Cement Production and Environmental Effects in Australia - Coursework Example

ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS CARBON PRODUCED DUE TO CEMENT MANUFACTURING IN AUSTRALIA Name Course Tutor Date Background manufacturers list The Australian cement industry comprises of three major producers. They include Adelaide Brighton Limited (ABL) that produces lime, cement and prepackaged dry-blended products, Blue Circle Southern Cement (BCSC) that produces fibre cement products, and Cement Australia Pty Limited (CAPL) that is Australia’s leading supplier of cement and related products as well as services (CIF, 2003). Other manufacturers who deal with cement production in Australia include Cockburn Cement that supplies Western Australia’s mining, agriculture construction industries with quicklime and BGC Company that also manufactures and supplies fibre cement products across Australia and the Sunstate Cement Limited located in Queensland Australia (CIF, 2003). The manufacturing plants in Australia are located in the regional centers as well as in small regional communities. The above mentioned companies produce cement both for domestic as well as for export purposes (CIF, 2003). There is a direct relationship between the activities of these companies and the carbon footprint in Australia accounted for by the cement industry (CIF, 2003). Worth to note is the fact that the process of cement manufacture is energy intensive and involves the combustion of fuels and raw materials. Cement Production and Environmental Effects in Australia The process of cement production has been associated with a number or environmental impacts on the environment (Kumar & Rawani, 2012). The environmental impacts may not only be felt in Australia alone but are ubiquitous in nature. There has been a considerable amount of debates and policies formulated in response to the environmental impacts believed to have been caused by the manufacture of cement. The environment includes the surroundings of an organism. The production process is energy intensive and requires raw materials that are mined from the ground (Kumar & Rawani, 2012). The mining sites where limestone is extracted undergo physical degradation and thus loss of both biodiversity and aesthetic beauty (Lord, 2012). When the mining is to take place plant is cleared to pave way for the process, this leads to the loss of microorganisms that live in the soil as well as those that are arboreal as trees are also cleared (Lord, 2012). This often leads to the loss of biodiversity since some organisms that depend on soil are affected in the process. Secondly, due to the explosion and the movement of the trucks carrying the limestone bearing rocks, a lot of dust is released in the atmosphere. The dust is considered to be particulate matter with reference to the pollutants. The dust comprises of both large and small particles each having a varying amount of chemical composition. The dust particles in the cement industry come from the manufacturing process as well as mining (Lord, 2012). These dust particles get coated with soot, fine nitrate, and sulfate aerosols, and heavy metals (Lord, 2012). This means that when the particles settle on the soils they affect the fertility of the soils and thus affecting the growth of plants and health of microorganisms (Kumar & Rawani, 2012). The dust has been associated with lung diseases such as bronchitis as well as clogging of plants’ leaves leading to the death of plants (Berhe, Alemayehu, & Fortuin, 2014). The dust is also released from the kiln exhaust stack. The dust from this process usually has particles of heavy metals such as aluminum, lead and mercury that are harmful when they get in touch with water bodies (Berhe, Alemayehu, & Fortuin, 2014; sKumar & Rawani, 2012). This is because they might end up on the food chains of humans (Kumar & Rawani, 2012). Apart from the dust the cement manufacture process has been associated with the release of greenhouse gases and ozone depleting substances. There has been concerns over the rising number of dioxins being released from the operations of the cement factories (Kumar & Rawani, 2012). The dioxins not only affect animals but also plants that are found on the earth surface (Berhe, Alemayehu, & Fortuin, 2014). The dust is also prone to settling in the water bodies causing water pollution that affects both plants and animals alike (Berhe, Alemayehu, & Fortuin, 2014). The fumes also suspend for long in the atmosphere reducing visibility and thus affecting the wellbeing of plants and animals (Turner & Collins, 2013). The landfills that are left bear reduce the aesthetic beauty of the lands. The first type of gaseous pollutant that is released from the cement manufacturing process is the nitrogen oxides (NOx) that result from the combustion of fuels at high temperatures (Lord, 2012). Thermal fixation as well as chemical reactions of nitrogen takes place leading to the compounds (Turner & Collins, 2013). The cement production industry also releases these nitrogen oxides from the combustion of fuels at thermally high temperatures in the kilns into the atmosphere that has similar effects as sulfur oxides (Berhe, Alemayehu, & Fortuin, 2014). When the compounds are suspended in air and it rains acidic rain results. Acidic rain has been shown to have some effects on both animals and structures (Kumar & Rawani, 2012). The acid degrades structures as well as leads to the death of plants and some organisms. The other compound that has environmental implications and results from the cement production process is sulphur dioxide (SO2) that results from the combustion of the raw materials such as calcium sulfate and the fuels that bear sulfur as an additive both at the mining and at the manufacturing plants (Kumar & Rawani, 2012). This compounds suspend in air leading to acid rain and the suspension of smog that reduces visibility and has effects on the health of plants and animals. This is because it has been associated with lung diseases such as bronchitis and asthma (Turner & Collins, 2013). The oils and water used in the industrial processes that produce cement also find their way into the underground water (Lord, 2012). The oil is non-biodegradable and thus causes the death of microorganisms in the soil and water alike. The whole industry is energy intensive and globally it consumes around 2% of the set primary consumption (Worrell, Price, Martin, Hendriks, & Meida, 2001). The fuels that are applied in the production process are all carbon intensive. The calcining process in the clinker, releases a lump sum amount of CO2 into the atmosphere (Worrell et al., 2001). C02 is also released indirectly from the consumption of energy from electricity as well as directly from the combustion of coal (Turner & Collins, 2013). For every ton of cement produced, there is a corresponding one ton of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere (Berhe, Alemayehu, & Fortuin, 2014; Turner & Collins, 2013). The global cement industry accounts for 5% of all global manmade carbon dioxide gas emissions into the atmosphere. In this 50% of the emissions emanate from the chemical processes involved whereas 40% from the combustion of various fuels in various processes and steps in the production channel. For every 1000kg of cement produced there is an emission of 900kg of CO2. This is almost nearing the ratio of 1:1. Carbon dioxide gas together with SO2 and NOx gases that are released into the atmosphere have a corresponding effect on the ozone layer that protects the atmosphere from cosmic radiation. They are collectively termed as greenhouse gases and have been the key propagators of the increase in the amount of temperature on the earth surface (Kumar & Rawani, 2012). The increase in temperature is responsible for the rise in the sea levels due to melting of polar ice as well as the ice caps on top of mountains. There has also been increase of precipitation and storms leading to natural disasters. Carbon/Kg of Cement Produced due to the Manufacturing Process The carbon dioxide produced from the manufacture of cement comes directly from the burning of fossil fuels, the process of calcining the limestone in the raw material mixture, and indirectly from the consumption of electricity (Worrell et al., 2001). The latter accounts for a small but significant amount of CO2 from cement production process and is indirect since there is an assumption that the production of that electricity involves the burning of fossil fuels as well (Worrell et al., 2001). During pyroprcessing for the production of clinker high temperatures are engaged (CIF, 2003). The temperatures range from 900-1000 0C and 1500 0C in the kiln as well (Berhe, Alemayehu, & Fortuin, 2014). It is obvious that fuels are used in the process to provide the necessary thermal energy (Kumar & Rawani, 2012). The most used fuel is coal being that it is heavy and easily affordable (Berhe, Alemayehu, & Fortuin, 2014; Worrell et al., 2001). Coal releases a considerable amount of carbon dioxide while releasing the required heat energy. Averagely, the amount of energy that is used to produce only one kilogram of cement is 4.8 Mega joules though this differs with the process involved; either wet or dry process (Marland, Boden, Andres, Brenkert, & Johnston, 2003). On average for every one kilogram of cement produced 0.88 kg of CO2 being released in the atmosphere (Worrell et al., 2001). This is different from one country to the other due to different processes and raw materials. The demand and thus supply of cement across Australia alone would mean that in a normal year of adequate business the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere would be very high (Worrell et al., 2001). It is worth noting that the amount varies depending again on the processes involved and the country of origin of the raw materials. The CO2 released by the vehicles and machines that are involved in the extraction process are also considered in the total amount of CO2 released per every kilogram of cement produced (Worrell et al., 2001). Cement has one of the raw materials as Calcium carbonate that undergoes some decomposition in the process releasing carbon dioxide and calcium oxide that is mixed with gypsum to produce clinker (CIF, 2003). Globally, the average emission of CO2 stands at 0.81 kg of CO2 per every kilogram of cement produced and is directly proportional to the lime content of the cement in question (Marland et al., 2003). The cement industry globally accounts for 5% of all the carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. This is equivalent to 1.4 Giga ton (Worrell et al., 2001). The emission stems from the combustion of fossil fuels in the kiln that accounts for 40%, transport of raw materials from the production site that accounts for 5%, the fossil fuels that are used in electricity generation that further accounts of 5% as well and lastly, 50% of the emissions emanating from the conversion of limestone into calcium oxide (CIF, 2003; Marland et al., 2003; Kumar & Rawani, 2012). Most cement factories or manufactures have turned to alternative fuels as source of energy to reduce the carbon footprint (Hanle, Jayaraman, & Smith, 2009). However, the cement industry still generates a considerable amount of CO2 that adds up with that released from other anthropogenic activities (Worrell et al., 2001). Most manufacturers are turning into solution based manufacturing technology that are referred to as green solutions technology. Statistically speaking, the rate of production of CO2 per kilogram of cement has stagnated based on the innovative solutions. Energy consumption by Each Company that Manufactures Cement Products The manufacture of cement is an energy intensive process. The companies that manufacture cement consume various fuels and electricity to ensure that the process is successful. Adelaide Brighton limited consumes 1500 Terajoules of energy per day from fuels and 950 Terajoules of energy daily (Harley, 2007). The determinant of energy consumption is the type of fuel used, the amount of cement produced per day and the types of kilns used (CIF, 2003). For the wet kilns, the average consumption rate is 6 Giga joules per ton of cement. On the other hand, for dry kilns that have single-stage preheaters it is 4.5 GJ per ton while those with multistage preheaters it is 3.6 GJ per ton (CIF, 2003). On average the total energy consumed per every clinker produced that also differs from country to country is 5.98 GJ per ton. This essentially proves the fact that the industry is energy intensive and that the production steps each have various amounts of energy requirements (Kumar & Rawani, 2012). There is no available data on the amount of energy consumed by each company that manufactures cement in Australia but the worldwide depictions of the total energy requirements depicts the energy requirements an ideal standard cement plant would require (Kumar & Rawani, 2012). In terms of energy consumption in relation to the amount of production Cement Australia still overshadows the other companies being that it has a number of plants across Australia and the largest expenditure on energy. The Australian based organizations mainly depend on coal that provides 71% of all the energy consumed. This is followed by the petroleum coke that gives 12% of all the energy for different manufacturers,9% is gotten from the wastes both liquids and solids and 4% of all the energy in the industry (CIF, 2003). Highlight what sort of products consume most energy and produce the most carbon emission There are various processes involved in the manufacture of cement. The first product of cement manufacture that consumes a lot of energy is the calcium carbonate that is decomposed at 900 degrees Celsius to produce calcium oxide or lime. The process liberated 60% of the carbon dioxide gas released in the whole process (Muthu, 2014). The process that follows is called clinkering that involves thermally high temperatures. The temperature range involved here is between 1400 and 1500 0C (International Energy Agency & Source OECD (Online service), 2009). The calcination process consumes around 1350 KJ per kilogram clinker produced (Muthu, 2014; International Energy Agency & Source OECD (Online service), 2009). The process of grinding the raw materials such as iron ore and others is the most energy intensive process. It consumes 25-35 kWh per ton of raw material produced. In the kilns per every ton of clinker produced there is an associated consumption of 3.6 gigajoules of energy (Hanle, Jayaraman, & Smith, 2009; International Energy Agency & Source OECD (Online service), 2009). Per every ton of cement produced there is a consumption of energy that amounts to 110 kWh (Muthu, 2014; International Energy Agency & Source OECD (Online service), 2009). The process that releases a copious amount of carbon dioxide and consumes a lot of energy is the calcining process. The process requires high thermal energy to ensure that the calcium carbonate is decomposed. Inside the kiln, high temperatures are essential (Muthu, 2014). The high temperatures are produced by the consumption of energy and leads to the increase in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere as well. Natural gas, coal and petroleum based fuels are some of the fuels utilized in the process. The wet process consumes a lot of energy and the companies that use it therefore spend a lot on fuel and electricity (WBCSD, 2005). A number of methods have been developed to trap the heat energy in the kilns thus reducing the energy consumption by different industries (WBCSD, 2005). Bibliography Berhe, A., Alemayehu, T., & Fortuin, K. K. 2014, 'Environmental Impact Study of Cement Factory using a Multi-Criteria Analysis: Evidence from Messebo Cement Factory, Ethiopia'. Developing Countries Studies, 4(24), 151-161. CIF. 2003. Cement Industry Environmental Report. Retrieved from http://www.wbcsdcement.org/pdf/tf1/cement-industry-environment-report-2003.pdf Hanle, L. J., Jayaraman, K. R., & Smith, J. S. 2009. CO2 Emissions Profile of the U.S. Cement Industry. Retrieved from http://epa.gov/ttnchie1/conference/ei13/ghg/hanle.pdf Harley, J. (2007). The Impacts of Cement Kilns on the Environment. Retrieved from http://www.groundwork.org.za/specialreports/Cement.pdf International Energy Agency, & SourceOECD (Online service). 2009, World energy outlook 2009. Paris: International Energy Agency. Kumar, T. J., & Rawani, A. M. 2012, 'Environmental Impact Analysis: A case of ACC Cement Plant'. Journal of Environmental Research and Development, 7(2), 802-808. Lord, R. 2012. Climate change liability: Transnational law and practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Marland, G., Boden, T. A., Andres, R. J., Brenkert, A. L., & Johnston, C. A. 2003, 'Global, regional, and national fossil fuel CO2 emissions'. , 34-43. Trends: A compendium of data on global change, 1(2), 34-43. Muthu, S. S. 2014, Assessment of Carbon Footprint in Different Industrial Sectors, Volume 1. Dordrecht: Springer. Turner, L. K., & Collins, F. G. 2013, 'Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) emissions: A comparison between geopolymer and OPC cement concrete'. Construction and Building Materials, 43(2013), 125–130. WBCSD. 2005. The Cement Sustainability Initiative: Progress Report. World Business Council for Sustainable Development. http://www.wbcsd.org/ Worrell, E., Price, L., Martin, N., Hendriks, C., & Meida, L. O. (2001). 'Carbon dioxide emissions from the global cement industry'. Annual Review of Energy and the Environment, 26(1), 303-329. (Turner & Collins, 2013) Cement production plant 1 Raw material extraction 2 Crushing 3 Prehomogenization 4 Grinding 5 Preheating 6 Rotary kiln 7 Cooler 8 Clinker shortage 9 Additions 10 Cement grindings 11 Cement silo CO2 release from concrete. (Turner & Collins, 2013) Read More

The mining sites where limestone is extracted undergo physical degradation and thus loss of both biodiversity and aesthetic beauty (Lord, 2012). When the mining is to take place plant is cleared to pave way for the process, this leads to the loss of microorganisms that live in the soil as well as those that are arboreal as trees are also cleared (Lord, 2012). This often leads to the loss of biodiversity since some organisms that depend on soil are affected in the process. Secondly, due to the explosion and the movement of the trucks carrying the limestone bearing rocks, a lot of dust is released in the atmosphere.

The dust is considered to be particulate matter with reference to the pollutants. The dust comprises of both large and small particles each having a varying amount of chemical composition. The dust particles in the cement industry come from the manufacturing process as well as mining (Lord, 2012). These dust particles get coated with soot, fine nitrate, and sulfate aerosols, and heavy metals (Lord, 2012). This means that when the particles settle on the soils they affect the fertility of the soils and thus affecting the growth of plants and health of microorganisms (Kumar & Rawani, 2012).

The dust has been associated with lung diseases such as bronchitis as well as clogging of plants’ leaves leading to the death of plants (Berhe, Alemayehu, & Fortuin, 2014). The dust is also released from the kiln exhaust stack. The dust from this process usually has particles of heavy metals such as aluminum, lead and mercury that are harmful when they get in touch with water bodies (Berhe, Alemayehu, & Fortuin, 2014; sKumar & Rawani, 2012). This is because they might end up on the food chains of humans (Kumar & Rawani, 2012).

Apart from the dust the cement manufacture process has been associated with the release of greenhouse gases and ozone depleting substances. There has been concerns over the rising number of dioxins being released from the operations of the cement factories (Kumar & Rawani, 2012). The dioxins not only affect animals but also plants that are found on the earth surface (Berhe, Alemayehu, & Fortuin, 2014). The dust is also prone to settling in the water bodies causing water pollution that affects both plants and animals alike (Berhe, Alemayehu, & Fortuin, 2014).

The fumes also suspend for long in the atmosphere reducing visibility and thus affecting the wellbeing of plants and animals (Turner & Collins, 2013). The landfills that are left bear reduce the aesthetic beauty of the lands. The first type of gaseous pollutant that is released from the cement manufacturing process is the nitrogen oxides (NOx) that result from the combustion of fuels at high temperatures (Lord, 2012). Thermal fixation as well as chemical reactions of nitrogen takes place leading to the compounds (Turner & Collins, 2013).

The cement production industry also releases these nitrogen oxides from the combustion of fuels at thermally high temperatures in the kilns into the atmosphere that has similar effects as sulfur oxides (Berhe, Alemayehu, & Fortuin, 2014). When the compounds are suspended in air and it rains acidic rain results. Acidic rain has been shown to have some effects on both animals and structures (Kumar & Rawani, 2012). The acid degrades structures as well as leads to the death of plants and some organisms.

The other compound that has environmental implications and results from the cement production process is sulphur dioxide (SO2) that results from the combustion of the raw materials such as calcium sulfate and the fuels that bear sulfur as an additive both at the mining and at the manufacturing plants (Kumar & Rawani, 2012). This compounds suspend in air leading to acid rain and the suspension of smog that reduces visibility and has effects on the health of plants and animals. This is because it has been associated with lung diseases such as bronchitis and asthma (Turner & Collins, 2013).

The oils and water used in the industrial processes that produce cement also find their way into the underground water (Lord, 2012).

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