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Dr Andrew McDermott, FIMMM

Technical Director

Accelerating Clean Growth in

Ceramics

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Accelerating Clean Growth in Ceramics

• Presentation summary:

– UK ceramic sector overview

– Drivers to improve energy / carbon efficiency

– What’s already been achieved?

– Future improvements in energy / carbon efficiency

– Conclusions

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UK Ceramic Sector Overview

• Key sector figures:

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UK Ceramic Sector Overview

• Key energy / climate figures:

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UK Ceramic Sector Overview

• Solution provider for the low-carbon and resource-efficient economy:

Durable products with low lifetime carbon

footprints

Long-life thermal insulation for high temp industrial

processes (steel, glass, cement, ceramics etc.)

Critical components for renewable electricity

generation, storage and distribution

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Drivers to improve energy / carbon efficiency

• Reduce costs / improve competitiveness

• Policy / legislation

• Reduce environmental impacts of manufacturing

→ Good business sense

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Drivers to improve energy / carbon efficiency

• Reduce costs / improve competitiveness:

Source: Industrial gas prices in the IEA, BEIS 2018 Source: Industrial electricity prices in the IEA, BEIS 2018

Source: Effective Carbon Rates 2018, OECD

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Drivers to improve energy / carbon efficiency

• Policy / legislation:

International / UNFCCC:• Kyoto protocol CP 1 (2008-12) and CP2 (2013-20)

• Paris Agreement

EU:

UK:• Climate Change Act (binding 80% GHG

cut by 2050 and 5-yearly carbon budgets)

• CCL; CCA; CRC; mGHG; SECR

• CPS / CPF

• RO, FiT, CfD, RHI...

2020 2030

GHG emission cuts (EU ETS + ESD) 20% 40%

Energy efficiency improvement (inc. ESOS) 20% 32.5%

Renewable energy share 20% 32%

CB1 2008-12 25%

CB2 2013-17 31%

CB3 2018-22 37%

CB4 2023-27 51%

CB5 2028-32 57%

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What’s already been achieved?

• Energy saving is nothing new:

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What’s already been achieved?

• Significant investment, over several decades,

to improve energy / carbon efficiency:

– Fuel switching from coal to natural gas

– Heat recovery from kiln cooling air

– Switching from intermittent to continuous kilns

– Switching from tunnel kilns to roller-hearth kilns

– Reduced radiant, convective + hot gas leakage

– Improved thermal efficiency of refractories

– Burner improvements

– Process control / optimisation

– Reformulation to reduce / eliminate firings

– Conventional energy efficiency measures

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What’s already been achieved?

• Recent evolution of Specific Energy Consumption (SEC):

SEC ~ 13%

lower in 2017

cf. 2003

Source: BCC quarterly energy and throughput database

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Future Improvements in energy / carbon efficiency

• Cerame-Unie Roadmap:

65% emission

cut

78% emission

cut

Source: Cerame-Unie 2050 Roadmap

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Future Improvements in energy / carbon efficiency

• UK Ceramic Industry / Govt Roadmap and Action Plan:

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Future Improvements in energy / carbon efficiency

• What’s needed:

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Future Improvements in energy / carbon efficiency

Syngas - gasification and co-

firing:

• Not proven for continuous, at

scale operation - overcoming

tar build-up

• Availability of cost-effective

and sustainable feedstocks

• Cost

Hydrogen fuel:

Hydrogen

Oxygen

• Combustion characteristics

• Increased moisture content

of kiln atmosphere

• Impact of H2 on pipework

• NOx emissions

• Large scale H2 production

and distribution needed

• Safety

• Cost

Heat

Water

Durable, low-cost heat

exchangers for kiln exhausts:

• Corrosion resistance to

acidic kiln exhaust gases

• Cost

• Demonstration of heat pipe

heat exchangers?

• Technologies requiring development:

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Future Improvements in energy / carbon efficiency

Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC)

(electricity from waste heat)Large-scale electric kilns

(electrification of heat)

• Demonstration in a ceramics

environment (low temp kiln

exhausts and intermittent

kilns)

Carbon Capture Utilisation

and Storage (CCUS)

• Only for very largest sites

• More challenging than other

EIIs (geographic-spread,

lower CO2 vol, hotter exhaust

and acidic impurities)

• Later implementation than

other EIIs

• Cost

• Demonstration at scale

(radical re-design)

• Needs competitive elec.

prices - currently not viable

• Increased electrical demand

DRD Power looking for company to

trial waste heat system

• Technologies requiring development:

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Future Improvements in energy / carbon efficiency

• Overview of relevant UK Govt grant funding opportunities:

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Conclusions:

• Significant energy/carbon efficiency improvements already implemented.

• To deliver future improvements, whilst maintaining international

competitiveness, will require:

– A supportive regulatory framework.

– Support to increase the deployment of proven technologies.

– Support for the development of breakthrough technologies.

• Significant Govt funding is / soon will be available…now is time to act!