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Recently, the amount of waste generated in Korea has been increasing, and there have been difficulties disposing of it. As an energy-intensive and raw-materials-oriented industry, the cement industry is facing challenges including overcoming the climate crisis and achieving carbon neutrality. Co-processing was suggested as a solution, but the environmental effects of this have not been specifically studied in Korea. In this study, the effects of using alternative resources (limestone, silica stone, iron ore, and gypsum) and fuel on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the cement industry in Korea were analyzed. GHGs generated from mineral mining were compared to GHGs of alternative resources. The reduction in GHGs by using alternative fuel was calculated via the amount of heat from waste instead of that from bituminous coal. Co-processing can reduce approximately 106.9 kg of CO2 in one ton of cement. The cost savings were estimated to be about USD 3815 million. In addition, the lifespans of landfills would be extended by 7.55 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the amount of sewage sludge (SS) is increasing worldwide, anaerobic digesters (ADP) are being distributed to reduce it and treat it in an environmentally friendly way. In Korea, 20 years have passed since the introduction of ADP, but the number of sewage treatment plants (STP) installed with ADP is only about 10% of the total STP. Accordingly, problems and improvements were examined through material flow analysis targeting STP, and the effect of introducing anaerobic digestion (AD) was analyzed as a way to solve them. As a result of the analysis, the amount of SS generated by the STP (SS-ADP + Co-ADP) installed and operated by an AD was 0.54 kg/m3, and the facility without it was 0.77 kg/m3, showing a reduction effect of about 31%. The SS reduction effect of the facility that only used SS-AD was found to be reduced by 21–24% TOE (Ton Of Equivalent))/day, which has the effect of reducing 794,867 kg-CO2/day of greenhouse gas. In terms of energy efficiency, Co-AD was 86% higher than SS-AD, and biogas production yield was 90% higher than that of SS-AD. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce Co-AD into STP in terms of reducing SS, energy production, and greenhouse gas reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]