Technology change and environmental management for cement manufacturing: The cement industry in the United States (2004--2050)

Historically, the cement industry has been challenged with the requirement of improving its manufacturing process while reducing its footprint on the environment. At the same time, global competition poses more challenges to improving the bottom line of the business. Research and development of pollution abatement technology for cement manufacturing is key for effectively operating in this new environment. These new technological advancements compete against established technologies when cement manufacturers evaluate different pollution prevention strategies.; This research developed a quantitative tool to benchmark various technologies available to produce Portland cement in the United States. The model "Technology Change Evaluation for the Cement Industry" (TCECI) was developed to achieve this goal considering a full cost approach. Several production scenarios were designed and evaluated to represent the current and potential future conditions of the cement industry in the United States. The decision making process to select the Best Available Technology (BAT) for cement manufacturing in the United States considered the minimization of the private and the total cost (i.e., including private and social costs) under different multi-pollutant approaches. One of these approaches considered the minimization of carbon dioxide emissions from the calcination of raw materials and the combustion of the fuel from cement manufacturing. These emissions were estimated for each production scenario considering an emission tax scheme and an emission allowance trading program.; The most relevant result obtained from this research is the integration of environmental and social aspects of cement making into the current decision making process for technology change. This integration led to production alternatives with improved environmental, social and economic performance. Additionally, the results of this research indicate that the current technology mix for cement manufacturing in the United States limits the feasibility of new cement plants when considering the full cost approach. However, the results of the analysis indicate that the implementation of BAT in existing plants (under the conditions and characteristics assumed by the TCECI model) improves their overall economic and environmental performance. The reduction estimated for the full cost ranged from 19% to 22% while comparing the baseline scenario for the year 2004 with a multipollutant approach (i.e., in 2004 dollars per ton of clinker, {dollar}50 -production scenario No. 8- and {dollar}48 -production scenario No. 7- versus {dollar}61 from the baseline scenario).; Finally, the results also indicate that within the limited sample of production scenarios considered there is large variability in the estimated uncertainty of the costs associated with the production of cement, the air emissions reported from the production process and the performance data from available technologies for pollution control and process optimization. The differences of the social costs estimated for each production scenario were found statistically more significant when considering the effect of the use of alternative fuels (i.e., tire fuel instead of coal) than the effect of a more stringent regulatory environment.; Since performance data for control technologies and air emissions are becoming more important to private and public policy decision making, it is recommended that the Environmental Protection Agency and the cement industry treat uncertainty explicitly, by means of adopting standardized measurement and reporting methodologies for air emissions among other relevant measures.