A new era for low-carbon cement

The cement industry faces an intractable problem. It is well known that concrete accounts for 2.8 billion t of CO₂ emissions each year, equivalent to roughly 8% of the global total and more than any country other than China or the US. But it is also one of the world’s most-consumed resources, second only to water, and essential for virtually every building project, not least key infrastructure. There is also no viable alternative, leaving economic stability and climate targets in the balance.

This is not another article imploring the industry to change its ways. Everyone reading this will be keenly aware that decisive action is needed to bring emissions in line with ambitious targets, especially when legislation and impending changes to the carbon tax credits scheme effectively force a new approach. The focus of this piece is instead on solutions, and in particular a new system called Nuada that can be seen as in important development in carbon capture technology.

CCUS: huge opportunities and savings

CCUS – carbon capture, utilisation, and storage – is widely seen as one of the best methods for industry to cut emissions in ‘hard-to-abate’ – and yet essential – sectors like cement production. It is not without its challenges, but this technology currently offers the most viable and fastest route to a more sustainable state of play. Some of the most recognisable names in the heavy industries have started to take note of the technology. Mining giant Rio Tinto, for example, recently announced plans to deploy the technology at an aluminium smelt in Iceland, while the UK government signed off two multi-billion-pound schemes backed by several oil majors in the north of England. Cement production is also making moves, with a pledge to build 10 industrial-scale projects by 2030.

As the International Energy Association points out: “Key strategies to cut carbon emissions in cement production include improving energy efficiency, switching to lower-carbon fuels, promoting material efficiency (to reduce the clinker-to-cement ratio and total demand), and advancing process and technology innovations such as carbon capture (CC).” The latter two contribute the most to direct emissions reductions in the IEA’s net zero by 2050 scenario.

It is clear that current demand cannot be met without some continuation of current practices, not least because a drastic, unmanaged transition would be far too damaging. Indeed, the main draw for CC is its feasibility, providing a practical means to cut carbon while also maintaining a level of output needed for growth. The potential savings are also impressive. The International Energy Agency, for example, estimates that CC projects could help reduce global carbon emissions by almost a fifth and lower the cost of tackling the climate crisis by 70%.5 Savings of that kind are often based on long-term projections but game-changing technologies.

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Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/special-reports/30112022/a-new-era-for-low-carbon-cement-1/