JOINED-UP THINKING

Joint Initiative

Other recent projects to reduce carbon capture include one by FLSmidth and Mannok Cement to control emissions using the Fuelflex Pyrolyzer, an initiative of FLSmidth’s research facility in Dania.

This game-changing technology has enabled Mannok to control nitrous oxide emissions without needing to use ammonia water and increase alternative fuels utilisation.

This puts the plant firmly on the path to achieve its 2030 vision target of reducing CO2 emissions by 33% compared with 2020 levels.

FLSmidth project manager Lars Skaarup Jensen took the technology to Mannok as a co-development project.

Closing The Loop

A number of industry players are also co-operating in a three-year research project that is aiming to demonstrate 100% recyclability of demolished concrete into new concrete.

Funded by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, the project brings together partners from a wide range of disciplines, including cement and concrete production, waste treatment, concrete testing, and equipment suppliers.

Kicking off at the beginning of this year, the project aims to close the loop for concrete by recycling 100% of demolished concrete into new concrete.

risks to safety and to mitigate against possible claims.

Utilising case studies as well as real-life scenarios, the KeelX titles provide learners with an in-depth understanding of how to handle and transport specialist dry bulk cargoes safely, equipping them with the tools they need to analyse unprecedented situations, explore multiple operational scenarios, and understand the best possible courses of action.

The first modules to be added to the OLP cover the safe handling and transportation of coal, cement and soybeans.

Aresearch project launched by Thyssenkrupp, Holcim and TU Berlin last year examined CO2 reduction for the cement industry using a new amine scrubbing process to aid the carbon capture process. One of the goals of the project was to reduce emissions at existing cement plants. A key driver was the raw materials used in the cement production process resulted in CO2 being released into the atmosphere. Thyssenkrupp, Holcim and the Technische Universitat Berlin teamed up not only to reduce emissions, but also to explore how the captured CO2 could be used for other applications.

Dr Ralph Kleinschmidt, head of technology, innovation and sustainability at Thyssenkrupp said at the time: “Amine scrubbing is already commonly used to recover CO2 from process gases or exhaust gases. Now, we are developing the technology further and optimising it for the cement industry. Additional applications for capturing CO2 direct at source, such as in waste incineration plants, are also possible.”

Arne Stecher, head of decarbonisation at Holcim Germany explained: “Carbon capture will be a must for cement plants in the near future. That is why we are testing different processes to find the best carbon capture technology. Carbon capture by means of amine scrubbing is a promising solution. I am pleased we can test this innovative process in the cement industry.”

Dr-Ing Jens-Uwe Repke, chair of process dynamics and operations group at TU Berlin, agreed: “Developing innovative carbon-capture technology for gas treating and improving the efficiency, environmental compatibility and sustainability of existing carbon-capture processes is an urgent and crucial task that makes a direct contribution to climate protection. These goals can only be achieved if industry co-operates closely with research facilities like universities.”

“The solutions to ensure a sustainable tomorrow require genuine collaboration today. Mannok Cement and FLSmidth have prospered from a decades long relationship of trust, mutual respect and shared goals – critical ingredients for a complex co-development project,” explains Jenson.

“Because both companies had the perseverance to overcome every single detail, we have now introduced gamechanging technology that will make a significant impact on Mannok’s plant, as well as cement producers all around the world.”

Mannok was already using solid recovered fuel produced from waste diverted from landfill, but was limited as to how much they could burn due to build-up in the process.

The Fuelflex Pyrolyzer effectively reorganises the combustion process to create a more efficient method of alternative fuels utilisation. Recovered fuels are introduced with the preheated raw meal – effectively using hot meal as the gasification medium. The fuel is therefore pyrolyzed, not burned.

This creates a more stable kiln process; it enables greater use of moist solid recovered fuel (SRF) – which is what Mannok is dealing with – and it completely eliminates the need for ammonia to mitigate nitrous oxides, which represents both a cost and safety benefit.

This will require technologies that gently but efficiently separate the coarse aggregate fraction from the fine sand and cement fractions, as well as solutions to process the fines into high-quality sand and cement fractions.

The project will also explore technologies to refine the cement fraction, which poses the biggest challenge in terms of recycling. Such an ambition requires diverse perspectives and collaboration across the value chain.

Safety at sea

Improper handling of bulk cargo can compromise vessel stability and the structural integrity of the vessel, risking the lives of the crew aboard. Understanding the unique properties of a given cargo, and how to handle it correctly, is critical to ensuring the safety of crew, vessel, and the marine environment.

Through a new partnership, Ocean Technologies Group (OTG) customers will be able to utilise Series One of the KeelX Safe Handling and Transportation of Dry Bulk Cargoes e-learning through the award-winning Ocean Learning Platform (OLP).

These titles will provide shipowners with a valuable resource to bolster their crews’ existing knowledge while aboard or ashore, as part of ongoing training or even as part of pre-boarding processes, thereby helping reduce

The series will soon be further enhanced with the addition of two new titles from KeelX that focus on nickel ore and steel coils.

Evros Damianou, KeelX education program lead, says: “The quality of our product is our priority. Teaming up with OTG guarantees that our product will be delivered to seafarers, globally, online, and offline, easily through the OLP.

“We strive to develop our e-courses every day, ensuring our material is constantly up-to-date with new material, including relevant industry developments, new real-case scenarios, and additional training information.

“The Series One titles will provide learners with the relevant knowledge to mitigate and avoid possible claims, incidents, and off-hire, but primarily to safeguard human life on board.”

Henning Davies, global commercial director for OTG, adds: “KeelX invests heavily in its research, putting significant effort into data analysis, international codes, regulations, treaties, and operational incidents.

“The Safe Handling and Transportation of Dry Bulk Cargoes titles are a perfect example of how KeelX use the lessons learned from real-world incidents to create high-quality e-learning resources.

“Offering these new titles through the OLP provides our customers with the resources to improve the safety of operations and evidence this commitment to their customers, partners, and stakeholders.”