Displaying items by tag: carbon capture

EU: 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.

UK: The UK government has committed to investments worth Euro22.8bn in early deployments of carbon capture technology. It will announce a shortlist of new projects for deployment later in March 2022.

The government said "This unprecedented level of funding for the sector will unlock private investment and job creation across the UK, particularly on the east coast and in the North West of England and North Wales. It will also kick-start the delivery of subsequent phases of this new sustainable industry in the UK."

Ireland-based Ecocem responded to the budget with a call for funding for more short-term areas besides carbon capture. It said these will be essential in order for the UK cement and concrete industry to reach its 45% decarbonisation target by 2030. The slag-based cement products company called for funding for low-clinker technologies which have already been developed and can be rolled out at scale before 2030, until carbon capture becomes a 'scalable, viable option.'

Croatia: Nexe has awarded a contract to Germany-based ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions for the construction of a new clinker line and carbon capture installation at its 0.6Mt/yr Nasice cement plant. The Poslovni Dnevnik newspaper has reported that the work will cost Euro400m. When commissioned in 2029, the upgraded plant will produce carbon neutral cement and despatch 700,000t/yr of CO₂ by pipeline for storage near Bockovac in Osijek-Baranja County.

Canada/UAE: Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) producer Carbon Upcycling Technologies has signed a strategic partnership agreement with technical consultancy A³&Co. The partners will now work towards the delivery of an SCM enhancement reactor that bolts on to existing cement plant equipment. Canada-based Carbon Upcycling Technologies expects to be able to offer the technology to global cement industry customers by March 2025.

Carbon Upcycling Technologies CEO Apoorv Sinha said "We look forward to collaborating with A³&Co. Their extensive experience working with over 125 facilities across the globe will prove invaluable as we continue to adapt our technology for seamless integration at cement plants, enabling onsite sequestration and utilisation of CO₂."

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.

China/Uzbekistan: Anhui Conch has released an update on some of its major development projects. Its new plant at Tashkent in Uzbekistan has an investment of around US$260m. The company reports that 30,000m² of equipment and materials have arrived, the rotary kiln supporting wheels have been hoisted in place, the main body installation of the coal mill has been completed, the structure of the dormitory building has been capped and the main factory area has begun to take shape. It is also building a plant at Brakbash District in Andijan State. Civil engineering and main engineering construction are reportedly underway. The company also has a third cement plant in the country. So far the group has built over 10 cement plants outside of China.

In China, Anhui Conch is building a CO₂ energy storage demonstration project at its Baimashan cement plant in Wuhu, Anhui province. The group says that, once complete, the project will be the world's first commercial demonstration project of a CO₂ energy storage system. It says that during the low power consumption period, the excess power will be used to compress CO₂ at normal temperature and pressure into a liquid. The heat energy generated during the compression process will be stored. The stored heat energy will then be used to heat the liquid CO₂ back into a gas, driving the turbine to generate electricity, reducing the cost of electricity. The demonstration project has an area of 40,000m².

The cement producer says it is working towards a model of ‘one base and five industries’ where cement production links to other industries such as new energy, new materials, environmental protection, the digital economy and the promotion of international trade.

Germany: The Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) has validated Heidelberg Materials' new 2030 CO2 reduction targets. The targets have a base year of 2020 and conform to a 1.5°C climate change framework. Per tonne of cementitious material, the producer is now committed to reducing its Scope 1 CO2 emissions by 24%, its Scope 2 CO2 emissions by 65% and its Scope 3 emissions by 25%.

Heidelberg Materials' chief sustainability officer Nicola Kimm said “As reflected in our updated Sustainability Commitments 2030, climate action is a crucial element of Heidelberg Materials’ sustainability strategy. The SBTi validation shows that our sustainability agenda not only includes the most ambitious reduction target in the cement industry – but also a realistic, measurable plan in line with the 1.5°C scenario. We follow a clear, science-based approach, reducing our carbon footprint through the levers of product and process innovation and industrial-scale carbon capture, utilisation and storage. By closing the carbon and material loops, we will lead the sustainable transformation of our sector.”

In 2019, Heidelberg Materials became the first cement company to secure SBTi validation for its emissions reduction commitments.

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.”

Germany: Heidelberg Materials' sales increased by 13% year-on-year to Euro21.1bn in 2022 from Euro18.7bn in 2021. This was despite a 6.1% drop in cement and clinker volumes, to 119Mt from 127Mt. Heidelberg Materials' cement and clinker volumes fell by 10% in Western and Southern Europe, by 7.8% in Northern and Eastern Europe-Central Asia, by 14% in North America, by 1.3% in Africa-Eastern Mediterranean Basin and by under 1% in Asia-Pacific. The group's materials costs rose by 23% to Euro21.4bn from Euro18.8bn. Meanwhile, its profit dropped by 9.4% to Euro1.72bn from Euro1.9bn.

Chief executive officer Dominik von Achten said "It’s evident that we can only be profitable in the long term by shaping our future as a company in a climate-compatible way, further reducing the footprint of our products and closing material loops. We are making good strides in all areas. Compared with the previous year, we were able to reduce our specific net CO₂ emissions by another 2% in 2022. Our carbon capture, utilisation and storage projects launched worldwide are progressing favourably. At our CCS project in Brevik, Norway, we are well on track with the construction of the world's first CO₂ capture plant in our industry, and we look forward to commissioning in 2024." Von Achten continued "We have made a good start to 2023. The fourth quarter showed that we have laid a good foundation for the development in this year. Volatility on energy and raw material markets remains high, but the current easing in energy prices is giving us some breathing room. On the demand side, government infrastructure plans should compensate for the decline in private housing construction. We are optimistic about the further course of the year.”