India: N Bhanumathidas and N Kalidas are co-founders of the Institute for Solid Waste Research and Ecological Balance (INSWAREB), which aims to replace fossils fuels in cement production with thermal plasma powered by nuclear energy. The researchers propose utilising thermal plasma torches to produce clinker without burning fossil fuels. The proposal pairs the plasma with small modular reactors. The researchers said via The Hindu that a conventional rotary kiln consumes over 0.25t of coal per tonne of clinker, while a plasma route requires 0.72t of coal equivalent to meet a 1.2MW demand. However, the nuclear power route requires 36g of radioactive material for 1.2MW. 20,000kg of coal is reportedly matched by 1kg of radioactive material.
Kalidas said “Internationally, pilot-scale initiatives are already gaining momentum: Heidelberg Materials in Sweden successfully operated a continuous plasma kiln pilot using carbon dioxide, and the University of Florida installed high-temperature plasma arc reactors to produce clinker at pilot scale.”
