28 April 2026 - In this episode of The Clinker Factor, Guest Host Daniel Summerbell, Co-Founder & Chief Solutions Officer at Carbon Re and WCA Member, talks to Georg Locher, Managing Director at SCHWENK Zement, about the role of oxyfuel technology in decarbonising the cement industry. Georg shares his journey in the sector and how he became closely associated with oxyfuel, offering a clear explanation of the technology and its significance for carbon capture. He outlines the two main approaches within oxyfuel—calciner-only and full-process integration—and reflects on how the technology has evolved, including the role of flue gas recirculation in improving efficiency. Georg also compares oxyfuel with other carbon capture and storage (CCS) approaches, highlighting the trade-offs in cost, complexity, and performance. Looking ahead, Georg shares his perspective on future trends and where he believes the industry should place its bets as it accelerates towards net zero.
Cement production is responsible for approximately 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions and is possibly the hardest to abate sector. In this podcast series, the World Cement Association talks to industry leaders, experts and technological innovators from across the globe, bringing insights and fresh perspectives on how the cement sector can decarbonise and improve sustainability. Suitable for anyone interested in climate change mitigation and industrial sustainability.
Contributors:
Dr Daniel Summerbell
Clinker Factor Guest Host: Co-Founder & Chief Solutions Officer, Carbon Re
Dr Daniel Summerbell is Co-Founder and Chief Solutions Officer at Carbon Re and a Visiting Industrial Fellow at the Institute for Manufacturing. With a background in process engineering across a range of industries in the US, Canada & Europe, he began a programme of research into the cement industry in 2014.Dan's PhD research focused on cost-effective environmental improvements in industry, with a particular focus on construction and the cement industry. He is the developer of the Zero Loss Sustainability Toolkit and other interests include industrial demand-side management of electricity, and material efficiency approaches.
Prior to pursuing a research career, he worked in manufacturing operations across the UK, Europe and North America, including in the consumer products, food & drink, mining and energy industries.
Georg Locher
Clinker Factor Guest:
Dr. Georg Locher is Managing Director of the “New Technologies” division at SCHWENK Zement, leading projects across the CCUS value chain—from CO₂ capture and purification to transport, utilization in sustainable fuels and chemicals, and long-term storage.
He previously spent over 20 years with a leading cement plant manufacturer in roles including Head of R&D and global technical sales. His work advanced e. g. the oxyfuel process, industrial use of activated clays, and sustainability strategies in process and equipment development.
Dr. Locher holds degrees from RWTH Aachen, ETH Zurich, and MIT. He is an honorary professor at RWTH Aachen, teaching mineral building materials for over 20 years, and serves as an expert reviewer for national research funding.