TITAN CEMENT COMPANY S.A.

TITAN’s decarbonization strategy includes a comprehensive set of levers to reduce emissions from cement production by accelerating the use of alternative fuels, increasing energy efficiency, developing low-carbon products, and adopting innovative technologies and solutions, such as the use of hydrogen for the optimization of cement clinker kilns in Kamari plant.

TITAN Group was among the first companies in the global cement industry to have its 2030 GHG emissions reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as consistent with the levels required to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5°C, while also committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. TITAN is committed to the COP21 Paris Agreement goal and the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030, while also supporting the European Green Deal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The Group also participates in the “Business Ambition for 1.5°C” global campaign led by SBTi and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change “Race to Zero” global campaign.

National and European authorities, Scientific community, Local community

The installation was completed in 2022.

The new technology is based on the optimization of the combustion that takes place inside the kiln, and employs a system of producing hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) by proton exchange membrane electrolysis, without the need for intermediate storage accumulation in the system between the production and the point of consumption. This technology is adapted to the existing production facility as well as to the type of fuel used. This ensures higher combustion efficiency and leads to lower environmental impact. The oxygen generated by electrolysis is fed into the primary air stream via the main burner.

The system is installed in the pyro line, and it is connected to the existing installation via the fuel feed network. Specifically, the system is supplied with water which splits into oxygen and hydrogen gas. Upon entering the kiln, hydrogen gas is split into its two radicals due to the high thermal energy, which then react with the existing CO. The consumption of CO releases heat that leads to increased combustion efficiency of the fuels used in the clinker production process (e.g. petcoke, coal or alternative fuels).

Kamari plant, Voiotia

This technology is based on combustion optimization (with hydrogen acting as catalyst to combustion), enhancing its efficiency. The main benefits from this are:

• Lower quantities of air required for complete combustion at the same level of production, which ensures, among other things, reduced air emissions;
• The improved combustion efficiency leads to the increased use of climate-friendly fuels.

The combustion optimization with the use hydrogen will improve energy efficiency by reducing specific thermal energy consumption, while also achieving higher productivity at the same time. This practice is one of the three traditional CO2 emissions reduction levers, along with reducing clinker content in the final product (clinker-to-cement ratio) and increasing the thermal substitution rate of fossil fuels with alternative fuels. The above are included in the revision of our Scope 1 decarbonization roadmap in February 2022, and enhance the accelerated progress on achieving the Group’s 2030 target (gross Scope 1 GHG emissions reduction by 22.8% per tonne of cementitious product by 2030 from a 2020 base year).