A pathway to decarbonizing cement manufacturing via solar-driven green hydrogen systems

The cement industry, a foundation of infrastructure development, is responsible for nearly 7 % of global CO₂ emissions, highlighting an urgent need for scalable decarbonization strategies. This study investigates the techno-economic feasibility of integrating on-site solar-powered green hydrogen production into cement manufacturing processes. A mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model optimizes the design and operation of solar photovoltaics (PV), proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer, and hydrogen storage for a representative cement plant in Texas. Five hydrogen substitution scenarios (10–30 % of thermal demand) were evaluated based on net present cost (NPC), levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH), cost of CO₂ avoided and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction. Hydrogen integration up to 30 % is technically viable but economically constrained, with LCOH rising non-linearly from $58.7 to $95.3 GJ⁻¹ due to escalating component costs. Environmentally, a 30 % hydrogen share could reduce total U.S. cement sector emissions by 22 %. While significant, this confirms at present, the solar-driven hydrogen serves as a partial solution rather than a standalone pathway to deep decarbonization, suggesting it must complement other strategies like carbon capture, electrification and other complementary technologies. The economic viability of this approach is entirely contingent on financial incentives as the investment tax credits of 80 % or higher are essential to enable cost parity with fossil fuels. This work provides a comprehensive techno-economic and environmental framework concluding immense economic barriers and that aggressive policy support is indispensable for enabling the transition to low-carbon cement manufacturing.