Deployment

Dr. Warren Mabee

The Idea

Canada’s cement industry is responsible for up to 2% of the country’s CO₂ emissions and about 30-40% of those emissions are due to burning coal. Co-firing biomass with fossil fuels is an effective way to reduce GHG emissions in coal-fired power plants and cement kilns.

The Research

This project will test the co-firing of six difference low carbon biofuels with fossil fuels to help power cement plants. The biofuels being tested are a mixture of waste materials such as construction and demolition wood which are normally destined for landfills. Diverting these materials from landfills, where they will degrade into methane, will reduce GHGs and extend landfill life. Notably, it will be the first science to include comparative life cycle assessments, full emission comparisons, evaluation of water use and burner optimization.

There has been some reluctance to introducing mixed biomass waste as low carbon fuel in cement plants because of a lack of good science to quantify emission reductions; this project will provide those assessments. There is also public concern that the combustion of biomass waste will cause other kinds of pollution. Industrial boilers used in this project burn fuel at a high enough temperature to achieve complete combustion which eliminates harmful chemicals and converts metals and creosote to slag, a solid form of waste.

Lafarge, the world’s largest cement manufacturer, is contributing more than $3 million toward building pilot facilities at the Bath Lafarge Cement Plant on Lake Ontario. The company will also provide the fuel supply, laboratory testing and other support.

The Results

Keeping fossil-based materials like shingles out of landfills will increase the lifetime use efficiency of fossil feedstocks and reduce associated carbon emissions. The fossil fuel derived components are expected to enable higher co-fire rates of biomass than achievable by biomass alone. All of the fuels have been pre-screened to ensure that they lower the industry’s environmental footprint.

Research Grant

$449,760/3 years; Awarded 2012

Benefits to Canada and Beyond

Most of the findings of this research project will be readily transferable to other energy intensive industries (electricity, steel, greenhouses, etc.) which could increase the potential greenhouse benefits by an order of magnitude. Making use of selected, screened energy-containing materials otherwise destined for landfill will improve diversion rates and avoid methane production.

Industry Applications

The cement industry has limited experience with locally derived biomass and low carbon fuels. Usage rates are limited by the ability to economically dry biomass fuels and burner design limitations. The use of biomass is expected to lower NOx emissions but optimization is needed. Results can be applied to other energy intensive industries. As the world’s largest cement manufacturer, Lafarge is in a unique position to disseminate the benefits of this project to all regions of Canada and throughout the world.

Project Partners

Lafarge is providing the processed fuels, design and installation equipment, emission and feedstock sampling programs, and cement quality testing and evaluations. Lafarge and the Cement Association of Canada will contribute expertise and advice on how the pilot plant results can apply to other cement plants. World Wildlife Federation Canada will provide advice on the social and water use components of the analysis.