Industry

Emissions from industrial processes come from processes other than fuel combustion. Activity data consists of the amount of product produced, e.g. the amount of cement produced for a particular year. An emission factor is also required. In industrial processes, the emission factor expresses the amount of greenhouse gases (in kt) released by the production of a specific amount of product (in units of mass, eg T, kt). For example, how much CO₂ is produced in the production of one tone of cement. The yield factor must also be taken into account when considering the final emission levels.

The general precondition for the IPPU sector is the assumption of equipment life and availability of input materials. The main driving force is the development of GDP. In industrial processes, the largest decline can be expected mostly only due to a reduction in the production of a particular product. However, such a decrease is not expected, but we can reduce or capture significant emissions through various modernization processes. In Slovakia, the production of iron and steel has the largest share in emissions from IPPU.

2.A – Non-metallic industry (cement, lime, glass, bricks)

Cement is produced everywhere from available natural raw materials without demanding extraction and processing. Its application has a long tradition and is simple. The cement is produced in the heat treatment of a mixture of natural materials at 1 400°C. In recent years, the world has experienced a construction boom and the volume of cement production is expected to increase dramatically in the coming decades. Although cement consumption is increasing slowly in developed countries, it is much higher in developing countries. Even in Slovakia, no significant decrease in cement consumption is expected until 2050.

Based on the ratio of CO₂ production from energy consumption and raw material, we can quantify the maximum possible reduction in emissions.

The concept of circular economy is based on saving materials and energy, but also on the efficient management of limited natural resources. The counting of waste as a valuable raw material that saves non-renewable resources and is also an important source of energy.

In the case of emissions from raw materials, we can distinguish two cases:

1. For cement, lime, brick and ceramic plants, CO₂emissions are clearly given by the stoichiometric equation for the decomposition of carbonates.
2. For the production of glass and other non-metallurgical products, it is possible to achieve a reduction in emissions from the raw material through recycling, which also results in a reduction in energy intensity, i.e. consumption of heat / fuel for annealing, etc.

However, in the cement production process, it allows unique material and energy utilization of waste. In addition to fossil fuels - coal - fuel made from waste is also used. Cement kilns operate at temperatures higher than 1 400°C with a long flue gas retention time, which leads to perfect waste disposal and maximum use of energy and ash. At the same time, residual ash is recycled, which, thanks to its similar chemical composition, replaces part of the input raw material (limestone, clay). Unlike incinerators, it does not have to be landfilled, but becomes part of the product (clinker).

The biggest polluters in the sector include: CRH (Slovakia) a.s., Považská cementáreň, a.s., Carmeuse Slovakia, s.r.o. Košice, Cemmac a.s., DOLVAP s.r.o. Varín, Knauf Insulation s.r.o., VETROPACK NEMŠOVÁ s.r.o., Johns Manville Slovakia, a.s., RONA, a.s., Wienerberger slovenské tehelne, spol. s. r. o., R-Glass Trade s.r.o., ŽIAROMAT a.s.

2.B – Chemical industry

Various segments influence the trend in the chemical industry. Slovakia has a strong tradition in all major segments of the chemical industry, including oil refining, fertilizer production, rubber and plastics production. The product portfolio is also influenced by the strong automotive and electronics sector in Slovakia, which serves as regular clients with high capacity for various companies in the field of chemicals and plastics production.

No closure of existing chemical facilities is currently expected or planned. As for the trend of emissions from the chemical industry, it is expected to be relatively constant and a significant decline is not expected. However, the largest reduction in this sector could occur due to a reduction in production or fuel consumption by cars and trucks, or by reducing the consumption of fertilizers in agriculture. By transforming the production of fuels from oil to the production of green hydrogen as a fuel using RES, or the production of more advanced biofuels and bioplastics.

The biggest polluters in the sector include: SLOVNAFT, Duslo Šaľa, Chemosvit, Continental Matador Rubber, Enviral, Meroco, Chemko, and Evonik Fermas.

2.C – Metal production

The most important metal industry in the Slovak Republic is the production of iron and steel. Because this type of process has a long history, a decline in production is not expected. However, iron and steel production reflect the economic situation. After the COVID crisis in 2020, a decrease in production (-40%) and thus in emissions produced is evident. After 2020, however, the amount of iron and steel produced increased and the intention is to maintain it in the future.

Iron and steel are produced in the Slovak Republic in two large metallurgical plants located in the cities of Košice and Podbrezová, in the Košice and Banská Bystrica regions. Both of these metallurgical plants use blast furnaces, but with one difference. The plant in Podbrezová processes exclusively iron scrap and therefore there is no need for such a complex production process as in the production of steel from iron ore. In addition, the Ironworks in Podbrezová melts this scrap iron with the help of an electric arc furnace, which saves a considerable part of emissions. However, it is important how electricity is produced. The plant in the east of Slovakia consists of coke batteries, blast furnaces, oxygen converters, power plant, steelworks and hot and cold rolling mills and other additional technical units that are energy-intensive and not very beneficial to the environment.

In the iron and steel sector, it is possible to reduce CO₂ emissions by reducing the consumption of coke as a fuel for energy processes and a reducing agent in blast furnaces. However, this would result in a reduction in steel production and thus in economic problems for the region. One of the most recent measures in the iron and steel sector is electric arc furnaces. The current set of measures presupposes investments in technology, which should lead to significant emission savings in the sector. The trend of steel production is expected to be relatively constant, for emission reductions this will result in a reduction of more than 55% of total CO₂ emissions. One of the measures is the change of fuels with a lower emission factor. However, this measure concerns the energy part of the production process.

The largest polluters in the sector include: U. S. Steel, Slovalco, a.s., OFZ, a.s., Železiareň Podbrezová a.s., ZTS Metalurg, a.s.

The following graphs show the relative representation of greenhouse gas emissions allocated in the EU ETS and in the ESR schemes for the industrial processes sector.

Projections of emissions for the calculation of the binding reduction target within paragraph 5 (6) of the draft law on climate change were calculated for greenhouse gas emissions from the sector of industrial processes outside the EU ETS scheme (mainly emissions of fluorinated gases). Based on the results of emission projection modeling, a goal was proposed to meet the increase of greenhouse gas emissions by a maximum of 40% in 2030 compared to 2005. The goal was prepared according to one scenario, in this case WEM=WAM and refers to greenhouse gas emission projections, which are produced outside the EU ETS sources.