As of today, basic materials are produced with highly standardized emission intensive technologies that rely on fossil energy sources. Consequently, the production of steel, cement, aluminium and petrochemical products accounts for about two-third of industrial energy use and emissions in Europe. Alternative climate-friendly production technologies are under development, but their elevated installation and operational costs have hindered their industrial scale implementation to-date. In light of long-term decarbonisation targets in the European Union until 2050 and more ambitious climate commitments by EU member states until 2030, the transition of basic material production towards clean processes over the next decades will be key for reducing industrial carbon emissions. This master thesis project aims at exploring the case study for a cement plant operating with 100% biobased fuels. After demonstrating a profound understanding of today´s cement making process and the limitations of biomass use, the student shall evaluate both the economic and societal aspects of such a project. The economic study shall encompass the consideration of both greenfield and brownfield designs, the required biobased feedstock provision, different price scenarios for petro coke, biomass, and CO2 and a comparison of these operational costs to other European and non-European competitors. Additionally, the student should conclude a qualitative review of currently ongoing decarbonisation projects in the cement sector and identify the possible demand for potentially higher priced low-emission cement within Spain. Lastly, the social dimension of the case study shall consider the location of this cement plant within Spain by evaluating different regions based on their know-how, availability of biobased resources, and both direct and indirect employment opportunities. For this project the student will contact and interview Spanish industrial players and sector associations to combine the academic and private sector perspective. There is no funding opportunity / scholarship available.
