Assessing the Environmental Impacts of Electrified Cement Production

The production of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) is responsible for approximately 5–7% of global anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. As demand for cement is expected to rise due to increased urban and energy infrastructure projects, it is crucial to transform this sector sustainably to meet these needs while minimizing its significant contribution to environmental impacts. Electrification of heat supply is one of the interesting options for mitigating the generation of CO2 emissions resulting from the combustion of conventional fossil fuels. This study analyzes the cradle-to-gate environmental impacts of a cement plant enhanced with an electrified pre-calciner and plasma gas for high-temperature heat in the rotary kiln, integrated with CO2 capture. This assessment is performed using a life cycle assessment (LCA) and is compared against a reference cement plant. Different scenarios regarding fuels and the effect of using future decarbonization scenarios for the electricity mix in Saudi Arabia are evaluated. The findings show that electrified processes could lead to substantial reductions in global warming potential (GWP), with the carbon emission intensity of the electricity grid playing a pivotal role in determining the environmental performance of these technologies. The integration of low carbon electrification with CO2 capture has the potential to reduce the GWP by up to 73%, compared to a baseline scenario relying entirely on 100% Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) as kiln fuel. Beyond GWP, the study also evaluates other non-climate impact indicators to identify potential environmental co-benefits and trade-offs associated with climate change mitigation efforts.