Boelo Schuur
Scientific Vice-President
EFCE (European Federation of Chemical Engineering)
The priorities set by the European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE) in line with sustainability, digital transformation, and Europe’s decarbonization targets are shaping the direction of transformation in the cement and construction materials sectors. This strategic approach—positioned at the intersection of chemical and process engineering disciplines—stands out particularly with its focus on carbon capture, bio-based production technologies, and circular economy practices. Tools such as digital twin technologies, advanced modeling, and energy integration not only enhance efficiency but also contribute to emission reduction. The expert groups and interdisciplinary collaborations under the EFCE umbrella foster knowledge exchange between the cement industry and other industrial sectors, paving the way for the widespread adoption of sustainable production models.
In what ways do the activities you carry out under the EFCE umbrella intersect with the cement and construction materials industries?
In the EFCE context, we aim to organize activities that stimulate more sustainable processing. The type of processing is very broad and can be related to solids handling, knowledge exchange in the fields of the Working Parties on Agglomeration, on Characterization of Particulate Systems, on Comminution and Classification, and on Mechanics of Particulate Solids may for example be of value to those working in the cement industries. But next to these solids-oriented Working Parties, we also stimulate activities related to negative emission technology and reduction of CO₂- emissions. Specifically, carbon capture and mineralization techniques are relevant for cement businesses. In my view it is very important that we search for the collaboration between CO₂-emitting industries and those that may use this. By proper capture and conversion approaches we can limit the direct emission to the atmosphere.
How would you define EFCE’s vision in the fields of sustainability and digital transformation? What reflections of this vision can be observed in the European cement industry?
We see that within the EFCE community there is a lot of attention for sustainability and there is also a growing and significant attention for digital transition. The European Forum on New Technologies (EFNT) was last year December about machine learning and artificial intelligence, and the meeting was a great success with all available tickets sold out. It is clear that in our community these technological advancements are seen as enablers for more effective processing, and I am convinced that this is also for the cement industry of importance.
From the perspective of process engineering, what do you see as the prominent technological trends in cement production in recent years? What are EFCE’s priority projects or recommended strategies in this issue?
In my opinion it is key that we start capturing the release of CO₂. The installations that have been designed by process engineers for chimneys of power plants can also be applied for other areas such as also for cement production.
The forementioned CO₂ capture is important and the coupling to conversion technologies are important for net negative emissions. While we continue to emit CO₂ in numerous industries and around the world for many years by transportation, we should compensate that where we can with negative emission technology. Next to that, we see that where heating can be electrified, that should be aimed for, and in addition synergistic operations may help reduce so called waste heat, and where possible, this may be used for heating (in colder climate areas).
EFCE plays an active role in integrating such decarbonization solutions into the industry and supports the widespread adoption of these technologies through projects that bring together different disciplines.
How are sectors being transformed by the European Green Deal and the carbon neutrality targets? How should cement producers prepare for this transition?
We currently see a serious fall-out of the European chemical industries. Many companies are closing factories in Europe to shift production to other continents. The European Green Deal has been an instrumental deal to make Europe more aware of the need for more sustainable production, but it also put the industry under larger stress. The current situation is not good, and we need to rethink how we can support our industries to stay producing in Europe and on top of that also in a clean manner. If we can enforce this, we really can strive towards lower emissions. Cement producers could search collaboration with other producers that can use the CO₂.
To what extent are solutions such as digital twins, advanced modeling, and data analytics being adopted in cement plants? What roadmap does EFCE propose in these areas?
We see that digital twinning and advanced modelling are growing, I doubt that this has been implemented already for a large deal. This is because investments in large plants are huge, and it takes time to implement significant changes in the mode of operation. There is an important role in the education of new and existing engineers. If we educate the engineers into the digital technologies, they can also apply them. The difficulty with the pace of the current-day digital developments is that they are so fast that it is hard to keep track of all developments and make road mapping policies.
We certainly see that events like the European Forum on New Technologies (EFNT) gather a lot of attention and the round table discussion we held in the last EFNT meeting in Paris was instrumental in creating a clear view on the field. This might see a follow-up. The current newest development here is that we might see a new section appearing on artificial intelligence, and in that section more attention towards road mapping can be aimed for.
Does EFCE have any ongoing educational or networking initiatives aimed at supporting the professional development of young engineers in the cement industry?
There are numerous summer schools organized by Working Parties, also in the solids-related Working Parties. Next to these, we have also a Section Early Career Chemical Engineers, and young cement engineers are also most welcome there and discuss with the engineers from other application areas.
It is very important that we search for the collaboration between CO₂-emitting industries and those that may use this. By proper capture and conversion approaches we can limit the direct emission to the atmosphere.
Global geopolitical developments, energy supply security, and vulnerabilities in raw material supply chains are directly impacting industrial production. What approaches does EFCE recommend for the sector in this context?
EFCE is indeed well-aware of the geopolitical global situation and the scarcity of certain key elements. Especially related to electrification of the energy-demanding operations and transport, this is a challenging development. Collaboration within Europe and strategic alliances are key to secure via multiple routes the supply is essential to not become/stay dependent on one single provider or country.
In Türkiye, the cement sector is under pressure to transform due to high energy costs and carbon emission targets. What are your observations on the region-specific dynamics of this transformation?
The geographic location of Türkiye and the large size of the country is excellently suited for larger scale solar energy production. The solar energy may both be harvested via solar cells and via concentrated solar power (CSP), I clearly see opportunities there for the industry in Türkiye.
Concepts like circular economy and the use of alternative raw materials are gaining increasing importance. How does EFCE support projects in this area, and what opportunities does it foresee for the cement industry?
There are many initiatives that tend to move away from the use of cement, which might be seen as a threat for the cement industry. On the other hand, this might bring new opportunities if new and alternative feedstocks can be combined with cement to make new types of materials.
Perhaps the development of self-healing concrete can be used to develop new materials that are partly based on recycled concrete bricks which can then be glued together with self-healing concrete. That would allow recycling of the concrete itself and make new interesting structures.
I see a lot of challenges to ensure quality, but it may be very interesting for certain applications.
The difficulty with the pace of the current-day digital developments is that they are so fast that it is hard to keep track of all developments and make road mapping policies.
What are your predictions for the future of the industry? Which transformations do you believe will be most influential over the next decade?
Over the width of the field of chemical engineering I see three transitions that are important, these are the Agricultural transition, the materials transition and the energy transition. Especially if we want to minimize the dependence on fossil oil and gas, we need to make sure that we develop circular and biobased production strategies. If we can recycle 70-80% of carbon from our materials, then we still need to replace quite a fraction and that can then come from agricultural sources (biomass).
This can only be done in a sustainable fashion if that sector is also transformed and if we are making a true biorefinery out of these productions, utilizing all parts of the plants. For cement industry and like sectors, changing the use of diesel-powered vehicles into electric ones is important, this is part of the energy transition.
Is there any message you would like to share with the readers of CemenTürk?
For all industrial sectors it is important to be entangled in the society and collaborate with other sectors closely,and together strive to become less dependent on fossil fuels and reduce emissions. I am really happy that CUSCIT’25 Cement Olympics has reached out to EFCE, and that we have the opportunity to connect more closely with the cement industry. For this CUSCIT’25 Cement Olympics we have already seen some success here, but building on the first experiences, hopefully we can expand our collaboration in the near future and actively engage more chemical engineers to create a platform for discussions and a ground for new innovations that bring our industries forward, both cement industries and industries in other sectors that could mutually benefit from the collaborations, and together strengthen the competitiveness of our industries on a global level as well as the sustainability.
For cement industry and like sectors, changing the use of diesel-powered vehicles into electric ones is important, this is part of the energy transition.
Lastly could you briefly introduce yourself and share insights into your career journey, including your current role at EFCE?
My name is Boelo Schuur, and I was born and raised in the north of The Netherlands. I received a MSc degree in Chemical Engineering in 2003, a MSc degree in Chemical Education in 2004 and a PhD degree in Chemical Engineering in 2008, all from the University of Groningen. My PhD project was a collaboration between my own chemical reaction engineering group of Prof. Erik Heeres, industrial part-time professor Hans de Vries and the organic chemistry group of Nobel Laureate (2016) Prof. Ben L. Feringa, who were my three promotors.
I have since remained active in academia, working on Separation Technology in the domain of Chemical Engineering with a significant attention for chemical details, I work on the interface between chemistry and chemical engineering, and I have been developing processes making use of biobased solvents and aiming for replacement of the traditional linear oil-based production processes by circular and biobased processing. More recently, I work primarily on biorefinery and on recycling plastics and metals. After three years at Eindhoven University of Technology with research stays at MIT in Cambridge Massachusetts (USA) and the New University of Lisbon (Portugal), I have joined the faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Twente in 2011 as assistant professor and climbed the ranks to be promoted to full professor in 2023.
From 2012 – 2018 I have been a board member of the Netherlands Process Technologists (NPT), a joint-venture of the process engineering subdivisions of the Royal Institute of Engineers (KIVI) and the Royal Chemistry Association (KNCV), and via NPT I was introduced to the European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE). After my years as board member NPT and participating in General Assemblies of the EFCE, I have also joined the Working Party on Fluid Separations and was secretary of that Working Party from 2018- 2024. There are a total of 20 Working Parties and 7 Sections, they form the heart of the organization EFCE. The Working Parties each focus on one subdomain of chemical engineering, and specialists from the member associations gather here to exchange knowledge and foster collaborations throughout Europe on these specialistic topics. Sections cover topics that span multiple Working Parties, for example Energy and Sustainability.
Being the Scientific Vice-President of the EFCE, I maintain the contact between the leadership of the Working Parties and the board of the EFCE. I aim to have regular contact with the Working Party chairs and discuss with them on the future activities of their Working Party and how we could cooperate to enhance Chemical Engineering in Europe in relation to their specific Working Party.
