Photo: FLSmidth

Danish scientists accelerate climate-friendly industrial production

Environment and pollution

DTU, in collaboration with FLSmidth and ROCKWOOL, will develop sustainable process technologies that will increase the use of renewable fuels and raw materials and reduce CO2 emissions. The project has received a EUR 2.7 million grant from Innovation Fund Denmark.

FLSmidth and the ROCKWOOL Group are already working on reducing their carbon footprint, and a new collaborative project is intended to help accelerate these efforts.

High ambitions have been set. Through lower CO2 emissions and reduced fuel consumption, ROCKWOOL expects its production to become more sustainable. For FLSmidth, using alternative cement formulas and production methods will enable the company to launch more efficient technologies for using renewable fuels and reducing emissions.

Both companies use technologies based on high temperature processes, which can be difficult to “see” and measure. The purpose of the project is to optimize these high-temperature processes throughout the entire production chain. This is an area in which DTU excels, and the CHEC research centre at DTU Chemical Engineering has focused on combustion research and emission abatement for several years.

“In order to reduce CO2 emissions further, we need to develop a deeper understanding of the processes in the high-temperature reactors used at the production facilities. Working closely with FLSmidth and ROCKWOOL, we will be performing advanced measurements directly at the plant facilities, so changes can be implemented,” says Senior Researcher Peter Arendt Jensen.

Making the production of cement and insulation materials more sustainable will not only benefit the climate but also strengthen the exports of the Danish building materials industry to global markets. By enhancing energy utilisation, minimizing environmental impact and maintaining high waste recycling rates, these companies will strengthen their essential technological pole position and thus their competitive strength in global markets.

See the full press release here (in Danish).