Displaying items by tag: net zero
Europe: Holcim has secured funding for three separate carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) projects at its cement plants in Europe. The recipient projects are the Go4Zero project at Holcim Belgium's Obourg cement plant in Belgium, the KOdeCO project at Holcim Croatia's Koromačno cement plant in Croatia and the eM-Rhône project at Lafarge Ciments' Le Teil cement plant in France. The Le Teil plant's system will be used to produce e-methanol, while the investment at the Koromačno plant will be part of a package of upgrades to turn the plant carbon neutral.
Alongside on-going projects in Germany and Poland, this will bring Holcim's total number of EU-funded CCUS projects to five. Holcim is committed to US$2.33bn-worth of investments of its own in over 50 carbon capture projects worldwide before 2030.
Holcim's Europe regional head Miljan Gutovic said “It’s exciting to be at the forefront of decarbonising the building sector in Europe. The support we are receiving from the EU Innovation Fund for five of our CCUS projects is a great testament to the strength of our engineering teams, the maturity of our technologies and our advanced partnerships across the value chain. Our robust pipeline of projects positions us as the partner of choice to scale up carbon capture technologies in Europe.”
Germany: The EU Innovation Fund has granted funding to the GeZero carbon capture project at Heidelberg Materials' Geseke cement plant in North Rhine-Westphalia. The project consists of a 700,000t/yr carbon capture system and an oxyfuel kiln upgrade. A captive solar power plant will provide energy for the new systems. CO2 storage partner Wintershall Dea will receive purified liquefied CO2 from the capture system via its Wilhelmshaven distribution hub for storage under the North Sea.
Heidelberg Materials Germany general manager Christian Knell said “This project sets an important milestone for the cement industry and for effective carbon management in Germany. We are now counting on the tailwind of Germany’s future Carbon Management Strategy and the regulatory framework to come.”
CEO Dominik von Achten added “With GeZero, we will once again show how Heidelberg Materials’ pioneering spirit is paving the way for the decarbonisation of our industry. We will be the first to realise a full CCS chain for the capture, transport and permanent storage of all CO₂ emissions from an inland location in Germany. I appreciate the support of the EU Innovation Fund, which expresses both an important recognition and the required backing from the political side.”
US: Brimstone has announced a new method of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with a negative carbon footprint. Brimstone's method uses carbon-free calcium silicate in the place of limestone. Its calcination also produces magnesium compounds, which naturally sequester further CO2 from the atmosphere. The technology will now proceed to the testing phase at an upcoming pilot plant in Reno, Nevada, before proceeding to commercial-scale production. Brimstone will then begin to market its OPC, along with supplementary cementitious materials produced by its process.
Brimstone's chief technology officer Hugo Leandri said “By delivering the exact same cement, we clear away the main obstacles to adoption, offering an opportunity to dramatically speed up the path to net-zero construction. The same buildings, bridges and roads being built today can be built tomorrow, without carbon."
Asia Cement presents 2050 net zero strategy
06 July 2023China: Asia Cement has launched its 2050 decarbonisation strategy, entitled 'Net-Zero Carbon Emissions By 2050 - Asia Cement Advanced Deployment.' The strategy consists of multiple pillars, namely 'alternative fuels,' 'reducing cement's clinker factor,' 'increasing renewable energy reliance' and 'carbon capture.'
During 2022, Asia Cement reduced its limestone, clay, iron and sand consumption by 266,000t, its coal consumption by 17,000t and its gypsum consumption by 56,000t year-on-year. This eliminated 95,100t of CO2 emissions throughout the year, according to the producer.
Peru: UNACEM Peru said that it reduced its CO2 emissions per tonne of cement by 2.7% year-on-year during 2022. Throughout the year, the company reduced its electricity consumption by 3.4%. It sourced 90% of its electricity from renewable sources and met 70% of its fuel needs with natural gas. UNACEM Peru is committed to reaching carbon neutral cement production by 2050.
In terms of community engagement, the producer benefitted 76,700 people through its social infrastructure investments and 14,1000 people through its dialogue space initiatives, and provided its remote health guidance service to 3000 people.
Global Cement and Concrete Association announces Innovandi Open Challenge 2023 shortlist
30 June 2023World: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has named the 15 anticipated deliverers of low-CO2 cement and concrete production shortlisted for participation in its second Innovandi Open Challenge. The association chose the start-ups based on their potential to deliver CO2 emissions reduction in the global cement and concrete sector in line with its Concrete Future 2050 Net Zero Roadmap. The applicants are presenting their pitches to GCCA members on 30 June 2023. All those accepted will gain access to members' plants, labs, networks and expertise. The following start-ups made the Innovandi Open Challenge 2023 shortlist:
Arrakis Materials |
US |
Carbon negative materials for concrete |
Chement |
US |
Room temperature cement production |
EcoAdmix Global |
UK |
Nanotechnology ('HDT') for concrete |
EcoLocked |
Germany |
Biocarbon-based admixtures |
EnviCore |
Canada |
Low temperature supplementary cementitious material production |
Enzymatic |
US |
Carbon negative enzymatic concrete corrosion inhibition and recycling |
Louis Structures |
US |
Municipal solid waste-based lightweight aggregates |
MEP - SeaMix |
US |
Basalt fibre and graphene-based admixture |
Nano Crete |
US |
Graphene-enhanced CO2 sequestration |
Nanospan India |
India |
Graphene-based admixture |
NeoCrete |
New Zealand |
Nano-activator for natural pozzolans |
Queens Carbon |
US |
~500°C cementitious materials production |
The Cool Corporation |
UK |
Carbon negative carbon nanotube-based additive for concrete |
Ultra High Materials |
US |
Clinkerless cement |
Versarien Graphene |
UK |
Graphene-based admixture ('Cementene') |
GCCA cement director and innovation lead Claude Loréa said “We received more than 70 quality applications, so drawing up a shortlist was challenging." Loréa continued "Our essential industry needs something easily scalable and affordable. Those start-ups on the list demonstrated the most potential, and we look forward to hearing more about their ideas. But we’ll also be keeping in touch with other start-ups who didn’t make this year’s shortlist, with future projects in mind.”
Spain: Cemex España has secured Euro4.4m in EU funding for an upgrade to its Alicante cement plant in Valencia. The project will launch the use of Clyngas synthetic gas as alternative fuel (AF) at the plant. Thermochemical conversion specialist WtEnergy, a subsidiary of Cemex Ventures, will supply the syngas. The partners say that this upgrade will reduce CO2 emissions by 400,000t per decade.
Parent company Cemex said "This project is part of Cemex’s Future in Action programme, which seeks to achieve sustainable excellence through climate action, circularity and natural resource management, with the primary objective of becoming a net-zero CO2 company."
France: Lafarge France has signed a memorandum of understanding with green hydrocarbons specialist Axens, utilities provider EDF and research firm IFP Energies Nouvelles for a synthetic fuel production trial. The partners will build a plant to produce kerosene using captured CO2 from a carbon capture installation at Lafarge France's Saint-Pierre-La-Cour cement plant. The project, called Take Kair, aims to produce fuel for use by aviation companies, including Air France-KLM Group.
Holcim France president François Petry said "The decarbonisation of our processes and products is at the heart of our strategic commitment to reach Net Zero by 2050. Beyond the modernisation of our production tools, we work on all industrial and technological levers to reduce our emissions, and thus decarbonise our industry. With the Take Kair project, we are taking a decisive step in the capture and management of our residual CO2 emissions and participate with our partners in the emergence of an innovative and sustainable sector serving the country's mobility needs."
Lafarge France, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based Holcim, announced a Euro40m investment in the 1.6Mt/yr Saint-Pierre-La-Cour cement plant to achieve carbon neutral cement production there in March 2022.
UK lime sector commits to net zero by 2040
22 June 2023UK: Mineral Products Association Lime (MPA Lime), the body representing the UK lime sector, has launched the Net Negative 2040 Roadmap. The association said that the roadmap sets out the strategy for its to 'go beyond net zero' by 2040. The industry will rely on the deployment of fuel switching, carbon capture, renewable energy sources and green transport technologies, among other approaches. It called on the government to support its aims through the implementation of carbon accounting, subsidisation of renewables and decarbonisation technologies, the development of green hydrogen infrastructure, ensuring that UK lime can remain competitive in the UK and overseas markets.
MPA Lime director Mike Haynes said “Each lever will contribute to decarbonisation – many initiatives are happening already or will come on stream this decade." He added "The combination of using biomass fuels with carbon capture and lime product carbonation will result in removal of 250,000t/yr of atmospheric CO2, making the sector net negative overall. Other levers, especially indirect emissions and transportation, require broader collaboration and enabling action by government and other industries.”
Through their actions to date, MPA Lime members reduced their absolute CO2 emissions by 25% between 2005 and 2022.
US: Ash Grove Cement has won funding for a US$15.2m front-end engineering design (FEED) study for a carbon capture installation at its 2Mt/yr Foreman cement plant in Arkansas. Parent company CRH said that the study will run for 24 months from its date of commencement. The project team also includes consultancy and research firms Advanced Resources International and Crescent Resource Information, as well as non-profit interstate policy organisation Southern States Energy Board. Equipment suppliers will include France-based industrial gases company Air Liquide and energy company Sargent & Lundy, while electricity provider Talos will participate as an energy sector stakeholder.
The Foreman cement plant carbon capture FEED study is one of eight projects selected by the US Department of Energy to receive part of a US$189m funding pot for carbon capture demonstrations across US industry.