Carbon8 Systems to deploy carbon capture technology at Vicat Cement plant
Published by Emily Thomas,
Deputy Editor
World Cement,
Carbon8 Systems, a UK company that invented and owns a process that combines industrial waste residues or by-products with captured CO2 emissions to produce high-value, lightweight construction aggregates, has signed a commercial agreement with the Vicat Group cement company. Carbon8 Systems will deploy its technology at Vicat’s Montalieu cement plant, near Lyon in France, next month.
It is Carbon8 Systems’ first commercial deployment of its CO2ntainer system (a modular, containerised solution) in Europe and follows successful demonstration projects at cement plants in the UK and Canada.
The CO2ntainer will be deployed directly onsite at Montalieu and integrated into Vicat’s existing industrial processes. Crucially, it will capture CO2 directly from the plant’s flue gas emissions, which will be used to convert cement bypass dust into lightweight aggregates through the use of Carbon8 Systems’ patented Accelerated Carbonisation Technology (ACT) solution.
In its first phase of operation, Carbon8 Systems’ CO2ntainer will process and convert up to 12 000 tonnes of cement bypass dust into valuable construction aggregates. Vicat can commercially repurpose the aggregates in various applications, for instance in lightweight concrete blocks.
Dr Paula Carey, co-founder and Technical Director of Carbon8 Systems, said: “Securing a commercial agreement with Vicat, a family-run cement company that has been in business for more than 150 years and with a strong commitment to process innovation and sustainability, is a massive endorsement of our technology and the R&D work that we have carried out over recent years. We are delighted that Vicat has chosen Carbon8 Systems to help reduce its carbon emissions and, at the same time, create a potential new income stream for their business.”
Dr Laury Barnes-Davin, Scientific Director of Vicat said: “As part of our commitment to limit our environmental impact, Vicat has looked at a number of innovative ideas to reduce its carbon emissions. We are attracted by Carbon8 Systems’ two-part technology proposition: capturing the CO2 that Montalieu emits and using it to produce an aggregate that can be marketed to industry. We are excited by its potential for our operations elsewhere in France and around the world.”
With the cement industry responsible for 5% to 7% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, Carbon8 Systems is in advanced discussions with other cement companies around the world to deploy its CO2ntainer solution. In addition, the company is pursuing opportunities in other sectors where waste residue disposal is increasingly expensive and CO2 emissions need to be reduced as part of the transition to Net Zero by 2050. By utilising the waste at source and onsite, companies using ACT will reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, so further reducing the environmental impact of their operations.
Dr Paula Carey added: “Carbon8 Systems is a true circular economy company and the ‘only game in town’ for successful and sustainable decarbonisation of industrial residues.”
In addition to cement, other sectors where ACT can be used include power generation (Energy from Waste), the steel industry and the paper industry.
Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/09072020/carbon8-systems-to-deploy-carbon-capture-technology-at-vicat-cement-plant/
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