Technology Roadmap Low-Carbon Transition in the Cement Industry

Technology Roadmap
Low-Carbon Transition in the Cement Industry
known but several patents exist. The R&D literature 
on this technique reports that high amounts of 
mineral feedstock and energy are required (1.8-3.0 t 
of relatively pure mineral per tonne of CO
2
captured 
and 3 GJ/tCO
2
plus additional electricity for 
mechanical operations) (ECRA and CSI, 2017).
Captured CO
2
can also be used (carbon capture and 
utilisation; CCU) as a feedstock for the production 
of chemicals and fuels by reacting it with hydrogen. 
This is called the “power-to-x route”, in reference 
to electricity-based hydrogen production instead 
of the routes based on fossil fuels currently widely 
used. For instance, products such as methanol, 
methane and other hydrocarbons can be produced 
from CO
2
and hydrogen. Upon combustion of these 
fuels, the potential incineration or degradation of 
derived-product wastes or during the use of derived 
products, the locked CO
2
would be released to the 
atmosphere, so that these routes do not provide 
long-lasting carbon storage.
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Most of the routes using CO
2
as a feedstock are 
at early stages of development, with the main 
research driver being exploration of the energy 
storage possibilities these can offer. Fuels produced 
from renewable electricity-based hydrogen and 
CO
2
can be used to store energy. This supports the 
integration of greater shares of variable renewable 
sources and thus the decarbonisation of power 
generation. Current economics are not widely 
favourable due to high technology costs related 
to the need to explore technical feasibility at large 
scale, high specific energy requirements and current 
costs of electricity compared to fossil fuels.
While systemic approaches encompassing sector-
driven strategies should be pursued, from a direct 
carbon mitigation perspective within the cement 
sector, achieving the 2DS vision would entail long-
lasting storage of captured CO
2
(under expected 
activity growth), unless there is a radical shift in the 
nature of cement production that circumvents the 
generation of process CO
2
.