2024, Qingzhou Zhonglian's annual output of 200,000 tons of CO2 oxy-fuel combustion enrichment and purification demonstration project was successfully ignited.
Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) refers to the separation of CO2 from industrial processes, energy utilization or the atmosphere, and its direct utilization or injection into the formation to achieve permanent CO2 emission reduction. In recent years, in order to achieve the "double carbon target", the cement industry has continuously promoted the exploration on the development path of "CCUS" technology, but it is still difficult to significantly reduce the carbon emissions of cement enterprises through "CCUS".
Firstly, the income can not cover the cost
data, Qingzhou Zhonglian's annual output of 200000 tons of CO2 oxygen combustion enrichment and purification demonstration project, with a total investment of 256.6 million yuan, will cost 400-500 yuan to capture 1 ton of CO2. The project will cost 80 million to 100 million per year to capture CO2 .
At present, most of the captured CO2 is made into food-grade and industrial-grade CO2 such as beer drinks, dry ice, fire extinguishers and so on. It is understood that the price of food-grade CO2 in the current market is about 400 yuan/ton, and with the promotion of carbon capture in cement enterprises, the supply of industrial and food-grade CO2 will also increase, and the market price may also fall. And then bring about a serious decline in economic efficiency.
Of course, there are also cement enterprises exploring more green economic methods, such as: Conch Baimashan Cement Plant has built a "fruit and vegetable factory" to use CO2 as a plant gas fertilizer for tomatoes. The benefits and investment generated are still unable to form a circular economy.
Therefore, the cement industry should focus on exploring the utilization of CO2 after capture, that is, how to create economic benefits and how to make rational use of these CO2 resources. Introducing the technology of converting carbon dioxide into high value-added products and forming the CO2 circular economy model in cement industry is an important topic for cement enterprises to promote "CCUS" technology and transform to low-carbon and circular economy.
Second, the emission
reduction is a drop in the bucket. It is understood that Qingzhou Zhonglian CO2 Oxygen Combustion Enrichment and Purification Demonstration Project produces 200,000 tons of CO2 annually. According to China Cement Network, Qingzhou Zhonglian Cement Co., Ltd. has two 6000t/d cement clinker production lines. Based on the emission of 0.85 tons of CO2 from the production of one ton of clinker, the cement plant will emit 3.162 million tons of CO2 in a year (310 days) only from the clinker production link, and the capture amount only accounts for 6.33% of the emission.
For example, according to the above formula, Conch Group's Wuhu Baimashan Cement Plant will emit at least 1.3175 million tons of CO2 a year, while the plant will capture and reduce about 50,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually, accounting for only about 4% of the emissions.
Therefore, it is very difficult to substantially reduce the carbon emissions of cement enterprises through "CCUS".
In the future, the cement industry should not only focus on exploring the CO2 circular economy model, but also focus on the carbon emission reduction technology of cement production process. For example, use alternative fuels, green energy and other ways to reduce emissions; improve the energy efficiency of the cement industry to significantly reduce the energy consumption of cement production to achieve emission reduction; improve the quality of clinker and reduce the demand for clinker to achieve emission reduction.
Generally speaking, the practice of "double carbon" in the cement industry still has a long way to go, and the strategy of energy saving and carbon reduction has to be carried out in an all-round way. Cement enterprises need to accelerate the pace of low-carbon and circular economy transformation to realize the green, low-carbon and sustainable development of the building materials industry.
