CEMEX further progresses carbon neutral plans for Rüdersdorf plant with waste heat recovery project
Global building materials supplier CEMEX has made a further advancement in its efforts to achieve carbon neutrality at its Rüdersdorf cement plant by 2030. The latest partnership in the Carbon Neutral Alliance will see the implementation of a waste heat recovery system at the site in Germany.
This waste heat recovery project, conducted in partnership with the leading energy efficiency solution provider Orcan Energy, is a key milestone on the road to climate neutrality, as it will contribute significantly to reduce energy-related emissions well before 2030.
The system will allow to use part of the waste heat potential of the clinker cooler gases for electricity generation. To facilitate this, a heat exchanger is installed in the pipeline downstream of the clinker cooler filter so that water is heated and then fed to six Orcan Energy ORC modules for electricity generation. This CO2 free electricity is then fed into the plant grid and it covers part of the site’s own energy demand.
Commissioning of the plant, which is 50% subsidised by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, is planned for summer 2022.
Sergio Menendez, President of CEMEX Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia, commented: “Efforts to achieve carbon neutrality at our Rüdersdorf cement plant by 2030 continue apace, and this project to install a waste heat recovery system is the latest significant milestone in our journey. It further demonstrates the value of forming expert alliances to investigate and then implement innovative technologies that will ensure the decarbonisation of our operation.”
Dr Andreas Sichert, CEO and co-founder of Orcan Energy, added: “After working with several family-owned companies in the cement industry, we are proud to have been selected by CEMEX, a global cement company, as a partner for waste heat recovery. With our efficiency packs, we will make a simple but significant contribution to avoiding CO2 emissions and generating low-cost green electricity from waste heat at Germany's largest cement plant. We look forward to this plant design being rolled out globally. For us, this is another important step in establishing ourselves in a promising growth market.”
Globally, CEMEX has committed to reduce its CO2 emissions by 35% by 2025 and 40% by 2030, with its European operations being the first to align to the EU’s aspiration to reduce CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030 as part of its ‘Future In Action’ strategy – committed to net zero CO2.
CEMEX R&D, Innovation and Business Development projects are part of the global R&D collaboration network, headed by CEMEX Research Centers, based in Switzerland.