Displaying items by tag: net zero
Cement Association of Canada welcomes green incentives
30 March 2023Canada: The Cement Association of Canada (CAC) said that it is 'confident that Canada will lead in building clean technologies for a sustainable future' following the publication of the government's Budget 2023 on 29 March 2023. The budget includes US$26bn-worth of green tax credits. US$19.2bn-worth of this is allotted to renewable energy. It also includes a final design for Canada's Investment Tax Credit for Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS). CAC president and CEO Adam Auer said that, when finalised, the budget will help to 'close the gap' between existing Canadian legislation and incentives offered under the US Inflation Reduction Act and EU Green Deal Industrial Plan.
Auer said “With close to 60% of our emissions resulting from the immutable chemistry of making cement, deep investment in innovative and expensive technologies, like CCUS, are both vital and unavoidable. With Budget 2023, the government clearly affirmed its understanding of the final role this technology plays in our industry’s efforts to reach net-zero." He continued “We were also pleased to see references to carbon contracts for difference (CCfD). Canada’s cement companies, like many industries in Canada, are part of large multinationals, and divisions must compete within their companies for projects. Investing in net-zero projects requires predictability. The certainty that CCfDs can provide is the difference between attracting investment, building projects and creating clean jobs - or conceding the opportunity to our competitors."
Cembureau voices support for EU carbon storage quotas
23 March 2023EU: Cembureau, the European cement sector association, has lobbied the EU in support of a draft act for the setting of CO2 storage capacity quotas for member states. It called for the simplification and acceleration of permitting procedures for storage sites. It also encouraged policymakers to strengthen the focus on CO2 transport networks, ensuring fair access conditions for cement plants.
Cembureau said "Whilst a mix of technologies are needed to decarbonise cement production, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) is particularly critical, as our sector faces unavoidable process emissions. A large number of CCUS pilot and demonstration projects have been launched by cement companies across Europe, with the first of them becoming operational as early as 2024. The pipeline of investments is particularly strong – for instance, the latest ETS Innovation Fund call awarded over Euro500m three cement CCUS projects."
Belgium: Holcim Belgium has received an environmental permit for the kiln upgrade for its 100% decarbonisation of its Obourg cement plant. Agency Belgium News has reported that the upgraded kiln will employ a 'new incineration concept' to enable it to replace limestone with alternative raw materials. It will reduce the plant's thermal needs by 40% and its CO2 emissions per tonne of clinker by 30%. Construction will commence in late 2023. The kiln replacement will support a carbon capture installation as part of the GO4ZERO project.
The first phase of the GO4ZERO project is running from 2022 to 2025, and commands total investments of over Euro350m.
Taiheiyo Cement secures a Transition-Linked Loan
09 March 2023Japan: Taiheiyo Cement has obtained a Transition-Linked Loan, the first of its kind in the Japanese cement industry. The loan employs sustainability performance targets (SPTs) based on the company's 2030 interim sustainability targets and 2050 Carbon Neutral Strategy. The former consists in a 40% reduction in its total CO2 emissions, including Scope 3, and a 20% reduction in its Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions, between 2000 and 2030.
France: Ratings agency EthiFinance has certified Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies' operations as 100% in the line with the EU's Green Taxonomy. The Green Taxonomy measures the sustainability of companies' activities against the European Green Deal's objective of net zero by 2050.
Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies said that it is Europe's first cement producer to achieve the recognition of conformity.
France: CRH subsidiary Eqiom expects to complete its carbon capture system installation and kiln upgrade at its Lumbres cement plant under the EU's K6 Programme in early 2028. The project uses Air Liquide's capture technology, whereby purified CO2 is liquefied for storage or use in building materials production.
Spain: Cemex España will install a carbon capture system at its Alicante cement plant in Valencia, as part of its efforts to make the unit a 'benchmark pioneer low-CO2' cement plant. The producer holds a contract with ET Fuels for the supply of 45,000t/yr of CO2 captured at the facility for methanol production.
Chief executive officer Fernando González said “Our goal of reaching net-zero CO2 emissions is achievable and will be driven by collaboration and innovation. Our decarbonisation roadmap includes reducing emissions to the lowest possible level through proven levers such as clinker substitution and alternative fuels. New levers, such as rapidly developing CCUS initiatives, must effectively tackle the remaining CO2 emissions to hit our ambitious 2050 objectives.”
Cemex's European CO2 emissions decline by 41% between 1990 and 2022
24 February 2023Europe: Cemex’s annual CO2 emissions from its European operations fell by 41% in 2022 compared to 1990. It added that it had cut its emissions in the region by 12% between 2020 and 2022. The group attributed the decline to the success of its climate action strategy to date, including a large investment in a new alternative fuels facility in the UK, investments in solar power plants in Germany and Poland and the roll-out of its Vertua reduced-CO2 products across the region.
Regional president Sergio Menendez said "As we begin to implement the next stages in our climate action strategy, we now expect to exceed our 2030 aspiration of hitting a 55% CO2 reduction in our European operations. While we are progressing important carbon capture projects and policy advocacy for our ultimate net zero target, these 2030 interim aspirations are not reliant on this technology.” he continued, “This is certainly a challenging target, but I am confident that with innovative thinking, close collaboration between our different business areas and further development of our regulatory framework, it is both feasible and profitable. This sustained effort is vital if we are to meet our global, primary objective of becoming a net-zero CO2 company by 2050. We will continue to provide regular updates on our progress.”
Germany: The Carbon2Business carbon capture project at Holcim Deutschland's Lägerdorf cement plant has received Euro110m in funding from the EU. Holcim Deutschland plans to use the funds to install a new oxyfuel kiln with downstream compression and a CO2 cleaning unit at the plant in Schleswig-Holstein. The producer expects to commission the upgraded carbon neutral cement plant in 2029.
Bulgaria: The European Union (EU) Innovation Fund has awarded a Euro190m grant to Devnya Cement and oil and gas producer Petroceltic for their 800,000t/yr ANRAV carbon capture, transportation and storage project. Devnya Cement's parent company Heidelberg Materials says that the partners expect to commission the full-chain project in 2028.
Heidelberg Materials Northern and Eastern Europe-Central Asia board member Ernest Jelito said "Devnya Cement's Devnya plant will be the first carbon-neutral cement plant in the country and the region. ANRAV will also enable other industrial players to join the carbon chain in the future and share storage capacity. In this way, we want to not only decarbonise our company in Bulgaria, but also provide opportunities for the whole region."