Displaying items by tag: Alternative raw materials
Nepal Cement Manufacturers Association signs memorandum of understanding for limestone calcined clay cement technology
23 January 2024Nepal: The Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Department of Mines and Geology and non-governmental organisation Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA) for the adoption of limestone calcined clay (LC3) cement in Nepal. The parties say that LC3 cement can reduce CO2 emissions by 40% and reduce coal consumption in cement production. Enewspolar News has reported that the Swiss Development Cooperation has previously supported the diffusion of the technology in the global cement sector.
Adani Group to establish cement plant in Santhal Pargana
22 January 2024India: Adani Group has announced plans to build a new cement plant, possibly at Godda, in Jharkhand’s Santhal Pargana Division. The Times of India newspaper has reported that producer recently established a 1.6GW power plant in Godda.
The group said “In keeping with our group’s expansion plans, we are conducting a feasibility study to set up a cement factory, most probably in Godda. A proposal will be sent to government soon. The proposed plant will further boost the economy of Godda and Santhal Pargana. The proposed plant will utilise fly ash from our existing power plant here as raw material. At present, the fly ash is being sent to the ACC cement plants in Jhikpani and Sindri.”
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.”
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne recognised as Energy Transition Changemaker for LC3 limestone calcined clay cement project
19 December 2023Switzerland/UAE: The COP28 UAE Presidency named École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) among its Energy Transition Changemakers in the Heavy Emitting Sectors category. EPFL won the prize for its LC3 limestone calcined clay cement, which replaces 50% of clinker content with calcined kaolinite clay and limestone. LC3 cement reduces CO2 emissions by 40% compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC), and is a readily available solution that can be scaled worldwide. EPFL noted the special importance of LC3 cement for CO2 reduction efforts in developing countries, and sees it as having the potential to eliminate 500Mt/yr of global CO2 emissions by 2030. In a post to LinkedIn, the LC3 Project said that nine plants around the world currently produce LC3 cement, with a further 20 planned before 2025.
Spain: Holcim España has committed to reaching 50% reduced-CO2 cement production at its Sagunto cement plant in Valencia. The cement comes under its ECOPlanet range, which offers emissions reductions of up to 30%. General manager Lucas García said that the company relies on supplementary cementitious materials, including recycled raw materials, and alternative fuels in producing the cement.
The El Mercantil Valenciano newspaper has reported that the Sagunto plant’s environmental manager, Carmen Orts, said that its application of 29 different best available techniques ‘ensures the protection of the environment with a holistic vision.’
Adani Cement to use 60% renewable energy by 2028
07 December 2023India: Adani Group says that it will power 60% of its cement production using renewable energy by 2028. In a post on X, the group noted that its Adani Cement business uses fly ash or slag in cement production at 90% of its plants.
Ecocem holds alternative materials symposium in Paris
14 November 2023France: Ireland-based Ecocem hosted a symposium on the application of new materials technologies in cement production on 14 November 2023. Participating materials scientists published a statement calling on the global cement industry to make use of alternative materials to achieve CO2 emissions reductions. In the statement, they said “It is no longer possible to say that we lack the technology or that the costs are prohibitive.”
Vinh Tan 1 coal-fired power plant supplies 811,000t of slag and ash to cement plants in first nine months of 2023
27 October 2023Vietnam: Cement producers received 811,000t of boiler slag and fly ash from the Vinh Tan 1 coal-fired power plant in Binh Thuan during the first nine months of 2023. This corresponds to 74% of the volume of the by-products generated at the plant during the period. Việt Nam News has reported that the nearby Vinh Tan 4 coal-fired power plant also ‘almost entirely’ avoided waste in the same way. The Vinh Tan 1 coal-fired power plant ended the period with 4.3Mt of ash and slag in stockpiles, while the neighbouring Vinh Tan 2 Thermal Power Plant had 7Mt.
The provincial government of Binh Thuan Province has lobbied the Ministry of Construction to review and adjust current requirements around HDPE liner use, water quality testing and radiation safety in order to facilitate the use of boiler slag and fly ash in cement and other construction products.
Spain: Cementos Molins has processed 75,000t of waste into alternative raw materials for use in its cement production since opening its Barcelona alternative raw materials plant in September 2022. The plant has a production capacity of 200,000t/yr. It produces the materials from construction and demolition waste and various industrial by-products.
Cementos Molins’ director of corporate development and sustainability, Carlos Martínez, said “Our commitment to the environment is intrinsically linked to our business model, which is based on the development of sustainable and innovative materials.” He continued “We provide a second life to industrial and construction waste that would otherwise end up in landfills, generating high-quality sustainable products from them. The plant has enabled all our cements to incorporate alternative raw materials in their production process. Furthermore, we are working to reduce the carbon footprint of all our concretes, ensuring that, in the short term, all of them include recycled aggregates in their manufacture."
ThyssenKrupp Polysius wins CIMPOR flash activator contract
13 October 2023Ghana: CIMPOR has appointed Germany-based ThyssenKrupp Polysius to build a 1280t/day flash activator for clay. The activator will supply calcined clay for use in the production of cement with a clinker factor as low as 50%. This can reduce the cement’s CO2 emissions by 40% compared with ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The supplier’s contract covers engineering, supply of core equipment and supervision of the project. The equipment includes parts for clay handling, a hammer mill, a flash dryer and preheating and cooling equipment, as well as storage silos. The activator will be natural gas-fired.
Polysius Activated Clay product owner Leo Fit said "Our technology is not only more environmentally friendly, but also creates cost benefits for our customers like CIMPOR. In many regions, limestone is scarce and clinker has to be imported at high cost. At the same time, suitable clay sources are available. The increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is leading cement manufacturers to rethink. They need an alternative that is cost-efficient and at the same time provides high-quality cement. This is exactly what Polysius activated clay offers."