Environmental ProtectionThe high significance which the cement industry attaches to environmental protection is mirrored in the numerous activities of the Research Institute. The following fields constitute research focuses: Sustainability Sustainable development is of pivotal importance both for environmental protection and for building with cement and concrete. Further fields of activity that are tackled from a sustainability perspective include staff qualification, dialogue with partners, and economic aspects. Preservation of resources The utilisation of suitable secondary raw materials and fuels as well as interground additives in cement manufacture is of particular importance for the cement industry. Climate protection Particular focus was placed on the trading in CO2 emissions allowances, especially with regard to the proper implementation of national laws and the pertinent sets of rules annexed to them. The monitoring guidelines adopted at European level had to be interpreted technically and defined correspondingly from the cement industry’s perspective as well. Reduction in cement-specific emissions such as NOx and dust The Research Institute continually attends and develops new measuring methods and corresponding regulations for emissions monitoring. In addition to that, it conducted numerous measurements at rotary kiln systems in the cement industry. Investigations on reducing nitrogen oxides and the abatement of Hg emissions, respectively, form one of the key research topics in this context. The reduction potential inherent in staged combustion in cyclone preheaters with calciners and the possibilities of selective non-catalytic nitrogen oxide reduction in particular were the subject of more in-depth investigations. |
