Institut), DTU (Technical University of Denmark), FLSmidth Cement, and Lhoist, the owner of Faxe Kalk A/S, all part of the INNO-CCUS partnership.

The global cement production industry currently accounts for nearly 8 percent of the world’s total CO2 emissions. Addressing this climate challenge is the goal of several Danish researchers collaborating with the cement industry in the NEWCEMENT innovation project. In this project, partners are testing the implementation of a process technology that utilizes pure oxygen in the combustion processes of the cement industry.

Jens Christiansen, Section Manager at the Danish Technological Institute and project leader for the collaboration, explains:

“This is a new way of producing cement. We are developing an oxy-fuel technology where the calcination of raw materials, occurring at temperatures up to 800-900 degrees Celsius, takes place using combustion in pure oxygen instead of atmospheric air, which is currently part of the process. This enables us to create a high concentration of pure CO2, which can be captured, stored, or preferably used – for example, to produce new additives for cement or concrete, green fuels, or basic chemicals for plastics.”

Concrete CO2 Reductions

The NEWCEMENT project is supported by the Innovation Fund Denmark with DKK 7.6 million as part of the INNO-CCUS partnership, which encompasses a range of project initiatives focused on CCUS (carbon capture, utilization, and storage).

“Collaborating in a mission-driven partnership on CCUS between public and private actors supports green technology development that will ultimately contribute to Denmark’s climate goals. NEWCEMENT is one of several examples of concrete efforts well on their way to achieving significant CO2 reductions. We are proud to support the project and look forward to following the results of the collaboration through to 2025,” says Karina M. Søgaard, Partnership Director for INNO-CCUS.

From Transition Model to Green Power

During 2023, researchers at the Danish Technological Institute have constructed a laboratory pilot in Taastrup to further investigate the cement process, particularly concerning oxygen and process safety. This is crucial as it involves high-temperature processes with risks of explosions and similar hazards, given the use of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, which are still employed in cement production today.

“Reducing dependence on fossil fuels represents the initial significant step towards carbon-neutral cement. Many cement plants are replacing fossil fuels with alternative fuels primarily from waste, such as combustible municipal waste, biomass, non-hazardous industrial or commercial waste. Today, these fuels present a more economically and practically viable path forward compared to costly green hydrogen or electrification of the process,” says David Jayanth, Project Leader for CO2 Capture at FLSmidth. “The CO2 from the combustion of such alternative fuels will be pooled together with CO2 from the calcination process and must therefore be captured.”

“We are currently examining a technology that allows cement plants to continue using combustion, increasing the use of alternative fuels while controlling the CO2 produced in the process. Implementation of our technology could thus occur in plants designed closely to existing facilities. Future plants will be based on renewable energy sources and will replace some of the raw materials. When we reach that stage, we will have a carbon-neutral cement production,” adds Jens Christiansen.

Data from experiments at the Danish Technological Institute will be transferred to colleagues at DTU who are developing a digital simulation model to visualize the flows in the cement process. Ultimately, the plan is to use the simulation model to design an efficient Oxyfuel Calciner with optimal operating conditions to produce CO2-enriched flue gas for carbon capture. Faxe Kalk A/S is involved in the project as a potential raw material supplier and recipient of the developed technology.

More about NEWCEMENT and INNO-CCUS

The NEWCEMENT innovation project runs from 2022 to 2025 and is supported by the Innovation Fund Denmark as part of the INNO-CCUS partnership, one of four green research and innovation partnerships aimed at making Denmark a green frontrunner.

The total budget for NEWCEMENT is DKK 11.3 million, and the partnership includes: FLSmidth Cement, Faxe Kalk A/S (Lhoist), DTU, and the Danish Technological Institute. Additionally, Aalborg University is involved in the project for analyzing the societal aspects of the efforts.

Learn more about the project and the INNO-CCUS partnership at www.inno-ccus.dk.