Displaying items by tag: low carbon cement
Germany: The University of Trier is transforming post-consumer materials into ‘ecological’ cement through a new research project that aims to find sustainable alternatives for the construction industry. The project involves using low-CO₂ industrial post-consumer materials as alternative cement binders, such as sludge from gravel and sand mining, as well as dust from quartzite extraction. The research will run for two years and is supported by the German Federal Environment Foundation.
US: Vineyard Offshore has agreed to buy 2000t of cement from Sublime Systems, a Massachusetts startup planning a US$150m ‘carbon-free’ cement plant in the city. The cement will be used for turbine platforms and onshore civil works within the Vineyard Wind 2 project, aiming to reduce its carbon footprint. This agreement is contingent on the project's selection in upcoming solicitations.
UK: Aggregate Industries has commenced civil construction at its new manufacturing facility and import terminal at the Port of Tilbury. This new grinding station and storage facility aims to be fully operational by 2026.
The project will allow the company to supply conventional, low-carbon and circular cementitious materials 24 hours a day from five loading heads, meeting growing demands for sustainable building materials. It includes investments in new plant equipment for manufacturing blended cements and lower carbon cement components, such as ground granulated blast furnace slag and materials from construction demolition.
US: Solidia Technologies has entered a technology licensing agreement with CalPortland. The deal grants CalPortland limited rights to use Solidia’s patents, which can reportedly reduce the carbon footprint of cement and concrete by up to 50%. The limited licenses will allow CalPortland to use the Solidia technology to develop low carbon solutions. CalPortland also purchased certain laboratory and plant assets from Solidia.
CEO of Solidia Technologies, Russell Hill, said "CalPortland's unwavering commitment to decarbonisation of the cement and concrete industries makes it a great partner for continuing the vast development and research advanced by Solidia more than a decade ago."
US: Queens Carbon has secured a US$14.5m grant from the US Department of Energy under its SCALEUP program. The funding will support the pilot of Queens Carbon's low temperature, ‘zero CO₂’ emission technology at an existing cement production site. Queens Carbon's supplementary cementitious materials, which replace 20-50% of the high-CO₂ binder in cement, will be produced at a pilot plant with a capacity of 10t/day.
CEO Daniel Kopp said “This SCALEUP grant is a tremendous step forward on our path to commercialisation. Partnering with the Department of Energy and a major cement industry player to deploy, operate, and optimise our 10t/day pilot plant will put us on an accelerated path to gigatonne-scale CO₂ reductions.”
Global: Vattenfall and Cemvision have agreed to develop and supply low carbon cement, aiming to cut CO₂ emissions by 95% from traditional levels, according to Vattenfall. This agreement is underpinned by a letter of intent. The partnership utilises Cemvision’s technology, producing cement from recycled industrial materials and powered by renewable energy.
Cemvision CEO Oscar Hållén said "We are delighted to deepen our partnership with Vattenfall and to welcome them to our growing customer base. Already today in our demo production, we are reducing carbon emissions by 80%, and as we optimise processes and supply chain, we will reduce by up to 95% by 2030. Near-zero emission cement is the most efficient way to achieve significant climate benefits without increasing the overall cost of a construction project.”
Alcemy and Spenner launch low-carbon 'CEM X' cement
21 June 2024Germany: Berlin-based AI startup Alcemy, in partnership with German cement producer Spenner, has produced a commercially viable low-carbon cement alternative named ‘CEM X’. This product reportedly reduces carbon emissions by 65% and has less than 30% clinker content, according to the company. The composition incorporates a blend of 33% granulated blast furnace slag and 37% limestone.
Alcemy CEO Leopold Spenner said "With 'CEM X,' we have reached a significant milestone on our journey to decarbonising the cement industry.”
Ireland mandates green procurement for cement
31 May 2024Ireland: In a move towards sustainability, the Irish government has mandated green procurement requirements for low carbon cement, effective from September 2024. This initiative is part of Ireland's goal to achieve a net-zero carbon society by 2050.
The new regulations require a 30% reduction in clinker use and the elimination of high clinker cement for all government and public works. Additional provisions include the necessity for Environmental Product Declarations and comprehensive life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions assessments for major new projects. This aims to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions from the construction sector.
Belgium: The Alliance for Low-Carbon Cement & Concrete (ALCCC) has marked its first anniversary with a new policy roadmap aimed at achieving net zero emissions by 2040. Initiated in May 2023, the alliance brings together environmental NGOs and industry stakeholders to transform the cement and concrete sectors. The ALCCC has grown significantly, now comprising 25 members.
Senior programme manager Joren Verschaeve from ECOS, the coordinator of ALCCC, said "Our members show that the technologies needed to make low-carbon cement and concrete the norm already exist. This uniquely positions our Alliance to raise the alarm when policies and standards lead to unfair competition instead of a greener future – and the latter is perfectly achievable if policymakers implement our roadmap."
US: Sublime Systems has announced the first-ever commercial application of its low-carbon Sublime Cement product at WS Development’s One Boston Wharf building in Massachusetts. The concrete placement is located in the Paseo indoor public space at the office building. The floor will be marked with educational materials explaining the significance of decarbonised cement in combating global climate change.
Leah Ellis, the CEO and Co-Founder of Sublime Systems, said “Buildings are monuments to the values of the people who build them, and the One Boston Wharf project represents WS Development’s leadership in ushering in our post-carbon future.” She continued “They are creating not only the building but the world where people want to be. We are honoured to have Sublime Cement featured so prominently here and are confident this pioneering place will inspire infrastructure owners everywhere to embrace low-embodied-carbon materials as a powerful tool for achieving our global net-zero goals.”