Maria Vieira

The cement industry is a significant contributor (around 8%) to CO₂ global emissions. About 60% of the industry’s emissions come from limestone calcination, which is essential for clinker production, while 40% are the result of fuel combustion. Reducing these emissions is challenging due to limestone’s role as the primary raw material for cement. Cement plants are required to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, as outlined in the 13th United Nations Sustainable Goals. One strategy to achieve this goal, involves Carbon Capture and utilization (CCU). Among the options for CO₂ utilization, the Power-to-Liquid (PtL) strategy offers a means to mitigate CO₂ emissions. In PtL, the CO₂ captured from cement industrial flue gas is combined with the hydrogen generated by renewable electrolysis (green hydrogen) and is catalytically converted into renewable methanol (e-MeOH). In this sense, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the worldwide existing pilot and demonstration units and projects funded by the EU across several industries. It specifically focuses on PtL technology worldwide within cement plants. This work covers 18 locations worldwide, detailing technology existent at plants of different capacities, location, and project partners. Finally, the review analyses techno-economic assessments related to e-MeOH production processes, highlighting the potential impact on achieving carbon neutrality in the cement industry.

The cement industry significantly impacts the environment due to natural resource extraction and fossil fuel combustion, with carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions being a major concern. The industry emits 0.6 tons of CO₂ per ton of cement, accounting for about 8% of global CO₂ emissions. To meet the 13th United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, cement plants aim for carbon neutrality by 2050 through reducing CO₂ emissions and adopting Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technologies. A promising approach is converting CO₂ into valuable chemicals and fuels, such as methanol (MeOH), using Power-to-Liquid (PtL) technologies. This process involves capturing CO₂ from cement plant flue gas and using hydrogen from renewable sources to produce renewable methanol (e-MeOH). Advancing the development of novel, efficient catalysts for direct CO₂ hydrogenation is crucial. This comprehensive mini-review presents a holistic view of recent advancements in CO₂ catalytic conversion to MeOH, focusing on catalyst performance, selectivity, and stability. It outlines a long-term strategy for utilizing captured CO₂ emissions from cement plants to produce MeOH, offering an experimental roadmap for the decarbonization of the cement industry.

The cement industry is a significant contributor (around 8 %) to CO2 global emissions. About 60 % of emissions come from limestone calcination, essential for clinker production, while 40 % result from fuel combustion. Reducing these emissions is challenging due to limestone’s role as the primary raw material for cement. Cement plants are required to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, as outlined in the 13th United Nations Sustainable Goals. One strategy to achieve this goal, involves Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU). Among the options for CO2 utilisation, the Power-to-Liquid (PtL) strategy offers a means to mitigate CO2 emissions. In PtL, CO2 captured from cement industrial flue gas is combined with hydrogen generated by renewable electrolysis (green hydrogen) and catalytically converted into renewable methanol (e-MeOH). In this sense, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the worldwide existing pilot and demonstration units, and projects funded by EU across several industries. It specifically focuses on PtL technology worldwide within cement plants. This work covers 18 locations worldwide, detailing technology existent at plants of different capacities, location, and project partners. Finally, the review analyses techno-economic assessments related to e-MeOH production processes, highlighting the potential impact on achieving carbon neutrality in the cement industry.

The cement industry has significant environmental impacts, stemming from natural resources extraction and fossil fuels combustion. Notably, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are a major concern associated with cement production. The cement industry emits 0.6 tons of CO2 per ton of cement production, which is around 8 % of the total CO2 emissions in the world. Meeting the 13th United Nations Sustainable Goals, cement plants aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, resulting from reduction in CO2 emissions (change in the composition of cementitious materials) and the adoption of carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) technologies. A promising approach involves converting CO₂ into valuable chemicals and fuels, such as methanol (MeOH) through the power-to-liquid (PtL) technologies. In this process, CO2 captured from cement industry flue gas with hydrogen generated from renewable sources through electrolysis of water, catalytically transformed into renewable methanol (e-MeOH), offering a sustainable solution. To achieve this, it is crucial to advance the development of novel, highly efficient catalysts specifically designed for direct CO2 hydrogenation. In this sense, this review discusses recent developments and improvements in CO2 catalytic conversion, emphasizing catalyst performance, selectivity, and stability.