CLEANKER – Clean Clinker by Calcium Looping Process for Low-CO2 Cement Production

The CLEANKER project got EC support from October 2017 to September 2021 under the Horizon 2020 call LCE 29 – 2017 . CLEANKER (www.cleanker.eu) aims at demonstrating at TRL7 the Calcium Looping (CaL) concept in a configuration highly integrated with the cement production process, making use of entrained flow reactors. The cement industry is a key-sector for the reduction of CO2 emissions. CO2 generation in cement production processes in fact, cannot be disregarded due to the calcination of limestone (CaCO3 dissociated to CaO and CO2), the most important raw material. Around 60% of the direct CO2 emissions from the clinker burning process are due to this reaction. In addition, there are the emissions from combustion of mostly fossil fuels, as well as the generation of electric power required by the process (e.g. grinding), as indirect CO2 emissions. Cement production is thus responsible for about 27% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions from industrial sources worldwide and for 5% of anthropogenic global CO2 emissions . According to IEA and ZEP studies, cement industry should contribute to the largest CO2 emission reduction through CCS in Europe, in order to meet the target of 2°C of global temperature increase (IEA 2DS scenario)