Plasma Recycling System for Building and Construction - Construction & Construction Materials
Manufacturing of cement, ceramics and minerals are a major environmental concern. Cement production accounts for 3-5% of global carbon dioxide emissions. One step in process is to heat up limestone to 1450 °C to release carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide emissions come partly from this process, but also from the fuel required to heat the furnaces.
CemZero is a Swedish project by cement manufacturer Cementa and the energy company Vattenfall with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. CemZero investigated the possibility of using plasma technology to electrify the furnaces. The results were successful and next step is verification in large scale industrial tests. An English report with Swedish summary of the first trials can be downloaded here.