Closing the upcoming EU gypsum gap with phosphogypsum
Abstract
The EU Renewable Energy Directive with climate and energy goals
does not leave room for coal-burning power plants that currently
contribute approximately 17 million t of flue gas desulfurization (FGD)
gypsum to EU manufacturers that require a total of 57 million t of
gypsum per year (EU, 2020). It is also unlikely that natural gypsum
production in the EU can be significantly increased in the near-term.
Unlike other critical raw materials (CRMs) such as rare earth elements
(REEs) that constitute a relatively small volume and can be imported
over long-distances, such practice is not economically feasible for this
relatively inexpensive (per weight) bulk-commodity used in large
quantities. Transport costs for natural gypsum easily surpass the product
value, so that imports would measurably increase prices for construction
in the EU and affect millions.