Cemex, Synhelion, Sandia Labs to study use of solar in cement making

• The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded USD 3.2 million (EUR 3m) to Solar MEAD, a project aimed at replacing fossil fuels with focused solar thermal (CST) energy in cement clinker production.

The project is collectively led by Mexican structure materials manufacturer Cemex SAB de CV (BMV: CEMEXCPO), Swiss solar fuels trendsetter Synhelion and Sandia National Laboratories, a r & d (R&D) laboratory of the DOE.

Cemex and also Synhelion currently produced a batch of clinker with CST in study setup in Spain in 2015. This time, they will certainly be joined by Sandia National Laboratories, which will certainly add its research study centers in New Mexico and also subject matter know-how to help increase the adaptation of the innovation to cement manufacturing, the business stated.

Clinker, a precursor to cement, is made by fusing limestone, clay and various other materials in a rotating kiln that is heated up using fossils fuels to near 1,500 levels Celsius (2,732 F). Synhelion's innovation can deliver high-temperature procedure heat beyond 1,500 levels, which is enough to avoid making use of fossil fuels.

"Achieving our net zero carbon goal by 2050 will certainly require relentless technology such as this to discover and scale innovation modern technologies," stated Cemex CEO Fernando A. Gonzalez.

Through the Solar MEAD project, researcher will certainly examine methods to lower CO2 exhausts, lower process temperature levels and also raise the efficiency of clinker formation using solar energy. The team will likewise examine the conditions to make best use of heat transfer to the raw cement mix, Cemex and Synhelion said.