With the Industrial Revolution, lime quarrying and production started to be industrialized and large capacity kilns were commissioned to meet the increasing demand, Tolungüç said. Emphasizing that lime has an important place not only in the construction sector but also in agriculture, food and animal husbandry, Tolungüç drew attention to the contributions of technological developments to the sector.
Production in EU Standards
Tolungüç stated that one of the biggest benefits of the technology is that the fuel is injected into the furnaces by spraying directly into the calcination zone, and that carcinogenic gas formation is prevented with this method. “In the old times, whatever was found was used as fuel and this was not an environmentally friendly method. Today, the fuel is injected directly into the calcination zone, which reaches 1000 degrees, thus preventing the formation of harmful gases. In recent years, production in Türkiye has been carried out in accordance with European Union standards and all lime kilns installed have modern technology. Thanks to double-shaft kiln systems, flue gases are recovered, thus less fuel is consumed.”
Sectoral Challenges: Raw Material and Energy Costs
Emphasizing that one of the biggest problems of the sector is raw material security, Tolungüç said, “Companies want to invest with raw material assurance. In addition, the length of the license and permit processes, which is the general problem of the mining sector, directly affects our sector. New legislation creates uneasiness in the sector from time to time, but these are issues that can be resolved in communication with the relevant ministries.”
Stating that energy costs are also an important challenge for the sector, Tolungüç said that fuel and electricity have a large share in production processes. He also touched upon the problems experienced in the employment of intermediate staff and said, “Strengthening vocational colleges will contribute to the solution of this problem.”
Environmental Sustainability Efforts
Touching on the environmental impact of the sector, Tolungüç said that studies are being carried out on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and carbon capture technologies. “Reducing, capturing and utilizing carbon dioxide from flue gases in different industries is on our agenda. In addition, the use of biofuels is gaining importance, but sustainability in this field is a big question mark. The calorie, moisture and ash content of the fuel must always be at the same level, otherwise fluctuations may occur in production processes.”
Stating that they consider not only the environmental but also the social impacts of the sector, Tolungüç said, “We shape production by prioritizing people and the environment in mining. We take into account social impacts as well as EIA processes.”
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