A circular future

As the world seeks to reduce pollution and cut atmospheric carbon emissions, extractive industries are in the spotlight. The shift to a net zero economy presents a conundrum for policymakers and industry, since building the infrastructure for a cleaner, more efficient world will require large quantities of raw materials.

Basic materials producers have been striving to reduce their environmental impact for decades, with considerable success. Since 1990, for example, the CO₂ intensity of global cement production has reduced by around a fifth. Yet the sector’s emissions remain significant, driven by the growing population and demands for better buildings, roads, and utility infrastructure. The International Energy Agency expects global cement demand to increase by 12 to 23% by 2050. Even under development scenarios that achieve net zero emissions by the middle of the century, cement production is expected to remain at or above today’s levels during that time.

Achieving significant cuts in emissions while maintaining or increasing output is a big challenge for the sector, and there is no single solution. The Global Cement and Concrete Association’s Net Zero Roadmap outlines 16 separate levers in six broad categories that should help the industry cut its carbon emissions by 64%. The final third of the journey to net zero is expected to be accomplished through the large-scale deployment of carbon capture, utilisation, and storage technologies.

Many steps towards zero

To stick to the roadmap, therefore, every participant in the cement value chain will need to go over their operations with a fine-toothed comb, scrupulously identifying opportunities to boost efficiency, cut energy consumption, and reduce waste.

The sector will need to accelerate the uptake of new tools and technologies, including the application of digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) to optimise operations, increased automation to streamline and industrialise processes, and a shift from fossil fuels to renewably generated electricity where possible.

Companies will also need to focus on the hundreds of less spectacular things that can have a surprisingly significant impact on energy use, resource consumption, and waste. They include optimal equipment specifications, careful control of operating parameters, and effective maintenance.

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Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/special-reports/07072023/a-circular-future/