Gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum
November 2009
Ecofys (project leader)
Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research
ko-Institut
By order of the European Commission
Study Contract: 07.0307/2008/515770/ETU/C2
Ecofys project Number: PECSNL082164
Table of content
1
Introduction ..................................................... 1
References ...................................................... 13
ii
1 Introduction
The gypsum industry covers the activities ranging from mining the mineral gypsum to the
production of (end-use) products. Products of the gypsum industry are plaster, plasterboards
(which includes a wide range of standard and specialty products), gypsum fibreboard and
gypsum blocks, which are all used in the building sector (EUROGYPSUM, 2007). Gypsum is
also an essential ingredient in cement production, where it is used as a retarding agent.
Outside the construction industry, dried and grinded raw gypsum is called land plaster and
used as a soil amendment and fertiliser. Furthermore, gypsum is used in the making of
ceramic moulds, plaster cove and cornice, surgical and dental casts, as a water conditioner for
beer-brewing and sugar-refining, as ingredients in flour, bread, ice-cream and pet food, and as
an agent in pharmaceutical products.
The gypsum industry is explicitly included in the amended EU ETS Directive as:
Drying or calcination of gypsum or production of plaster boards and other gypsum
products, where combustion units with a total rated thermal input exceeding 20 MW are
operated.
Activities of European gypsum installations, represented by EUROGYPSUM, can potentially
fall under the following NACE Rev. 1.1/ PRODCOM codes:
Table 1
PRODCOM code
Description
Quarrying of limestone, gypsum and chalk1
14.12
14.12.10.30
26.53
26.53.10.00
26.62
26.62.10.50
26.62.10.90
26.64
26.64.10.00
Continuation Table 1
PRODCOM code
Description
26.66
26.66.11.00
1
Energy emissions from mining or quarrying are not covered by the EU ETS
Regarding the above listed NACE / PRODCOM codes, several things should be noted:
Table 2
Installations for mining and quarrying of gypsum are not covered by the EU ETS.
Installations in the gypsum sector normally produce more than one of the products
mentioned in the table.
The products as mentioned are also produced by installations that are not regarded as
part of the gypsum sector, because they also conduct other production processes not
related to gypsum.
Normally, production statistics based on PRODCOM only relate to products that are
sold and not to intermediate production
Installations in the gypsum sector might also use other PRODCOM codes when
reporting production or can for a certain product choose between various codes (e.g.
between mortars and plaster or between boards and articles.
Gypsum sector in the EU ETS
Number of installations
2005
2006
2007
2008
20
91
177
177
996
86
180
177
717
As shown in Table 2, only very few installations of the gypsum sector were covered in the
first phase of the EU ETS. On average, they received slightly more allowances than reported
emissions.
The coverage increased considerably to 20 installations in phase II. The larger number of
installations is mostly due to an enlarged scope of the EU ETS in the United Kingdom. As
there is no dedicated activity category for gypsum installations, Member States have included
them under the category Energy activities Combustion installations with a rated thermal
input exceeding 20 MW (except hazardous or municipal waste installations).
Based on 2008 data, these installations have received on average almost 40% more
allowances than emissions. The order of magnitude of the long position is similar to other
industrial installations that reduced their output due to the general economic downturn in
2008. Allocation and verified emissions data per installation are given in Appendix A.
Regarding the installations and allocation numbers, it has to be noted that due to the broad
definition as combustion installations, it may be possible that some installations that belong
to the gypsum sector are missing. As well, changes made to the installations or allocation
from the Member States New Entrants Reserve may lead to a higher allocation number than
what is listed above.
The number of installations captured in phase 3 of the EU ETS from 2013 to 2020 is
depending on the following issues:
The amended EU ETS Directive states that When the total rated thermal input of an installation is calculated in order to decide
upon its inclusion in the Community scheme, the rated thermal inputs of all technical units [] are added together. These units
could include all types of boilers, burners, turbines, heaters, furnaces, incinerators, calciners, kilns, ovens, dryers, engines, fuel
cells, chemical looping combustion units, flares, and thermal or catalytic post-combustion units. Units with a rated thermal input
under 3 MW []shall not be taken into account for the purposes of this calculation. As some installations have dryers and
burners within those dryers, the exact definition of the term technical units is very decisive for the calculation of the
installations thermal input. In case technical unit refers to the dryer, a dryer with 3 burners of 1.5 MW each will be included in
the calculation. In case technical unit refers to the burners, the same dryer will not be included. For some gypsum plants, this
definition could make the difference between being covered and not being covered by the EU ETS.
Drying the raw gypsum feed (natural or synthetic) to achieve ~0.5 % moisture content
Calcining the gypsum
Drying of the final plasterboard product
The majority of gypsum plants use direct combustion to deliver the heat for calcining and
drying. As a consequence the associated CO2 emissions are attributed to the respective
gypsum installation.
However, in some cases, CHP plants at the gypsum site also deliver energy to external
customers, and other plants use indirect heat via steam that is supplied by external plants. In
these cases, the CO2 emissions attributed to the respective installation will have to be
corrected for the exported or imported energy to calculate the emission intensity for the
product benchmark in line with the overall approach to cross-boundary heat flows as
discussed in the report on the project approach and general issues.
3 Benchmarking methodology
3.1 Background
The gypsum industry covers the activities ranging from mining the mineral gypsum to the
production of (end-use) products. Products of the gypsum industry are plaster, plasterboards
(which includes a wide range of standard and specialty products), gypsum fibreboard and
gypsum blocks, which are all used in the building sector (EUROGYPSUM, 2007). Gypsum is
also an essential ingredient in cement production, where it is used as a retarding agent.
Outside the construction industry, dried and grinded raw gypsum is called land plaster and
used as a soil amendment and fertiliser. Furthermore, gypsum is used in the making of
ceramic moulds, plaster cove and cornice, surgical and dental casts, as a water conditioner for
beer-brewing and sugar-refining, as ingredients in flour, bread, ice-cream and pet food, and as
an agent in pharmaceutical products. Intermediate products are also traded amongst
installations of the gypsum sector, as not all installations carry out all activities.
For the raw gypsum/land plaster stage, the CO2 emissions associated with drying the raw
material depend on the water content of the raw gypsum. Natural gypsum has a lower wet
content than flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) gypsum, which means that natural gypsum is
less CO2 intensive. Natural gypsum is not available at all sites while FGD gypsum is a byproduct of the cleaning of power plants flue gases. For the plaster stage, various types of
gypsum are produced by differentiating the temperature of the calcining process. Higher
temperatures lead in general to a lower reaction with water. The following types can be
differentiated:
Table 3
Name
-hemi-hydrate (CaSO4 H2O)
Calcining temperature
80 - 180C (saturated steam atmosphere)
300 - 500C
300 - 500C
Anhydrite I (CaSO4)
>700C
For the final product stage, drying energy and associated CO2 emissions vary between product
types, regarding their form (gypsum blocks, plasterboards, glass-fibre reinforced gypsum
(GRG) boards), additives (different inert materials for fire, water or sound characteristics) or
thickness.
Figure 1
To assess the need to differentiate between eight different gypsum products, two issues have
to be solved:
1. Product groups have to be clearly distinguishable and well defined.
2. Relevant emissions and production data for each product group have to be available.
Regarding the first issue, it has to be noted that while some plaster products can be clearly
categorized as -plaster, -plaster, anhydrite or multiphase plaster, the gypsum industry can
produce plasters over the whole spectrum of technical specifications. Therefore, and because
different technologies are applied for the very similar products (Datenbuch Gips, 2006),
emission intensities of products are expected to be merely distributed over a large spectrum
than clearly cut into groups. A differentiation into product groups seems to be further
complicated by the different market shares of products in national markets.
Even if product groups can be clearly defined in theory, it would be difficult to ensure that
production is correctly reported under each group by manufacturers, as PRODCOM or other
official categorization nomenclatures are hardly useful to differentiate between intermediate
products (alpha plaster, beta plaster, anhydrite, multiphase plaster are differentiated by
process temperature and related physical attributes of product).
Regarding the second issue, so far the only data available and reliable is contained in (Entec,
2006). This report gives data for four instead of eight product groups. It has to be noted that
this report is solely based on data for the United Kingdom, which might not be representative
for the whole EU gypsum sector.
As an alternative to the default output based benchmark, allocation benchmarks for the
gypsum sector could be based on input mass data for the process steps of drying the raw
gypsum and calcining the raw gypsum to plaster. Benchmarks for final products such as
gypsum blocks and plaster boards should be based on output data, as is shown in Table 4.
Table 4
Process step
Benchmark
Calcining to anhydrite
Product output
Drying to plasterboards
Product output
Drying to GRG
Product output
If it can be shown that input-to-output ratios are consistent for different products, applying
input-based benchmarks, whether directly or indirectly via default conversion factor for input
to output mass could in principle be considered.
Given the issues discussed above regarding differentiation and data availability, to our
knowledge, the only available public source of energy or emissions data for products of
gypsum products is the new entrant benchmark report for the UK (ENTEC, 2006). Based on
the information in that study, it is proposed to develop benchmarks for the following gypsum
products based on production output:
Dry gypsum / land plaster (after drying of raw gypsum input) PRODCOM code
could not be identified, probably part of 14.12.10.30, to be resolved
Plaster (after calcining; no differentiation between different types) PRODCOM
26.53.10.00 and 26.66.11.00
Gypsum blocks, plasterboards and coving (after drying to final product; no
differentiation) PRODCOM 26.62.10.50
Glass-fibre reinforced gypsum (GRG) plasterboards PRODCOM 26.62.10.90
As the benchmarks differentiate mostly between process steps (drying of raw gypsum,
calcining to intermediate products, drying to final product), it seems possible to achieve a
clear and transparent differentiation and definition of these product groups. The PRODCOM
codes noted above might be used for this, but it is not sure at the moment that the PRODCOM
definitions are sufficiently comprehensive and exclusive, especially regarding the
differentiation between plasterboards and GRG plasterboards.
4 Benchmark values
4.1 Background and source of data
At the moment EUROGYPSUM is having relevant energy, emissions and production data
collected by a third party. Until results are available, the only data source available is the
ENTEC report, which itself uses information from a 1993 US EPA report (US EPA, 1993).
Benchmark values differentiated in the ENTEC report are given in kWh/ton. For benchmarks
in t CO2/ t, a fuel-and generation-specific emission factor has to be applied.
Based on the ENTEC report as well as other sources and information from the sector, natural
gas is assumed to be the standard fuel for gypsum plants. Furthermore, it is assumed that the
natural gas is burned and the heat directly fed into the gypsum process, which means that no
additional factor representing the energy efficiency of the process has to be applied.
Based on Commission Decision (2007/589/EC) on the monitoring and reporting guidelines
for the EU ETS, the CO2 emissions factor of natural gas is 56.1 tons of CO2 per GJ.
The raw material used (natural or FGD gypsum, with the natural gypsum leading to
lower emissions because of lower water content),
The calcination temperature applied (with higher temperatures leading to higher
emissions and a lower reaction with water),
The final product made (plaster, blocks, plasterboards or GRG boards with varying
formats; higher emissions due to higher drying energy needs).
Until actual European data is provided, the results from ENTEC (2006) allow the proposal of
the following benchmark values for the gypsum sector:
0.20 GJ / t
0.85 GJ / t
1.49 GJ / t
3.25 GJ / t
0.01 t CO2 / t
0.05 t CO2 / t
0.08 t CO2 / t
0.18 t CO2 / t
These values are based on the values of best performing plants in the UK in the middle of the
decade. It is consistent with values found for US gypsum plants. The value for dry gypsum
assumes moisture content of 6 weight % and is an average value based on an estimated fuel
requirement of 0.033 GJ / t per weight % of moisture content.
It should be noted that these values might not be representative for European plants,
especially as regional production and consumption patterns differ widely according to
EUROGYPSUM.
Furthermore, it should be noted that benchmark values of the ENTEC report are related to the
mass of produced output and does not consider the option to use input units for dry gypsum /
land plaster and plaster stages.
10
11
6 Stakeholder comments
Comments to an interim version of this report have been received via the following
communications:
These inputs have all been included in the main text of this report (e.g. the proposal for eight
product benchmarks and the use of input rather than output variable).
12
7 References
Bundesverband der Gipsindustrie (2006), Datenbuch Gips, Darmstadt.
Entec (2006), EU Emissions Trading Scheme Phase II Review of New Entrants' Benchmarks
Gypsum, Report Version Two
Website of the European Commission, DG Competition
http://ec.europa.eu/competition/mergers/cases/index/nace_all.html, visited on May 12th,
2009.
Eurostat (2008), PRODCOM list 2008.
EUROGYPSUM (2007) Gypsum factsheet.
EUROGYPSUM (2009) Eurogypsum comments on first Ecofys report on gypsum benchmark
U.S. EPA (1993) Emission factor documentation for AP-42 sector 11.16 Gypsum
Manufacturing.
13
Reg.
Instal. .ID
Verified
Allocation
Verified
Allocation
Verified
Main
Allocation
emissions
2006
emissions
2007
emissions
activity
2005 [1000
2005
[1000
2006
[1000
2007
type code
EUAs]
[ktons]
EUAs]
[ktons]
EUAs]
[ktons]
code
Company
Name
BE
Saint-Gobain
BPB Belgium
630
Gyproc
DK
Knauf
Danogips A/S
344
25
27
19
32
19
30
DK
Saint-Gobain
Gyproc A/S
345
25
17
19
18
19
18
Knauf GmbH -
861
874
22
20
22
19
951
32
22
32
22
1030
44
37
44
39
41
46
41
52
41
50
91
86
177
180
177
177
Gyproc
ES
Knauf
Planta de Esczar
ES
ES
Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain Placo
Gyproc
Iberica S.A
Knauf
ES
Yesos Ibericos
Yesos Ibricos,
S.A
IE
Saint-Gobain
Kingscourt Works
Gyproc
Sum
14
Main
activity
type code
Reg.
code
Company
Saint-Gobain Gyproc
BE
Knauf
DK
Saint-Gobain Gyproc
DK
Knauf
ES
Saint-Gobain Gyproc
ES
Knauf
ES
Yesos Ibericos
ES
Lafarge
GB
Lafarge
GB
Knauf
GB
Knauf
GB
Saint-Gobain Gyproc
GB
Saint-Gobain Gyproc
GB
Saint-Gobain Gyproc
GB
Saint-Gobain Gyproc
GB
Saint-Gobain Gyproc
GB
Saint-Gobain Gyproc
IE
Saint-Gobain Gyproc
SE
Knauf
SE
Norgips Norge AS
NO
Sum
Sum corrected1
1
Name
BPB Belgium
Danogips A/S
Gyproc A/S
Knauf GmbH - Planta de Esczar
Saint-Gobain Placo Iberica S.A.
Knauf GmbH - Planta de Guixers
Yesos Ibricos, S.A
Lafarge Plasterboard - Portbury
Lafarge Plasterboard - Ferrybridge
Knauf Sittingbourne
Knauf Immingham
Barrow Works
Sherburn Gypsum Works
Robertsbridge Gypsum Works
Kirkby Thore Gypsum Works
East Leake Gypsum Works
Kingscourt Works
Gyproc AB
Knauf Danogips GmbH
Norgips Norge AS
Instal. .ID
630
344
345
861
874
951
1030
942
943
978
979
1009
1011
1012
1013
1014
2
791
795
52
Allocation 2008
[1000 EUA]
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
6
6
1
45
21
17
29
18
21
38
91
49
65
79
49
100
52
99
136
49
0
0
37
996
966
Verified emissions
2008
[ktons CO2eq]
49
27
17
0
14
20
35
68
24
56
48
36
36
29
57
77
35
25
22
40
717
670
Sum corrected excludes entries where either allocation or verified emissions data is not available.
15