New research shows how biofuels affect cement production

In Sweden, Umea University reported that a recent research on the production of cement and quicklime showed that the use of renewable fuels in the process can reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

The university noted that the production of cement and quicklime are energy demanding and causes high carbon dioxide emissions. This is because the fuel, which is used for heating, and the limestone, which is converted into quicklime at high temperatures, emits carbon dioxide. By replacing fossil fuels with renewable ones, emissions can be reduced by up to 40%, according to the research.

The research has contributed to an increased understanding of how impurities, either introduced via biomass or raw material, affects the product quality in quicklime production – and how electrified heating affects cement quality. This knowledge is important in the transition to more sustainable cement and quicklime production, the university added.

“Future studies can bridge the gap between lab scale experiments and large-scale processes, with the long-term goal of achieving efficient and sustainable production of cement and quicklime with reduced carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere,” said Karin Sandström, who leads the group of researchers of the Umea University.

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