Displaying items by tag: carbon capture
10 sustainable cement and concrete technology developers launch the Decarbonized Cement and Concrete Alliance
18 January 2024North America: A new coalition for the scaling and deployment of low-carbon building materials, the creation of new clean cement and concrete jobs and the promotion of environmental justice launched earlier in January 2024. Called the Decarbonized Cement and Concrete Alliance (DC2), it comprises alternative cement developers Biomason, Brimstone, Chement, Fortera and Terra CO2, sequestration company Blue Planet Systems, circular concrete producer CarbonBuilt, biogenic limestone producer Minus Materials, hydrothermal processing technology developer Queens Carbon and electrified cement production technology developer Sublime Systems. DC2’s areas of engagement in policy will include tax credits, standards, ecolabeling and subsidisation, in line with the US Department of Energy’s Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Low-Carbon Cement strategy.
CarbonBuilt’s government and community affairs manager Sal Brzozowski said “DC2’s platform of robust policy, standards and incentives to scale innovative solutions will not only accelerate deep decarbonisation, but also transform the concrete industry from one of the world’s largest CO2 emitters to one of the world’s largest carbon sinks.”
Warren East becomes new chair of C-Capture
17 January 2024UK: C-Capture has appointed Warren East as its new chair. East was previously CEO of automobiles producer Rolls-Royce and computing company ARM Holdings. C-Capture says that East will bring almost 40 years’ experience in commercialising innovative technologies to its own efforts to develop a scalable, modular model for carbon capture. East is a chartered engineer and holds an engineering degree from Oxford University and a CBE for services to engineering and technology.
C-Capture CEO Tom White said “I am absolutely delighted to announce that Warren will be joining us. His wealth of experience in commercialising novel technologies along with his commitment to the energy transition is a true asset to the company at a critical period in our growth. His expertise in successfully scaling and transforming businesses will be invaluable as we move forward with the commercialisation of our unique technology and expand our investor base.”
Warren East said “I am excited to be joining the team at this pivotal point and to work with the management to scale the business. C-Capture’s carbon capture technology has all the elements needed to break through the barriers currently preventing widespread adoption of this critical technology for the world to achieve Net Zero.”
Schwenk Latvija trials carbon capture at Brocēni cement plant
12 January 2024Latvia: Schwenk Latvija plans to build a 750,000t/yr carbon capture system at its 2Mt/yr Brocēni cement plant. The producer has hired Norway-based Capsol Technologies to conduct a CapsolEoP carbon capture feasibility study at the plant. Schwenk Latvija is a member of the CCS Baltic Consortium, which achieved provisional inclusion on the European Commission’s list of Projects of Common Interest in November 2023.
Schwenk Northern Europe CEO Reinhold Schneider said “Checking the best carbon capture methods and how they can be integrated with our production process is a crucial task for us on the way to carbon neutrality, and likely the major investment direction for the coming decade. To that end, we are excited to investigate the energy consumption and the scale of equipment required for carbon capture at the Brocēni plant, if potentially partnering with Capsol for this challenge.”
Capsol Technologies CEO Jan Kielland said “We are excited to work with Schwenk, one of the most innovative building materials producers in Europe, which has constantly improved its processes to reduce emissions since operations started at the Brocēni plant’s new kiln line in 2010” He added “With this feasibility study, we are taking another step towards building a position as the preferred carbon capture technology provider for cement.”
Capsol’s project pipeline includes 10 large-scale cement projects in the sales engineering and engineering studies phase. The total CO2 capture capacity of these projects is 11Mt/yr.
Cembureau sets manifesto for industrial transformation
10 January 2024EU: Cembureau has published its manifesto for industrial transformation for the European Parliament’s 2024-2029 legislative term. The manifesto calls for an ambitious EU agenda focused on the implementation of the European Green Deal along five key lines: 1 - turbo-charging EU and national funding and developing national industrial decarbonisation plans; 2 – Rolling out the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to create a level playing field for EU industries; 3 – Building a pan-European CO2 capture network and moving towards circular carbon feedstocks; 4 – Placing circular economy at the heart of industrial decarbonisation; 5 – Enhancing the EU buildings’ agenda to significantly cut emissions.
Cembureau said “The European cement industry was one of the first sectors to present a 2050 Carbon Neutrality Roadmap following the publication of the European Green Deal. The past five years were marked by the development of a comprehensive EU legislative framework and the launch of significant decarbonisation investments in our industry. Now, with the deployment of carbon-neutral cements within our grasp, we need to implement transformative measures on innovation, infrastructure, public acceptance, digitalisation and skills development.”
Holcim Deutschland upgrades Beckum cement plant
09 January 2024Germany: Holcim Deutschland has announced for the ‘most extensive’ modernisation of its Beckum cement plant to date. Local press has reported that the modernisation will commence with the installation of a Euro20m pendulum cooler to replace the plant’s existing tube cooler. The new cooler will reduce the plant’s CO2 emissions and make separated CO2 better suited for capture, according to the producer. The Beckum cement plant is the site of an on-going carbon capture trial.
General manager Jan Kristof Peters said “We want to implement all construction work as quickly as possible and with as little noise pollution as possible for the neighbourhood. As in previous years, we ask for our neighbourhood’s understanding.”
Neustark sees potential in German market
04 January 2024Germany: Switzerland-based CO2 mineralisation technology developer Neustark says that it sees major potential for recycling concrete from construction and demolition waste (CDW) to produce carbon-negative products using its process in Germany. Neustark inaugurated its first German plant, and 12th overall, at Marzahn in Berlin in late 2023. Capital Online News has reported that the start-up estimates that Germany generates 60Mt/yr of CDW concrete, but only recycles 600,000t/yr (1%). This contrasts with international CDW concrete recycling rates as high as 15% in Switzerland and the US.
The start-up, founded at the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich in 2019, currently absorbs 10kg/t of CO2 in its recycled materials, but aims to reach 60kg/t. Its investors include Holcim.
World Cement Association calls on cement industry to promote low-carbon development through enhanced connectivity and communication
03 January 2024UK: The World Cement Association (WCA) marked the achievement of an ‘historic’ global consensus for decarbonisation at the COP28 climate change conference in the UAE in December 2023 with a new call to global cement producers and suppliers. The association called on all participants in the industry to help promote developments in reduced-CO2 cement production through enhanced connectivity and communication. It said that technologies like alternative raw materials and alternative fuels (AF), efficiency-enhancing process changes and carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) are widely applied, but unequally, applied in the global cement industry.
Regarding the disparity between different markets, the WCA said “This imbalance underscores the critical need for more research and development funding in emerging markets, where there is real demand for this kind of support as a crucial enabler of progress.” It added “We will join hands with our members and stakeholders to advance the low-carbon and sustainable development of the industry and contribute to building a clean, safe and beautiful world.”
Sumitomo Osaka Cement signs agreement on Setouchi - Shikoku CO2 Hub
29 December 2023Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement, Sumitomo Corporation, JFE Steel, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha and Woodside Energy have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly conduct a business feasibility study looking at setting up a CO2 hub in the Setouchi and Shikoku regions. It will examine how CO2 can be collected from different industries, transported to a hub port and then shipped to Australia for sequestration. A signing of the MOU was held at the ASEAN-Japan Economic Co-Creation Forum in the presence of Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ken Saito.
Sumitomo Osaka Cement operates two integrated plants in the Setouchi and Shikoku regions at Ako and Kochi respectively.
US: The Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded US$45.6m-worth of federal funding to carbon capture projects across US industries. Among the nine projects that received grants are Argos USA’s engineering-scale carbon capture project at its Harleyville, South Carolina, cement plant and Holcim US’ engineering-scale carbon capture project at its Holly Hill, South Carolina, cement plant. The National Energy Technology Laboratory has reported that projects will focus on technologies for CO2 capture and multi-modal transport via hubs.
DOE Fossil Energy and Carbon Management Assistant Secretary Brad Crabtree said “DOE is mobilising historic levels of private sector investment in the US to capture, transport and safely and permanently store hundreds of millions of tonnes of CO2 per year from our industrial and power sectors. These demonstration and pilot projects bring us one step closer to effective and responsible deployment of the carbon management infrastructure necessary to achieve our climate goals, while also providing good paying and jobs and health benefits to communities in every corner of the nation.”
Greece: The EU Innovation Fund has awarded a Euro234m grant to Titan Group for its IFESTOS carbon capture and storage (CCS) project. Titan Group said that the project, the largest initiative of its kind in Europe, marks a ‘monumental leap forward’ in its decarbonisation journey. The company hopes that the project will help to promote the deployment of carbon capture technology in Greece and beyond.
IFESTOS director and project leader Aris Tsikouras said “This agreement solidifies our group’s role as leaders in driving transformative change in industrial decarbonisation across Europe. IFESTOS encapsulates our commitment to sustainability and innovation, forging a path toward a cleaner, greener and more resilient future for the industry, in line with EU climate policy.”