E&M Combustion designs a hydrogen burner for a Basque cement plant

Posted on: 13 / 07 / 2025 | 0 Comentarios | Tags: combustion technology, E&M Combustión, Hydrogen burner for a cement plant, Hydrogen for Cement Plant Optimization

E&M Combustión designs a hydrogen burner for a Basque cement plant (Guipúzcoa), modernized by Loesche, an engineering company specialized in the design and manufacture of vertical roller mills for grinding coal, cement raw materials, granulated slag and other minerals.

The upgrade undertaken at the Basque cement plant represents an opportunity to modernize and improve an existing aggregate plant by incorporating the hydrogen burner developed by E&M Combustión. The hydrogen burner for the cement plant will operate in a hot gas generator for cement drying, a thermal treatment for aggregate grinding. Its use allows for maximum energy recovery.

The installation supplied by E&M Combustión features a JBM-HP 17000 GFO mixed monoblock modulating burner, capable of using hydrogen in addition to biodiesel, fuel oil, and natural gas. The equipment features electronic regulation and air atomization for hot air application, reducing atmospheric emissions. It is also prepared for operation in ATEX zone 2, a type of area requiring safe installations suitable for operation in potentially explosive spaces.

In addition to the Low NOx multi-fuel burner, E&M Combustión’s supply also includes the installation of fuel oil, gas, and air atomization lines. An innovative feature is that combustion in the line can be carried out by burning the fuels individually or simultaneously, with the option of switching from one fuel to another thanks to its automatic configuration.

Hydrogen for cement plant optimization

The modernization undertaken by Loesche at the plant involves the introduction of a modern hot gas generator (HGG) that enables the grinding process to operate. It operates as the sole source of heat supplied to the facility, making it possible to dispense with the heat generated by the kiln, depending on production requirements. Furthermore, this system, which features the EMC burner, allows the use of a percentage of hydrogen for combustion, thus reducing emissions.

The Loesche technology used at this plant includes its traditional vertical roller mill, where drying, grinding, classification, and product transport take place. This highly energy-efficient system requires less energy than traditional plants. In addition to the energy savings, as it is a compact line, the grinding process does not generate dust or waste.

The treated material is ground in the vertical roller mill, between the rotating grinding track and the fixed grinding rollers. The hot gas generator is responsible for supplying the hot gas flow to the process to evaporate the moisture from the material.

E&M Combustion

E&M Combustion is a Spanish company specializing in the engineering and manufacturing of high-tech burners, which are tailored to each client’s specific applications in their industrial combustion processes. The company develops the most innovative combustion technologies to offer custom-made gas burners, diesel burners, mixed burners, and alternative fuel burners. E&M Combustión is an international leader in ATEX and NEC burners, hot gas generators, and combustion equipment for alternative fuels such as hydrogen and biogas.

Loesche

Loesche is a world leader in the manufacture and design of vertical roller mills and in turnkey grinding plant projects, setting the standard in efficiency, reliability, and innovation. Thanks to a cutting-edge engineering team, constantly evolving and aligned with the latest state-of-the-art technologies, Loesche offers technological solutions that maximize performance and minimize energy impact.

Loesche supplies turnkey plants, individually planned and built according to the required process steps. This includes facilities for processing, material storage, transportation and delivery, vertical mills, hot gas generators, filtration and separation systems, fully automated technology, plants for all aspects of construction, both above and below ground, steel structures, and piping systems.

The company is EN ISO 9001 certified, and the grinding plants themselves comply with national and international safety regulations.