A system for reducing NOx emission levels during the manufacture of cement clinker having a calciner unit with the following features: an upper portion; a lower portion; a NOx reduction zone in the lower portion; a tertiary air inlet in the upper portion for introducing tertiary air into the upper portion; a main calciner meal inlet located above the NOx reduction zone for introducing a main calciner meal portion into the upper portion; a first cooling calciner meal inlet located in the NOx reduction zone for introducing a first cooling calciner meal portion into a periphery of the NOx reduction zone; and a fuel inlet located in or below the NOx reduction zone for introducing fuel into the reduction zone.

A system for reducing NOx emission levels during the manufacture of cement clinker having a calciner unit with the following features: an upper portion; a lower portion; a NOx reduction zone in the lower portion; a tertiary air inlet in the upper portion for introducing tertiary air into the upper portion; a main calciner meal inlet located above the NOx reduction zone for introducing a main calciner meal portion into the upper portion; a first cooling calciner meal inlet located in the NOx reduction zone for introducing a first cooling calciner meal portion into a periphery of the NOx reduction zone; and a fuel inlet located in or below the NOx reduction zone for introducing fuel into the reduction zone.

A cement manufacturing plant includes a raw meal mill, at least one preheater string, a clinker furnace and a clinker cooler including a first section and a second section, wherein a preheater exhaust gas recirculation device is provided for recirculating exhaust gas leaving the at least one preheater string into the first section of the clinker cooler, and wherein the cement plant is configured for switching between an air operation mode and an oxyfuel operation mode, includes a first switching device for connecting either a source of air or a source of oxygen rich gas to a burning zone of the clinker furnace burner, and a second switching device for either establishing or separating a connection of the preheater exhaust gas recirculation means to the first section of the clinker cooler.

A method for manufacturing cement clinker includes the steps: preheating a raw meal in a first preheater using kiln off-gas to provide a partially preheated raw meal, preheating the partially preheated raw meal in a second preheater to provide preheated raw meal, precalcination of the pre-heated raw meal in a calciner being a circulating fluidized bed reactor by burning fuel with oxygen and recirculated calciner exhaust gas instead of air to provide a precalcined raw meal wherein at least 2 mbar overpressure are adjusted in the calciner, transferring the precalcined raw meal to a rotary kiln for sintering to provide the cement clinker, cooling the cement clinker, and capturing carbon dioxide from a calciner exhaust gas in a carbon dioxide purification unit.