Global Trends in Lime Kiln Technology Development: Europe vs China
Against the backdrop of global industrial transformation and increasingly strict environmental requirements, Europe and China have shown different characteristics and trends in the development of lime kiln technology.
The European lime industry is actively promoting carbon reduction to achieve the 2050 carbon neutrality goal. On the one hand, by converting fossil solid fuels into natural gas or using mixed fuels such as biomass fuels to completely decarbonize and reduce fuel combustion emissions. On the other hand, vigorously developing and applying carbon capture and storage/utilization technologies, although currently costly, are considered key to achieving process emissions reduction. At the same time, improving energy efficiency is also an important measure, such as converting rotary kilns to vertical kilns, where 80% of lime is produced. Some rotary kilns are equipped with preheaters to recover flue gas heat and save fuel.
Chinese lime kiln technology is moving towards green, intelligent, and high-end. In terms of green production, we promote suspension calcination and oxygen enriched combustion technologies to reduce coal consumption. We use steel slag and carbide slag to replace some limestone raw materials, reduce resource dependence, and pilot carbon capture and utilization projects to convert CO ₂ in kiln exhaust gas into food grade dry ice. In terms of intelligent transformation, the Internet of Things and big data technology penetrate the entire production process, realizing intelligent control, supply chain collaboration, and remote operation and maintenance, improving production efficiency and product quality. In terms of high-end development, we will develop nano scale lime and functional modified products, which will be applied in high value-added fields such as electronic ceramics and pharmaceutical carriers.
Europe focuses more on the research and application of carbon reduction technologies to achieve long-term carbon neutrality goals; China is making efforts in various aspects such as greening, intelligence, and high-end, while meeting environmental requirements, enhancing the competitiveness of lime kilns and expanding product application fields.
