With the delivery and installation of six oxygen storage tanks, another important milestone was achieved in mid-June for the catch4climate project of the research company CI4C, a consortium formed by the four European cement manufacturers Buzzi SpA/Dyckerhoff GmbH, Heidelberg Materials AG, SCHWENK Zement GmbH & Co. KG, and Vicat S.A.

Using two mobile cranes in a tandem lift, the tanks, each weighing approximately 26 tonnes, were placed onto their designated foundations. The vacuum-insulated tanks provide a total storage capacity of around 360 cubic metres of liquid oxygen, which will be required for combustion in the rotary kiln of the new Oxyfuel facility. The engineering, supply, and installation of the tank system were carried out by Westfalen AG, which has supported the catch4climate project since its inception and, in addition to supplying oxygen, is also responsible for delivering training programmes for the research company CI4C.

In future, the oxygen will be delivered by lorry as a cryogenic liquid (LOX = Liquefied Oxygen). Cryogenic liquids are highly cooled gases with a boiling point of approximately -100°C or lower. To supply the required quantities of oxygen to the CI4C site in Mergelstetten while minimising lorry transport movements, Westfalen AG operates an air separation plant in Laichingen. At this facility, the principal components of ambient air, namely nitrogen and oxygen, are separated through industrial processes and then cooled under pressure to approximately -187°C, where they are liquefied.

The commissioning of the Oxyfuel kiln system is expected to take place in the first quarter of 2025. Following commissioning, a project duration of approximately three years is planned for the generation of research and development results, provided that the progress of the findings requires it.

Information Box

CI4C

In 2019, four European cement manufacturers – Buzzi SpA/Dyckerhoff GmbH, Heidelberg Materials AG, SCHWENK Zement GmbH & Co. KG, and Vicat S.A. – joined forces through the research company CI4C GmbH & Co. KG to jointly implement the CO₂ capture project “catch4climate” at SCHWENK’s cement plant site in Mergelstetten.
The facility, for whose construction more than €120 million is being invested, will be the first to use the so-called Pure Oxyfuel process for CO₂ capture. To this end, a dedicated rotary kiln line with a clinker production capacity of 450 tonnes per day is being built exclusively for research and development purposes.

The Pure Oxyfuel Process

The Pure Oxyfuel process used in Mergelstetten (from “oxy” for oxygen and “fuel”) is a clinker-burning process in which pure oxygen is introduced into the kiln instead of air to ensure heat generation during combustion without the presence of atmospheric nitrogen. This approach increases the CO₂ concentration in the kiln exhaust gas to approximately 90%, thereby significantly enhancing the potential for CO₂ capture. The aim is to capture 100% of a cement plant’s CO₂ emissions in a cost-efficient manner. The project is also intended to establish the conditions necessary for the large-scale deployment of CO₂ capture technologies within the cement industry. The captured CO₂ can subsequently be utilised or stored (CCU, CCS).

Many industries – including the production of fertilisers, fuels for long-haul aviation, and plastic-based hygienic medical products – have an urgent need for carbon. To date, this carbon has been obtained almost exclusively from fossil energy sources. Another potential source is the capture and utilisation of CO₂ generated by the cement industry as a carbon feedstock.

Movie: Götsch Media GmbH & Co. KG
Cover photo: Conné van d´Grachten

24.06.2024