METHOD OF CALCINING A RAW MATERIAL TO OBTAIN A CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL

1 . A method of producing a cementitious material, comprising-the steps of:

providing a raw material,

heating the raw material to a temperature of 100 - 120 ° C., said heating comprising at least the following steps:

a first heating step comprising heating the raw material to a first temperature in heat exchange with a heat exchanger fluid circulating in a first circulation loop,

a second heating step comprising heating the raw material to a second temperature in heat exchange with a heat exchanger fluid circulating in a second circulation loop, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature,

calcining the heated raw material in an at least partly electrically heated calciner to obtain a calcined material,

cooling the calcined material to a temperature of <150° C. for obtaining the cementitious material,

wherein sensible heat removed from the calcined material in said cooling is used as a heat source for heating the heat exchanger fluid circulating in the first and/or second circulation loop.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said cooling comprises:

conducting a first cooling step comprising cooling the calcined material to a third temperature of <300° C.,

conducting a second cooling step comprising cooling the calcined material to a fourth temperature of <150° C., and wherein the sensible heat removed from the calcined material in the first and/or second cooling step is used as the heat source for heating the heat exchanger fluid circulating in the first and/or second circulation loop.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the raw material is selected from geogenic or anthropogenic sources.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said cooling comprises bringing the heat exchanger fluid of the first and/or second circulation loop into a heat exchanging relationship with the calcined material, while the heat exchanging fluid is heated.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first heating step comprises transporting the raw material through a first heat exchanger and heating the raw material in said first heat exchanger and/or wherein the second heating step comprises transporting the raw material through a second heat exchanger and heating the raw material in said second heat exchanger.

6 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first cooling step comprises transporting the raw material through a third heat exchanger and cooling the calcined material in said third heat exchanger and/or wherein the second cooling step comprises transporting the raw material through a fourth heat exchanger and cooling the calcined material in said fourth heat exchanger.

7 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the raw material is transported by a screw conveyor and heated by conducting the heat exchanger fluid through a conveyer screw of the screw conveyor and/or trough a jacket surrounding the conveyor screw.

8 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the calcined material is transported by a screw conveyor and cooled by conducting the heat exchanger fluid through a conveyer screw of the screw conveyor and/or trough a jacket surrounding the conveyor screw.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the calciner is operated by electrical energy only.

10 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the first and the second circulation loops comprise a common feed line for feeding the heat exchanger fluid to the first and the second heat exchangers, respectively, and a common return line for returning the heat exchanger fluid from the first and the second heat exchangers, respectively, to the third and/or fourth heat exchanger.

11 . A plant for carrying out a method according to claim 1 , comprising:

a first heat exchanger for conducting a first heating step, the first heat exchanger being in heat exchange with a heat exchanger fluid circulating in a first circulation loop,

a second heat exchanger for conducting a second heating step, the second heat exchanger being in heat exchange with a heat exchanger fluid circulating in a second circulation loop,

an at least partly electrically heated calciner for calcining the heated raw material to obtain a calcined material,

a third heat exchanger for conducting a first cooling step,

a fourth heat exchanger for conducting a second cooling step,

wherein the third and/or fourth heat exchanger is arranged in a heat exchanging relationship with the heat exchanger fluid circulating in the first and/or second circulation loop so that the sensible heat removed from the calcined material in the first and/or second cooling step is used as a heat source for heating the heat exchanger fluid circulating in the first and/or second circulation loop.

12 . The plant according to claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first and second heat exchangers and at least one of the third and fourth heat exchangers is a screw conveyor comprising a cylindrical housing and a conveyor screw arranged to rotate within the cylindrical housing, wherein the conveyor screw and/or the housing comprises heat exchanger surfaces that are arranged to transfer heat between the raw material or the calcined material, respectively, and the heat exchanger fluid.

13 . The plant according to claim 11 , wherein the first and the second circulation loops comprise a common feed line for feeding the heat exchanger fluid to the first and the second heat exchangers, respectively, and a common return line for returning the heat exchanger fluid from the first and the second heat exchangers, respectively, to the third and/or fourth heat exchanger.

14 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein said first and/or second cooling step comprises bringing the heat exchanger fluid of the first and/or second circulation loop into a heat exchanging relationship with the calcined material, while the heat exchanging fluid is heated.