polysius® pure oxyfuel technology for CO2 capture in cement production

The research company "CI4C" - Cement Innovation for Climate, founded by the four cement manufacturers Buzzi Unicem SpA - Dyckerhoff GmbH, HeidelbergCement AG, SCHWENK Zement GmbH & Co. KG and Vicat S.A. has commissioned thyssenkrupp's Polysius business unit to build a polysius® pure oxyfuel kiln system on the site of the Mergelstetten cement plant in southern Germany.

The polysius® pure oxyfuel process is a new type of clinker production process in which the otherwise normal ambient air is replaced by pure oxygen in the kiln combustion process. Compared with conventional plants, this novel process aims to concentrate, capture and reuse almost 100% of the CO2 produced in a cost-effective manner. The medium-term goal is to further process the captured CO2 with the help of renewable energies, e.g. into so-called "reFuels", in order to produce climateneutral synthetic fuels, such as kerosene for air traffic.

Advantages of polysius® pure oxyfuel technology

In the clinker burning process commonly used to date, oxygen from the ambient air supplied is used. The oxygen content of the ambient air is around 21%. By using the ambient air, nitrogen in particular is introduced into the system, so that the concentration of CO2 in the exhaust gas is only about 25% - 30%.

By introducing pure oxygen with the polysius® pure oxyfuel process, atmospheric nitrogen is eliminated from the clinker burning process. The gas volume is reduced considerably and allows a high concentration of CO2 in the exhaust gas, so that almost 100% of the climate-damaging carbon dioxide can be captured.

Complex exhaust gas recirculation, as envisaged in the first-generation oxyfuel process, can be dispensed with here. This leads to overall reduced investment and operating costs for the polysius® pure oxyfuel process.

About us:

thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions AG is a leading partner for the engineering, construction and service of industrial plants and systems. Based on more than 200 years of engineering experience, we supply tailored, turnkey plants and components for customers in the chemical, fertilizer, cement, mining and steel industries. Around 11,500 employees around the world form a global network with a technology portfolio that guarantees maximum productivity and cost-efficiency.

The Polysius business unit specializes in the design and construction of turnkey cement plants. We support cement producers around the world with our extensive product and service portfolio based on more than 160 years of expertise and experience. Our technologies stand for more sustainable cement production, and with our digitalization and automation solutions, we support our customers on their way to a smart cement plant. Our plants and machinery use state-of-the-art production processes, conserve resources, minimize environmental impact, and meet the requirements for economic efficiency and plant productivity.

For more information, visit: www.thyssenkrupp-polysius.com