## Future of Cement Kilns in TX

Why Cement Kilns Need to
Change Energy Sources

## Past and Present

• Most of the other speakers today will extol the past and present sins of the cement kilns much better than I can.

• I am here to speak about the present into two different futures for the cement kiln industry in and near the Metroplex.

• One future is indeed dark and unhappy for

everyone.

• The other is hard, onerous, and risky, but it has a much happier ending for everyone.

## The Present

• The cement industry is accused of pumping massive amounts of extremely harmful toxics into the air and water. It is legal because the EPA has not said it is illegal.

• These toxics come from burning lignite coal and various toxic wastes in the business of producing cement. It is legal because they have permits allowing them to do it.

• Why they burn these toxic wastes is because they are paid to get rid of them by incineration.

• These toxins cause many health problems for a very large number of people.

## The Future if Nothing Changes

• If the EPA decides to not enforce new rules making the disbursal of toxics illegal, the cement industry will continue producing
them.

• And they will increase the amount of toxics produced because they need the money to offset the increasing cost of thermal coal called lignite coal.

## Lignite Coal’s Future

• The future of lignite coal production is limited.

• The supply of lignite coal is tightening globally.

• Competition for available supply is increasing because China and India are building 2 lignite burning power plants per week

• China is coming all the way to Texas and South America to buy and ship lignite coal to those power plants in China.

• The world is burning up lignite coal at a voracious rate which begs the question; “How much coal is available?”

## Don’t have TX, but Appalachia will do

## Why?

0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000 80000 90000 1000001980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010 United States

- Production of Lignite Coal (ST)

United States

## Industrial Waste is Not Going Away

• As the supply of lignite coal decreases and gets more expensive, the burning of industrial waste will increase to make up the shortfall of energy supply.

• The burning of industrial waste will be stopped either by the EPA or the cement industry going out of business because fuel becomes too expensive to produce cement.

## The Other Future

• Since the cost and availability of coal is the problem, lets look at an alternate source of heat for the cement industry.

• Solar thermal systems can provide the heat
and other benefits.

• eSolar , an American company, builds solar thermal systems for electricity generation.

• It can instead supply heat directly to a cement
kiln.

## eSolar’s SunTower System

## Features

• The picture is of an actual operational facility
in Nevada.

• The steam temperature is 440 degrees C.

• Land area for a single module is 10 acres with 12,000 mirrors.

• A typical installation has 2 modules with 2

SunTowers and 2 generator stations producing 5MW of power.

## Alternate Income Using a SunTower

• When the SunTower is not needed to supply heat for the cement kilns, it can be used to:

– Generate electricity for the local grid. This would generate revenue at peak demand rates which will soon be ~ $0.30+ per kWh.

– Generate methane for future use or sale. Methane is produce by extracting CO2 from air or other sources combining it with water and electricity.

– CO2 + 2H2O + energy

- > CH4 + 2O2

– The O2 can also be sold as a product.

## Conclusion

• A solar powered future will keep the cement industry alive and profitable for the
foreseeable future.

• Healthcare costs in the community will
decrease.

• An emergency supply of electricity for peak
demand needs is available.

• A Win

- Win solution

## Decision

• If the cement industry will make the conversion to solar, then give them two years to do it. And help them with government
loans.

• If the cement industry will not make the conversion, implement the rule changes immediately to help them make up their
minds.