Displaying items by tag: Study
Adbri secures funding towards grinding and blending systems upgrade at Birkenhead cement plant
24 April 2024Australia: The Australian federal government has granted Adbri US$32.5m for a new front-end engineering and design study at its Birkenhead cement plant. The study will assess the possible installation of a new vertical roller mill and post-production blending system at the plant. InDaily News has reported that the proposed upgrade will increase the plant’s production capacity and help to expand its range of reduced-CO2 cements. The funding falls under the government’s US$260m Critical Inputs to Clean Energy programme, which aims to help decarbonise the Australian economy by 2050.
CEO Mark Irwin said “With the Commonwealth’s support we have the potential to further accelerate the decarbonisation of our operations and products.”
Pakistan: On 18 April 2024, the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and the Policy Research Institute for Equitable Development (PRIED) launched two studies focusing on the decarbonisation of Pakistan's cement sector. The initiative focuses on collaboration and technology sharing to reduce the industry's carbon footprint.
Professor Muhammad Fahim Khokhar from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) said "The global CO₂ emissions released from the cement sector are 37.4Gt, which is rising at 1.1% per year."
The study by PRIED and NUST showed a 30% increase in cement sector CO₂ emissions in 2020 relative to 1990-2000, reaching 49.6Mt/yr. The study proposed strategies for cement sector decarbonisation, such as alternative fuels, clinker substitution, renewable energy, process electrification, energy efficiency and carbon capture technologies.
According to researcher Saleha Qureshi, the major challenge for decarbonisation is that cement industries in Pakistan rely on over 65% coal in the calcination process. Other challenges identified were lack of regulatory and policy support, absence of performance-based standards, high transition cost and limited incentive available for the transition.
China: A new study from Hong Kong Polytechnic University showcases sustainable cement production methods, focusing on low-clinker cements and alternative solutions for incinerator fly ash (IFA). The research demonstrates that using carbonated-washed IFA mixed with slag, coal fly ash, or metakaolin can replace 60% of Portland cement, forming ternary blended cement. This approach reportedly reduces the carbon footprint of cement production.
The study found that slag was the most effective, improving pore structure and increasing ettringite and hemicarboaluminate formation with a blend of 40% slag and 20% IFA. It achieved 90% of the compressive strength of pure Portland cement after 90 days.
The researchers said "This study demonstrated the promising potential of the blended cements to simultaneously divert IFA from landfills and reduce the clinker content of cement."
Philippines: A recent study from Cebu, Philippines presents a method for reducing greenhouse emissions in the cement industry. The research, supported by the Department of Science & Technology (DOST) of the Philippines, focuses on partially substituting cement with coal fly ash (CFA). According to the University of San Carlos researchers, CFA's efficacy as a cement substitute depends on its source, with variations in quality, performance, and water requirements when used in paste and mortar formulations.
The study evaluated CFA from a Philippine power plant, examining its use as a partial cement substitute. Researchers designed paste and mortar mixtures with different CFA-to-binder ratios and water-to-binder ratios. The study revealed that increasing the amount of CFA in cement up to 20% by weight could enhance compressive strength, ‘outperforming’ pure cement mixtures.
The study concluded that substituting a portion of cement with CFA not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also improves the compressive strength of the resultant material.
South Korea: A recent study from Daejeon explored the potential of low-lime calcium silicate cement as a low CO₂ emission alternative to Ordinary Portland Cement. Researchers from the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources examined the setting and flow characteristics of a mixture of Ordinary Portland Cement and low-lime calcium silicate cement under carbonation curing conditions. The study was financially supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy's industrial strategic technology development program.
The study aimed to explore the reaction and microstructural characteristics of these cement pastes. The low-lime calcium silicate cement was synthesised using limestone and silica fume, with varying proportions added to the Portland cement pastes. The research findings suggest improvements in compressive strength with the inclusion of 30% or more low-lime calcium silicate cement, highlighting its ability to enhance the durability and sustainability of construction materials.
Petrofac conducting carbon capture feasibility study at Aggregate Industries’ Cauldon cement plant
25 January 2024UK: Aggregate Industries has engaged energy engineering firm Petrofac to investigate a carbon capture project at its Cauldon cement plant. Petrofac is currently conducting early engineering assessments to identify CO2 capture opportunities at the plant in Staffordshire. This includes technology selection for any future project. Upon commissioning, a carbon capture system will support the storage of up to 600,000t/yr of CO2 from the Cauldon cement plant under the Irish Sea as part of the cross-industry Peak Cluster carbon capture and storage (CCS) project.
Aggregate Industries decarbonisation manager Luke Olly said "Aggregate Industries is excited to be launching this carbon capture study, as we are aiming to fully decarbonise our cement plant by 2030. This technology is an important part of our strategy."
Petrofac head of business development energy transition projects, Alex Haynes, said "We’re looking forward to working with Aggregate Industries UK in finding a way to reduce the carbon footprint of its cement products."
Dalmia Cement (Bharat) and SaltX Technology to launch electric cement production pilot
12 December 2023India: Sweden-based SaltX Technology has partnered with Dalmia Cement (Bharat) to launch a pilot trial of fuel-free cement production using its electric arc calciner (EAC) in 2024. The pilot plant will be situated at Dalmia Cement (Bharat)’s Rajganga Nagpur cement plant in Odisha. Pre-study work, including material tests at SaltX Technology's test and research centre in Hofors, Sweden, will commence in early 2024.
Dalmia Cement (Bharat) managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) Mahendra Singhi said "In line with our ambition to further reduce our carbon footprint, we are delighted to collaborate with SaltX, a leading innovator with electrification and carbon capture technology that has great potential to play a decisive role in our intense work to reduce our carbon emissions."
SaltX Technology CEO Carl-Johan Linér said "I am pleased to confirm that we have now started working together on-site for the upcoming pilot in India. We have met all key individuals in the project and look forward with confidence to starting the pre-study next year."
Taiwan: Asia Cement Corporation tested its waste wind turbine blade processing capacities using 12t of blades earlier in November 2023. The cement producer had previously processed 9t of waste turbine blades for use in its plants up to the end of October 2023. Asia Cement Corporation says that the waste consists of fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP), which is 60% silicon dioxide, calcium oxide and aluminium oxide and 40% polyester. The polyester can replace fossil fuels as alternative fuel (AF) for cement plants, while the other chemical compounds can serve as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs).
Thailand: China-based intelligent dumptruck supplier Waytous has partnered with Siam Cement Group (SCG), as well as Thailand Advanced Info Service, Huawei, and Zhengzhou Yutong Mining Equipment, to develop full-scope automated operating systems for limestone mines. SCG will host a study at its Saraburi limestone mine in Central Thailand. The study will use Waytous’ driverless vehicles, supported by 5G, AI, cloud computing and new battery technologies.
Waytous CEO Chen Long "We've carried out two phases of unmanned mining research for this project and found the most comprehensive, efficient, and effective unmanned solution for cement mines in Saraburi.”
UK: First Graphene and Breedon Group have entered into a development and commercialisation agreement. Together, the companies aim to enhance Breedon Cement’s CEM II Portland limestone cement (PLC) through the use of First Graphene’s graphene enhanced grinding aids and cement admixtures. Breedon will provide increased access to cement production lines in order to optimise the understanding of the processing environment and operating conditions.
Breedon Group’s Hope cement plant in Derbyshire previously conducted a 24-hour graphene-enhanced cement production trial on 28 June 2023.