Nuclear-powered plasma technology proposed to decarbonise the cement industry
Researchers at the Institute for Solid Waste Research and Ecological Balance (INSWAREB) have proposed replacing fossil fuels in cement manufacturing with thermal plasma powered by nuclear energy.
INSWAREB founding directors N. Bhanumathidas and N. Kalidas have put forward an action plan centred on thermal plasma technology for clinkerisation. Conventional cement production uses coal-fired rotary kilns, generating substantial carbon, sulphur, and fly ash emissions.
The proposed thermal plasma torches would generate superheated ionised gases at temperatures ranging from 3,000°C to 10,000°C, enabling clinkerisation without burning fossil fuels. Since plasma systems require large amounts of electricity, the researchers propose integrating them with small modular reactors (SMRs).
A conventional rotary kiln consumes more than 0.25 tonnes of coal for every tonne of clinker, while a plasma process would require a coal-equivalent energy input of around 0.72 tonnes for a 1.2 MW requirement. The researchers estimate that nuclear power could meet that requirement using around 36 grams of radioactive material.
Nuclear plants can operate for more than 60 years, compared with the estimated 20-year lifespan of conventional coal-based thermal plants.
INSWAREB has also developed Engineered Granulated Cementitious Slag (EGCS), a binder proposed to be produced using plasma technology. The process would melt and fuse industrial waste, including pond ash, into a homogeneous mineral glass. India has an estimated 2.86 billion tonnes of pond ash spread across more than 26,000 hectares, according to the researchers.
When ground with dry alkali activators, the material could produce cement with a dense microstructure, high strength, and a potentially longer service life.
The researchers have called for a national plasma policy and suggested carbon finance and funding mechanisms to meet the initial cost of SMR-plasma plants.
“We have posted our global call on ResearchGate and sent a letter to the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, urging a national ‘Plasma Policy,’” Mr. Kalidas told The Coastal Times.
They cited plasma-based cement pilots in Sweden and the United States, saying the technology could help reduce fossil-fuel use and promote a circular economy.