Domingues, B.C.; Santos, D.M.F.; Mateus, M.; Cecílio, D. Techno-Economic Analysis of Cement Decarbonization Techniques: Oxygen Enrichment vs. Hydrogen Fuel. Hydrogen 2024, 5, 59–69, doi:10.3390/hydrogen5010005.
Domingues, B.C.; Santos, D.M.F.; Mateus, M.; Cecílio, D. Techno-Economic Analysis of Cement Decarbonization Techniques: Oxygen Enrichment vs. Hydrogen Fuel. Hydrogen 2024, 5, 59–69, doi:10.3390/hydrogen5010005.
Domingues, B.C.; Santos, D.M.F.; Mateus, M.; Cecílio, D. Techno-Economic Analysis of Cement Decarbonization Techniques: Oxygen Enrichment vs. Hydrogen Fuel. Hydrogen 2024, 5, 59–69, doi:10.3390/hydrogen5010005.
Domingues, B.C.; Santos, D.M.F.; Mateus, M.; Cecílio, D. Techno-Economic Analysis of Cement Decarbonization Techniques: Oxygen Enrichment vs. Hydrogen Fuel. Hydrogen 2024, 5, 59–69, doi:10.3390/hydrogen5010005.
Abstract
The Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming, and one of the most pollutant sectors is heavy industry, where cement production is a significant contributor. This work briefly explores some alternatives: recycling, reducing clinker content, waste heat recovery, and carbon capture, discussing their advantages and drawbacks. Then, it examines the economic viability and benefits of increasing oxygen concentration in the primary burning air from 21% to 27%, which could improve clinker production by 7%, and the production of hydrogen through PEM electrolysis to make up 5% of the fuel thermal fraction, both on a cement plant producing 3000 tons of clinker per day. It is concluded that oxygen enrichment can provide substantial fuel savings for a relatively low cost despite a possible significant increase in NOx emissions. By opposition, hydrogen production at this scale does not appear economically viable.
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
