Bottom-up analysis of energy efficiency improvement and CO2 emission reduction potentials in the Swiss cement industry

Abstract

The cement industry is among the top three industrial energy consumers in Switzerland with a share of 9% of the total final energy demand by Swiss industry in 2014. It is also a major contributor to the Swiss greenhouse gas emissions, releasing approximately 2.7 Mt of CO2 in 2014 (including both fossil and mineral CO2). This study investigates the energy efficiency improvement and CO2 abatement potential in the Swiss cement industry by means of energy efficiency cost curves. The energy savings potential for this sector is estimated based on the data collected from literature and via interviews with the experts. The current economic potential for final energy savings and CO2 abatement is estimated at 14% and 13% of the sector's final energy use and CO2 emissions in 2014 respectively and the total investment costs are approximately CHF ∼120 million (approx. USD 115 million). This study also highlights techno-economic barriers that are limiting implementation of the best practices in Swiss cement plants. Due to the relatively low current final energy and CO2 prices, the cost savings of the cost-effective measures are found to be low to very low. While the sensitivity to higher fuel prices (+50%) is limited, a CO2 tax of 84 CHF/t CO2 (approx. 80 USD/t CO2) would make carbon capture and storage economically viable and allow to drastically reduce CO2 emissions. The results of this study offer a better understanding of the energy efficiency gap in the sector and can serve as basis for formulating more effective policies.