Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ELECTRA (Electrification of high temperature and flexible technologies for transforming cement, lime and pulp industry)
Berichtszeitraum: 2024-01-01 bis 2025-06-30
The project aims to revolutionize the cement, lime, and pulp industries by demonstrating that electric heating can effectively replace fossil fuels. By developing and validating emission-free, electrically heated processes for cement, lime, and lime mud production at a megawatt scale, ELECTRA seeks to achieve temperatures up to 2000°C. This transition from combustion to electric heating, combined with carbon capture, aims to achieve near-zero carbon dioxide emissions, potentially even producing negative-emission cement and lime products.
The successful implementation of ELECTRA is expected to eliminate 30-50% of total process emissions from the targeted industries, depending on the specific industry and mode of operation. The project emphasizes scalability and replicability through platform-based solutions that offer modularity and the ability to operate in various hybrid modes during the transition period, thereby reducing initial capital expenditures. These solutions are designed to accommodate both new electric installations and the revamping of existing ones, potentially accelerating the electrification process by up to five years.
ELECTRA also focuses on developing variations of electrically heated processes to support and complement megawatt-scale demonstrations, ensuring that different applications meet the specific properties required for their products. By replacing combustion processes with electricity-based solutions and significantly increasing emission-free electricity production, ELECTRA aims to mitigate climate change effectively. Cement, being a key ingredient in concrete and the world's most used building material, is the largest CO2 emitter among all industrial sectors. The results of ELECTRA directly contribute to the ambitious goal of eliminating direct CO2 emissions from the cement, lime, and pulp industries. The fully electrified solutions for calcination and clinkering developed by ELECTRA are expected to offer the most cost-effective option for decarbonizing these industries.
The successful implementation of ELECTRA is expected to eliminate 30-50% of total process emissions from the targeted industries, depending on the specific industry and mode of operation. The project emphasizes scalability and replicability through platform-based solutions that offer modularity and the ability to operate in various hybrid modes during the transition period, thereby reducing initial capital expenditures. These solutions are designed to accommodate both new electric installations and the revamping of existing ones, potentially accelerating the electrification process by up to five years.
ELECTRA also focuses on developing variations of electrically heated processes to support and complement megawatt-scale demonstrations, ensuring that different applications meet the specific properties required for their products. By replacing combustion processes with electricity-based solutions and significantly increasing emission-free electricity production, ELECTRA aims to mitigate climate change effectively. Cement, being a key ingredient in concrete and the world's most used building material, is the largest CO2 emitter among all industrial sectors. The results of ELECTRA directly contribute to the ambitious goal of eliminating direct CO2 emissions from the cement, lime, and pulp industries. The fully electrified solutions for calcination and clinkering developed by ELECTRA are expected to offer the most cost-effective option for decarbonizing these industries.
During the first reporting period, the ELECTRA project made significant progress in demonstrating that electric heating can substitute fossil fuels in the cement, lime, and pulp industries. The project developed and validated emission-free, electrically heated processes capable of reaching temperatures up to 2000°C. The project mapped and analysed 56 decarbonized industrial projects across the EU, identified several electrified or hybrid full-scale flexible plant setups, and prepared the first version of the performance indicator list. The project constructed and commissioned pilot scale plasma and resistively heated rotary kilns, conducted successfully experimental work for cement clinkering and limestone and lime mud calcination, and progressed with the detailed construction drawings for the fluidized bed calciners configurations. The project also started the procurement of plasma torches and other relevant demo equipment, and began preparation works such as groundwork and electricity network upgrades for the 1 MWe scale rotary kiln demonstration. These achievements demonstrate the project's progress towards its objectives and its potential to revolutionize the cement, lime, and pulp industries by making them more sustainable and less dependent on fossil fuels.
The ELECTRA project has made significant advancements in the field of electrification for high-temperature industrial processes. One of the key achievements is the development and validation of emission-free, electrically heated processes for cement, lime, and lime mud production at a 300 kW scale. These processes are capable of reaching temperatures up to 2000°C, which is essential for the calcination and clinkering reactions in these industries. The project has demonstrated the use of advanced electric heating technologies, including plasma torches and resistive heating elements, in rotary kilns and fluidized bed calciners. These technologies enable the integration of renewable electricity in the process industries, thereby reducing reliance on fossil fuels and contributing to the independence from fossil fuel imports.
The project has also achieved significant progress in the modelling and design of high-enthalpy plasma torches and fluidized bed calciners. These models have been used to optimize the design and operation of the electrified processes, ensuring efficient heat transfer and process control. The integration of these advanced heating technologies has resulted in improved energy efficiency and reduced carbon emissions, making the processes more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
In addition to the technological advancements, the project has also made significant contributions to the scientific understanding of high-temperature electrification. The experimental work carried out in the project has provided valuable data on the performance and scalability of the electrified processes. This data has been used to validate the models and optimize the design of the process units, ensuring that they can be scaled up for industrial applications.
Overall, the results of the ELECTRA project represent a significant step forward in the field of high-temperature electrification. The advanced heating technologies developed and validated in the project have the potential to revolutionize the cement, lime, and pulp industries, making them more sustainable and less dependent on fossil fuels. The project's contributions to the scientific understanding of high-temperature electrification will also pave the way for further research and development in this field, ensuring that the benefits of electrification can be realized across a wide range of industrial applications.
The project has also achieved significant progress in the modelling and design of high-enthalpy plasma torches and fluidized bed calciners. These models have been used to optimize the design and operation of the electrified processes, ensuring efficient heat transfer and process control. The integration of these advanced heating technologies has resulted in improved energy efficiency and reduced carbon emissions, making the processes more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
In addition to the technological advancements, the project has also made significant contributions to the scientific understanding of high-temperature electrification. The experimental work carried out in the project has provided valuable data on the performance and scalability of the electrified processes. This data has been used to validate the models and optimize the design of the process units, ensuring that they can be scaled up for industrial applications.
Overall, the results of the ELECTRA project represent a significant step forward in the field of high-temperature electrification. The advanced heating technologies developed and validated in the project have the potential to revolutionize the cement, lime, and pulp industries, making them more sustainable and less dependent on fossil fuels. The project's contributions to the scientific understanding of high-temperature electrification will also pave the way for further research and development in this field, ensuring that the benefits of electrification can be realized across a wide range of industrial applications.