Towards net-zero emission cement and power production using Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells

Achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in cement production requires major reductions in both process and energy emissions. This study proposes an integrated low emission cement and power production (LECAPP) system that incorporates external reforming molten carbonate fuel cells to capture the CO2 emissions from a natural gas-fired cement plant. The system uses either natural gas or high-density polyethylene to generate the hydrogen demanded by the fuel cells while producing both low-carbon electricity (1,201 kWh/t clinker with a carbon intensity of 52 kgCO2/MWh, of which 1,000 kWh/t clinker is available for export) and a CO2 stream for sequestration. The carbon intensity assigned to clinker production (57 kgCO2/t clinker) is a 92% reduction from a clinker plant without carbon management. When plastics are used to generate hydrogen for the fuel cells, 144 kg plastics/t clinker would be diverted from landfills. Compared to other carbon capture methods, the LECAPP system performs better and its overall specific primary energy consumption is estimated to be in the range of 1.52–5.94 gigajoules per tCO2 avoided. The LECAPP system offers promise as a viable technology in the transition to net zero-emission energy systems. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd