Zero-CO₂ Emission Cement Production via Microwave Processing
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According to a 2021 study by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, cement production in Quebec accounts for approximately 16% of the province’s industrial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, corresponding to 3.9 megatonnes of CO₂ equivalent (Mt CO₂-eq) in 2019. While these emissions are significant, decarbonizing Portland cement production is a major challenge. On one hand, fossil fuels must be eliminated for heating to 1450 °C, which enables limestone decarbonation and clinker formation (~35% of emissions). On the other hand, CO₂ released during limestone decarbonation must be captured from a low-concentration effluent and sequestered (~65% of emissions).
The objective of Prof. William Wilson at the Université de Sherbrooke is to develop a method for producing Portland cement with zero atmospheric CO₂ emissions using microwave technology. The approach involves electrifying the industrial-scale process, which allows: (a) replacement of fossil fuels with hydroelectric energy and (b) production of a compressed CO₂ gas stream suitable for sequestration (without combustion, the gas effluent is nearly pure CO₂). Since microwave-produced cement will comply with Canadian Portland cement standards, it can be rapidly adopted by industry.
This project will also train three doctoral students, one master’s student, two postdoctoral fellows, and two undergraduate interns with complementary expertise in cement decarbonization (cement physicochemistry, electrically driven decarbonation and clinker formation, microwave heating, life cycle analysis, gas effluent analysis, and more).
For Pyrowave, the outcomes include unique intellectual property enabling commercialization of a technology addressing a global market exceeding USD 300 billion and generating approximately 3 gigatonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually. For Quebec, the benefits are both economic—through the development of a Quebec-based company—and environmental, with the potential to reduce up to 3.9 Mt CO₂-eq per year.
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