During this year alone, the cement industry is expected to spend approximately $3.5 billion to help control atmospheric emissions. By 2015, spending is predicted to rise to nearly $5 billion annually. Each region of the world is facing different challenges and taking different steps in order to meet increasing emission standards.
In the United States, most of the money being spent is due to new air pollutant standards prepared to be issued June of this year. These new standards could force plants to install regenerative thermal oxidizers and selective catalytic reduction units (SCR) for hydrocarbon and NOX emission control. These methods are much more capital intensive than the forerunner selective, non-catalytic approach (SNCR) which is widely used around the globe. The SCR has only been used in a handful of plants around the world. The Portland Cement Association predicts that the US will be importing 33% of its cement by 2020 because of new regulations, where it would only import 18% without them.
One of Asia’s main concerns during production is mercury emissions. Chinese cement and power plants currently emit two to five times more mercury per year than equivalent plants in the United States. The Chinese are investing heavily in reducing this global problem with new technology. Also, many of the former Soviet states are upgrading their electrostatic precipitators or replacing them completely with new baghouses. In fact, investments in fabric filters account for over fifty percent of the aforementioned global spending.
Europe is continually improving their technology and is steadily reducing the acid gas and NOX emissions. They accomplish this through widespread use of HCl removal systems. Europe has the highest concentration of these systems on their plants in the world, despite their small cement production on the global scale. Companies in Europe are also looking at installing new two-stage scrubber systems (stage one: HCl, stage two: SO2) with the by-product of marketable, commercial-grade hydrochloric acid.
Regardless of where you stand on the climate debate, it is necessary to recognize the need of preserving the earth for posterity. This climate crisis has opened up a world of opportunity for progress and innovation!