Displaying items by tag: CO2
Titan Cement buys share in Aegean Perlites
14 February 2023Greece: Titan Cement has acquired a share in Aegean Perlites. The company operates perlite and pozzolan quarries on the island of Yali. It also has access to port facilities. Titan Group says it is making the investment to gain direct access to pozzolan reserves to increase its volume of pozzolan-based cementitious products with a lower clinker factor. The deal is connected to Titan’s target to reduce its CO2 emissions by 35% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels, and increase the share of green products in its portfolio to over 50%.
Yanni Paniaras, the Group Executive Director Europe of Titan, said “We are pleased to partner with the Govdelas family as joint shareholders in Aegean Perlites, building on our excellent long-term collaboration and aiming to grow our business, maximising the high potential of the Yali pozzolans.”
Belgium: Cembureau, the European cement association, has warned against a proposed 2041 phase-out date for industrial CO2 in the Commission draft Delegated Act on renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs). The European Commission’s (EC) draft Delegated Act on the greenhouse gas saving criteria for RFNBOs sets the rules under which such fuels can qualify as sustainable. The European Commission considers that CO2 from industrial sources should not be allowed for the production of synthetic fuels as of 2041, as this would go against the objective of carbon neutrality by 2050.
Koen Coppenholle, the chief executive officer of Cembureau, said “By proposing an arbitrary deadline on the use of industrial CO2, the EC severely restricts the deployment of carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) in the cement sector.” He continued “We regret that this phase-out date was established without a thorough impact assessment. This risks negatively impacting several on-going carbon capture projects in the European Union (EU), at a time of a global race for green investments.” Coppenholle also called for a “real, thorough debate on CO2 utilisation” to ensure that EU policies support CCU and the deployment of CO2 transport infrastructure and storage.
The association is objecting against this proposal because in its view: manufacturing synthetic fuels using industrial CO2 make a “decisive” contribution to climate mitigation in the short to medium term; no impact assessment has been presented by the EC; the delegated act threatens the viability of existing CCU projects in the cement sector, which require a payback time of 30 - 35 years; and the Delegated Act does not recognise the reality of industrial installations like cement plants, which are faced with unavoidable CO2 emissions, and may not have access to CO2 geological storage sites.
The Delegated Act will be passed to the European Parliament and Council for further scrutiny until April 2023 whereupon they will either accept to reject the proposals. The scrutiny period can be extended to June 2023 at the request of either body.
Carbon Re and A³&Co sign strategic partnership agreement
13 February 2023UK: Carbon Re and A³&Co have signed a strategic partnership agreement to sell cement producers products to optimise production processes to reduce operational costs and carbon emissions. Carbon Re says that its Delta Zero industrial decarbonisation software product can cut fuel use by up to 10% and CO2 emissions by up to 20% and has been piloted in cement plants in three continents. The product uses a machine learning approach to model a cement plant’s production environment and optimise processes for low CO2 output and fuel use with no capital expenditure. A³&Co is a strategic and technical consulting company that is focused on the cement sector.
Sherif Elsayed-Ali, the chief executive officer and co-founder of Carbon Re, said "Our technology is already having a huge impact on some of the world's most energy-intensive industries. This strategic partnership with A³&Co will enable even more cement producers to benefit from the operational savings offered by AI as they tackle the challenge of cutting carbon emissions and rising fuel prices."
Heidelberg Materials North America to study options for CO2 sequestration in Indiana
08 February 2023US: The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) initiative has awarded funding of US$8.9m to Heidelberg Materials North America to study the subsurface geology for suitability for the storage of carbon dioxide at the Mitchell integrated cement plant in Indiana. The proposed project will geologically characterise several prospective reservoirs under the Mitchell plant for storage of more than 50Mt of CO2 over a 30-year timeframe.
The award, which is managed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory, will be issued to the Illinois State Geological Survey at the University of Illinois (ISGS) as the prime contractor, with the company acting as a technical and industrial partner. Heidelberg Materials is contributing about US$1.5m in funding while ISGS will be contributing approximately US$0.6m for a project total of US$11.1m. The funding was part of a DOE initiative that generated nearly US$125m in funding for 10 projects to characterise suitability for carbon storage across the US.
Heidelberg Materials’ Mitchell cement plant is being upgraded with a new production line. Full production on the new line is anticipated to start in early 2023.
Mexico: GCC has secured validation by the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTI) for its latest CO2 reduction goals. The group has committed to reducing its Scope 1 emissions per tonne of cementitious product by 31% and its Scope 2 emissions per tonne of cementitious product by 57% between 2015 and 2030. It has also committed to a 37.5% absolute reduction in its products’ Scope 3 emissions over the same period. The goals will serve as sustainability performance targets for GCC’s US$500m sustainability-linked bond, which it issued in January 2022.
GCC's vice president of sustainability and environment Gina Lotito said "We are proud and excited to be a catalyst of progress towards a low-carbon future. Our laser-focus on our climate change strategy and emphasis on reducing CO2 emissions is a testament to our commitment to creating a sustainable future. While we celebrate our achievements, we acknowledge that there is still much work to be done and remain steadfast in our mission."
Cembureau welcomes EU Green Deal
02 February 2023Europe: The European cement association, Cembureau, has 'welcomed the objectives' of the European Commission's new Green Deal industrial plan. The Green Deal attempts to create a predictable and simplified regulatory environment in which to scale up the production and implementation of net-zero CO2 technologies.
Cembureau also issued its advise for a successful Green Deal implementation. The association said that the framework must match the US Inflation Reduction Act in its provision of tax rebates and other incentives. It said that the plan must establish stable renewable energy prices and rapid permit procedures, with a focus on deployment of renewables at industrial sites. It also called for funding under the plan to finance the development of infrastructure for CO2 transport and storage.
Japan: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has won an Award for Excellence at the 41st Nikkei Excellent Products and Services Awards for its carbon capture system. It was among eight industrial products to win the award for the year. The panel of judges selected MHI's system for its compact and versatile module configuration, which shortens installation and transport times.
MHI's model has been in industrial operation since June 2022, when MHI inaugurated its first system at Taihei Dengyo Kaisha's Seifu Shinto biomass power plant. The technology is now in operation or under implementation at cement plants in Japan and overseas. Most recently, MHI secured a carbon capture contract with a UK cement plant, Hanson's Padeswood plant, in mid-December 2022.
Aker Carbon Capture appointed for Finnsementti's Lappeenranta cement plant installation
31 January 2023Finland: Finnsementti and energy provider St1 have selected Norway-based Aker Carbon Capture to carry out a pre-engineering study for a planned carbon capture system at the cement producer's Lappeenranta cement plant in South Karelia. Dow Jones Institutional News has reported that Aker Carbon Capture offers a 40,000t/yr carbon capture system, capable of producing 25,000t/yr of methanol for use as transport fuel. The project is scheduled to deliver commercial synthetic methanol by 2026.
The Lappeenranta cement plant carbon capture project recently received Euro35.4m in additional funding from the Finnish government, subject to European Commission approval.
Republic Cement and Ecoloop seek new waste management partners
30 January 2023Philippines: CRH subsidiary Republic Cement and its waste management subsidiary Ecoloop are seeking to establish partnerships with 'sustainability-minded' organisations. BusinessWorld News has reported that Republic Cement and Ecoloop process waste for 12 private companies and 30 local government units. Philippines law will require that large organisations recover 80% of their plastic packaging waste by 2030. For 2023, the minimum is 2023.
Ecoloop managing director Angela Edralin-Valencia said “Our goal is to make our cement a greener and more environmentally friendly product. Our ambition is to replace 50% of our fuel consumption with alternative fuel (AF)." She added "A lot of investments have to be put in place from our end to get to that number, but we are still reviewing our options.”
Poland: The European Union (EU) Innovation Fund has awarded Euro228m towards the Go4ECOPlanet carbon capture and storage project at Lafarge Poland’s Kujawy cement plant. The project has a total cost of Euro380m.
It will use Air Liquide's Cryocap FG technology to capture the CO2 at the plant. The CO2 will be liquefied and transported by rail to a port and then injected into a depleted oil field for permanent storage. The transport and storage of CO2 once it has left the cement plant will be accomplished by cooperation with other partners with knowledge and experience in the liquefaction, transport and storage of gases. The goal is to create a complete carbon capture and storage industrial and logistics chain. Commissioning of the cement plant upgrade is planned for 2027.