Future of Single Use Plastics – Conflict between Policy and Practices

Electrifying the
Decarbonisation Process
Published 1 week ago on February 15, 2024

Max Tschurtschenthaler, Global Business Unit Manager, Cement,

Process Industries, ABB and Joonas Rauramo, CEO, Coolbrook,
explore the potential of an innovative technology venture set to be deployed
in India to replace traditional fossil fuels with renewable electricity in cement
production, ultimately reducing carbon emissions and satisfying customer
demands.
As the second largest cement producer in the world, the demands on India from the
domestic and global markets see a constant surge as cities and countries grow and
population rises. Meanwhile, the opportunities for high productivity and
sustainable manufacturing are also there for forward-thinking operators.
From India’s infrastructure focus to a higher allocation for affordable rural housing
under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G), multiple factors are
pushing demand for cement in India. Rating agency Crisil has estimated this
demand will lead to an incremental sales volume increase of 30-35 million tonnes
(Mt) in the 2023-24, taking the total volume to roughly 425 Mt per year. Globally,
the cement industry contributes to CO2 emissions of 7–8 per cent, yet its outputs
are essential to modern built environments. It is well-known that reducing carbon

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Future of Single Use Plastics – Conflict between Policy and Practices

emissions in cement production is a challenge, as the kiln’s high temperatures and

chemical reactions during limestone calcination make it a complex process to
decarbonise.
Between 2015 and 2021, the International Energy Agency (IEA) saw the CO2
intensity of cement production witness an annual increase of about 1.5 per cent. To
achieve the net zero emissions globally by 2050 target set by IEA, this intensity
needs to be reduced by 3 per cent each year until 2030.
Unfortunately, there are huge costs associated with decarbonising the cement
industry. According to the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW),
given that the cumulative CO2 emissions from manufacturing 337 Mt of cement
were estimated to be around 218 Mt in 2018-19, India will need approximately $334
billion in capital expenses and another $3 billion in annual operating costs
to decarbonise India’s existing cement production. As a result, the IEA has called
for dedicated efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the cement industry, which
could include the reduction of clinker-to-cement ratio (including through greater
uptake of blended cement) as well as adopting pathbreaking technologies such as
electric kilns, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) and clinkers made
from alternative raw materials.

RotoDynamic Heater technology

However, there is an upside to these challenges. On the one hand, at the recent
COP28, major Indian cement companies reiterated their commitment to reducing
emissions in their journey to becoming net zero by relying on CCUS. The Global
Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) also suggested that CCUS is expected to
contribute around 36 per cent of net emission reduction in the cement industry by
2050 under the global roadmap to net zero. Similarly, the Indian cement sector is
expected to follow suit.
On the other hand, technological innovation makes decarbonisation in the cement
industry possible and helps to accelerate development. Specifically, ABB and
Coolbrook, a technology and engineering company, have partnered to advance
technology to help decarbonise the chemicals, cement and steel industries. These
industries are responsible for 70 per cent, or 6000 Mt annually, of industrial CO2
emissions. The cooperation aims to develop innovative solutions to reduce CO2
emissions in these industries, which will help combat climate change.
The said innovation involves Coolbrook’s proprietary RotoDynamic technology,
which replaces the burning of fossil fuels in high-temperature industry processes
with renewable electricity as the energy source, with ABB’s motors, power

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Future of Single Use Plastics – Conflict between Policy and Practices

electronics and process automation for optimised energy efficiency and operational
processes. By developing and scaling up RotoDynamic technology for use in
emission-heavy industries such as cement manufacturing, Coolbrook and ABB aim
to cut carbon emissions annually by up to 2400 Mt.
Reaching higher temperatures through electrification
The cement production process involves the chemical reaction of limestone with
multiple components to produce clinker, which is responsible for around 60 per
cent of CO2 emissions. The remaining 40 per cent of emissions are caused during
the activation of the chemical process by burning fossil fuels. Heavy industry
currently relies on these polluting fuels since traditional electric heaters cannot
generate the high temperatures required for the process, which can reach up to
1700°C.
The RotoDynamic Heater (RDH), developed by Coolbrook, can achieve
temperatures of up to 1700°C, powered by electricity and without using fossil fuels.
This makes it an attractive alternative to fossil-fired furnaces and kilns for
producing cement, iron, steel, and chemicals. Unlike traditional electric heating
solutions, the RDH is a turbo machine that can internally increase the gas
temperature, significantly increasing the temperature. The gas is accelerated to
supersonic velocity and then decelerated very quickly in a diffuser, converting
electric energy first into kinetic and finally into thermal energy. The
acceleration/deceleration process can be performed multiple times, resulting in
higher temperatures than existing electric heaters.
Unlike traditional electric heating technologies, the RDH is compact in size and can
be retrofitted easily in any brownfield industrial process facility, including cement
plants. The RDH can be used in multiple applications, such as pre-heating
feedstocks and heat provision to the pre-calciner, where most fuel is used. The
electrification unit aims to replace the burner in the main kiln, where temperatures
exceed 1700°C.

Energy efficiency and emissions

Coolbrook’s RotoDynamic Heater unit has an exceptional efficiency of up to 95 per
cnet in converting electricity to heat, resulting in negligible losses from excess heat
generation. The absence of combustion eliminates the need to burn fuel, thereby
minimising sulphur oxide, nitrogen oxide, and particle emissions produced during
manufacturing.
Reducing the carbon footprint of hard-to-abate sectors like cement requires
investment in specific technologies and integrating clean energy into emissions-

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Future of Single Use Plastics – Conflict between Policy and Practices

heavy processes. Coolbrook’s RDH solution generates heat powered by renewable

energy sources, reducing dependence on imported fuels and bypassing supply
chain and logistics issues, thereby reducing operational expenses.
KPMG has estimated that Coolbrook’s technologies could reduce CO2 emissions by
over 2000 Mt annually, equivalent to about 7 per cent of human-made CO2
emissions or approximately 30 per cent of industrial CO2 emissions. The RDH
project aims to replace the burning of industrial fossil fuels globally. Testing of the
technology began at Coolbrook’s pilot facility in the Netherlands in December 2022
and during 2023 completed the first test phases and demonstrated the technology’s
capabilities for industrial use in high-temperature process heating. The technology
is now moving forward to industrial scale projects at customer sites. The tests
exceeded the level of 1,000°C, which is already several hundred degrees above the
temperature range of conventional resistive heaters.

Performance management
While Coolbrook’s RotoDynamic technology offers the potential for decarbonising
cement industry processes, ABB brings a range of expertise to such partner
relationships; automation, electrification, digital solutions, motors, drives. As the
turbine technologies generate more heat the faster they run, they require particular
controls over speed. ABB can enable stable temperatures throughout the cement
production process with variable speed drives and motors that can be adapted to
the size and application of each RDH unit, as well as a control system that can be
seamlessly integrated into the existing cement plant’s system and provide
advanced data analytics.
Preventing unscheduled downtime is also critical to maximising asset life and
optimising production and quality control. ABB’s motor and drive solutions are
connected to monitoring equipment that continually assesses performance and
alerts the operator to potential failures, facilitating predictive maintenance.

Making progress on the journey

According to a cement sector-specific report by the Delhi-based think tank Centre
for Science and Environment, CCUS is being recommended as one of the pathways
for reducing emissions in the Indian cement sector. This is why India is already
interested in the ABB/Coolbrook RDH solution, even as we see a push to develop
domestic wind, solar and hydropower capacity to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and
promote energy independence.
This strategy focuses on reducing CO2 emissions in the long run instead of

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Future of Single Use Plastics – Conflict between Policy and Practices

prioritising short-term cost savings. Customers are willing to pay more upfront for
electrification solutions that meet environmental targets and the growing demand
for CO2-free products. Hence, ABB and Coolbrook’s pre-engineered and pre-
fabricated electrification technologies can potentially revolutionise the
decarbonisation of heavy industries.
In conclusion, these technologies replace polluting fossil fuels with renewable
electricity, leading to cleaner, safer, and more efficient production of essential
materials like concrete. Manufacturers can use these technologies to meet
emissions targets, protect their license to operate, and meet the growing demand
for green cement.