The Podilsky Cement factory was constructed in the 1970s and is one of the biggest cement plants in Ukraine. The envisaged project will decrease the emissions from fossil fuel combustion by changing the technology of cement production from a wet production process to a dry production process.
Global Carbon BV has developed all the documentation including the approach to setting the baseline and estimating the emissions reductions. This project was the first JI project to be registered at the UNFCCC, and the first JI project in the cement industry. Global Carbon BV is actively involved in the project assisting with the monitoring and verification, and advising Podilsky Cement on the installation of monitoring equipment.
Wet cement production technology is the traditional method of producing cement in Ukraine. Raw materials are prepared by crushing and mixing limestone, clay, and additives in the raw mill.In the case of wet cement technology water is added to the raw materials in order to produce a slurry. The slurry is then further homogenized and fed into a rotary kiln.
At the point of the kiln inlet, at the drying zone, water is evaporated from the slurry, and the raw materials are moved further into the kiln to be calcinated and burnt resulting in clinker. The evaporation of the wet slurry consumes significant amounts of energy and associated emissions from the power generation. The average energy consumption at Podilsky Cement from 2003 to 2005 was 6,771 MJ per tonne of clinker produced (1618 kcal/kg).
In case of dry cement production technology, the raw materials are of low moisture content and hence water is not added in the preparation of the mixture, this is called a ‘raw meal’ rather than slurry.
Therefore water evaporation from the raw meal is not required, significantly reducing the level of energy consumption required, and therefore reducing the CO2 emissions from fuel combustion.
The expected energy consumption of the dry cement production system at Podilsky Cement will be approximately 3,180 MJ per tonne of clinker produced (760 kcal/kg). This constitutes a reduction of 53% in energy consumption!
Emission Reductions
The JI Project was the first registered project under Joint Implementation Supervisory Committee of the UNFCCC on 27 March 2007, and has received final determination under the UNFCCC. The kiln is currently under construction and will be fully operational in 2010. A total up to 2 million tonnes CO2 will be reduced until the year 2012.