Integrated assessment of CO2 reduction technologies in China's cement industry

• CO2 reduction technologies in Chinese cement sector are assessed.
• They include energy efficiency improvement, alternative fuels, clinker substitution and carbon capture and storage.
• CO2 mitigation potentials and avoidance costs of these technologies are evaluated.
• Different scenarios from 2010 to 2050 are designed based on future development of cement sector and technology diffusion.
• In 2030, CO2 avoidance costs by post-combustion and oxy-fuel combustion CCS are 406.2 and 266.6 RMB/tCO2.

The main objective of this article is to evaluate CO2 mitigation potential and to calculate costs avoided by the use of different CO2 mitigation technologies in China's cement sector, namely energy efficiency improvements, use of alternative fuels, clinker substitution and carbon capture and storage (CCS). Three scenarios are designed based on the projection of cement output and technology development over the next 40 years (2010–2050). 2.5, 4.7 and 4.3 Gt tonnes of CO2 will be saved totally in basic scenario and two low carbon scenarios up to 2050. By comparing these technologies along the scenarios, it can be concluded that CO2 emissions can mainly be reduced by energy efficiency improvements and use of alternative fuels. Clinker substitution, which reduces the clinker-to-cement ratio as well as energy intensity, results in significant cost advantages. CCS, including post-combustion capture and oxy-fuel combustion capture, could play an important role in the capture of CO2 in the cement industry, and is expected to be in commercial use by 2030.