Can it get any worse?
The European Union’s Climate Change Service Copernicus announces 2024 to be the warmest year in history, even warmer than 2023 which held this dire record so far. The CO2 emissions have still increased by 1% and the majority of the American citizens have voted for Trump who has announced to step out of the Paris Agreement and foster drilling for fossil fuels. Can it get any worse?
Hard to say, but what I can say is, that the cement industry stands up to its responsibility and switches to alternative fuels already in many cases. Depending on the cost level for fossil fuels, alternative fuels can also decrease the fuel cost, however, burning alternative fuels is more challenging than noble fuels and requires a range of modifications at plant level but also in waste management and infrastructure. Collection, pre-processing, delivery, contracting combustible waste require close cooperation between the cement plant and the authorities or suppliers. At plant level, there are several technologies available meanwhile which accommodate all kinds of substitution rates appropriate for any given plant. Highest substitution rates of up to 90% are possible today – even with hard to burn, coarse waste. Especially burning biomass is an interesting option, but often requires adapted combustion technology. External combustion chambers offer long retention times and a separation of the challenging combustion process from the calcination process, which would heavily suffer from incomplete burn out and dropping fuel.
I am truly proud to be part of the cement industry, which is taking action in so many ways to reduce its carbon footprint. Our industry is the hardest-to-abate industry and many cement producers are facing their responsibility. Small or mid-size businesses, who have to really stretch in order to secure their future and multi-national players who are spearheading the technology development. And one thing is sure: there will be no future without cement – but cement needs to be decarbonized!
Yours sincerely,
Matthias Mersmann
