German cement industry invests considerably in environmental protection

German cement producers further invested in plant optimisation in 2016, keepign them in a leading role worldwide in terms of environmental compatibility, according to the German cement association, VDZ.

The sector has taken action to reduce NOx emissions through plant optimisaiton as well as extensive research to test innovative exhaust gas cleaning technology under the particular conditions applicable during cement production. As a result, SCR technology has been brought to industrial maturity. Moreover, ongoing optimisation of cement production has resulted in the specific fuel consumption
dropping to 2763MJ/t cement in 2016 (1994: 3000MJ/t cement).

In terms of reducing CO2 emissions, the cement industry has also achieved progress with the use of conventional fossil fuels falling from 74.3 per cent in 2000 to 35.2 per cent in 2016. In addition, all cement manufacturers are investing in the development of clinker-efficient cements that produce a
smaller CO2 footprint than traditional Portland cements.

Further, German cement manufacturers and their European partners from industry and science are researching suitable methods for separation, storage and use of CO2 (carbon capture and storage,
carbon capture and utilisation). The result is that CO2 capture can now be tested at industrial scale. “Even though the cement industry will be shouldering a significant share of investments, it is of decisive importance that the project obtains external research grants,” Christian Knell, president of the VDZ says.