Displaying items by tag: Emissions

US: Continental Cement Company will pay a US$74,440 civil penalty and spend at least US$282,000 to procure low-emission buses for a local school district as part of a settlement following alleged Clean Air Act violations. The replacement propane buses will reduce air pollution in areas impacted by excess emissions from Continental Cement’s operations.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it identified inadequate operation of leak detection systems during a December 2022 inspection, which are designed to notify the company of potential hazardous emissions. Without a functioning leak detection system, the facility would be unaware of whether pollutant filters are operating effectively to reduce emissions of particulate matter and other air pollutants.

Japan: Fortera is collaborating with Sumitomo Corporation to introduce its ReCarb technology in Asia, starting with Japan. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to deploy Fortera’s bolt-on ‘low-to-zero-carbon’ cement plants across the region, focusing on the largest cement manufacturers.

Fortera’s ReCarb process converts industrial CO₂ directly from cement production into cement that is reportedly third-party verified as having 70% less embodied carbon tonne-for-tonne than ordinary Portland cement. When paired with renewable energy, Fortera can achieve zero-CO₂ cement production.

Ryan Gilliam, CEO of Fortera, said "This partnership is a pivotal moment for the future of sustainable cement production, because you can’t make a meaningful impact on the industry’s carbon emissions without partnering with major industry players in Asia, which is home to the largest cement market in the world."

India: A Bangalore-based startup formed at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has developed an ‘eco-friendly’ cement alternative using geopolymer technology. The product claims to reduce CO₂ emissions by 21.5kg/m² of pavers produced compared to ordinary Portland cement, according to The Economic Times. It also claims to eliminate water use and offer a 15-20% cost advantage. The product achieves full strength in just three days, compared to the 28 days required for Portland cement.

Nanjunda Rao, one of four cofounders of Novacret and chief research scientist at IISc, said “The benefits are significant, geopolymer-based materials achieve full strength in just three days in tropical climates like India, compared to the 28 days required for Portland cement.”

UK: Cemex and SUEZ Recycling and Recovery have celebrated the use of 1Mt of alternative fuel at Cemex’s Rugby cement plant since the adjacent SUEZ Malpass Farm facility opened in 2015. The partnership has reduced coal consumption at the plant by over 750,000t, alongside downstream CO₂ savings from supply chain emissions transporting and shipping coal on-site.

SUEZ processes non-recyclable materials at Cemex’s Rugby facility to produce Climafuel. The fuel is derived from sifted and shredded waste from local authorities and businesses in the Midlands, and is used to heat the kiln at the neighbouring Cemex plant. Ash from the Climafuel is also incorporated into clinker production.

Phil Baynes-Clarke, director of cement operations for Cemex UK, said “Since 2013, we have collaborated closely with SUEZ to produce Climafuel, a refuse-derived, non-fossil-based alternative fuel used to heat the kiln in the cement-making process. Over the past decade, Climafuel usage has steadily increased at our Rugby cement plant. Our ultimate goal is to operate the kiln with 100% alternative fuels, and we are getting close to this target.”

UK: Nuada and Carbfix have signed a memorandum of understanding to deliver integrated carbon capture and storage (CCS) solutions targeting emissions reduction in the cement, lime, steel, waste-to-energy and bioenergy sectors. The partnership combines Nuada’s carbon capture technology with Carbfix’s underground CO₂ mineralisation method.

Nuada’s technology uses solid sorbents, metal organic frameworks, and vacuum pressure swing adsorption to capture CO₂ from the source while addressing barriers like energy consumption and cost. Carbfix’s storage method accelerates the mineralisation process by injecting CO₂ into basaltic rock, where it reportedly transforms permanently into stone within two years.

UK: Material Evolution has launched its 'ultra-low carbon' cement production plant, Mevo A1, in Wrexham. The facility was commissioned in October 2024 and operates on an industrial scale with a capacity to produce 120,000t/yr of its MevoCem product, which the company claims can achieve up to 85% emissions reductions compared to ordinary Portland cement. The plant uses Material Evolution's alkali-fusion process that doesn’t require heat or a kiln, producing a cement capable of undergoing geopolymerisation.

Sam Clark, co-founder and chief operating officer said "This launch takes us one step closer to achieving our goal of removing one gigaton of CO₂ by 2040."

Taiwan: Taiwan Cement Corporation (TCC) and 100 construction firms have together launched the Low Carbon Construction Pioneer Alliance. CNA News has reported that the founding members eliminated 146,000t of CO₂ emissions altogether through their use of reduced-CO₂ building materials since November 2024. This includes despatches of 800,000m³ of Portland limestone cement (PLC) concrete by TCC, with 2.5Mm³ in cumulative orders to date. TCC first launched its PLC in October 2023, touting an emissions reduction of 15% compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). It since enlarged the net reduction to 24% through production modifications.

Taiwan Cement chair Zhang Anping said "TCC took the initiative to align with the Global Cement and Concrete Association and released the lowest-carbon PLC concrete in Taiwan. The CO₂ reduction is far greater than the 53% as defined by the government.”

India: UltraTech Cement has entered a new transport service contract to deploy about 100 electric vehicles for the transportation of 75,000t/month of clinker from its cement plant Dhar Cement Works in Madhya Pradesh to its grinding unit Dhule Cement Works in Maharashtra, 200km away. This expansion aims to reduce CO₂ emissions by 17,000t/yr. The initiative follows a successful pilot launched in January 2024, in which the company deployed five electric trucks for the transport of clinker on this route, as well as the deployment of charging infrastructure and training. UltraTech is evaluating additional routes for further electric truck deployment and plans to conduct another pilot with a similar model. The company aims to increase its electric truck fleet to 500 by June 2025 as part of India's eFAST initiative.

North Macedonia: Titan Usje will invest €20m over the next three years to modernise its operations, focusing on digitalisation and new technologies. Since 2019, the company has invested over €6m in digitisation and artificial intelligence solutions. The system is being rolled out across all Titan plants and is designed to maximise production efficiency, reduce energy use by over 10% and improve product quality, while cutting CO₂ emissions.

Oman: Raysut Cement Company has launched a programme to recycle industrial byproducts for use as alternative fuel in cement production and electricity generation, to align with Oman's goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

Hilal bin Saif Al-Dhamri, Acting CEO of Raysut Cement, said "We use secondary industrial materials resulting from production processes across various industries. These are recycled in cement manufacturing and are categorised into two types: one that can be reused as an alternative fuel in plants, the other is used as a partial replacement to the main raw materials leveraged for cement production.” He added "We implemented a project to reuse exhaust heat and convert it to electrical energy at the Raysut Cement plant in Salalah. This innovative approach permits the plant to generate approximately 30% of its electrical energy, by reducing around 50,000t/yr of CO₂. As a result, the Salalah Raysut Cement plant stands out as environmentally friendly, distinguished by its capability to provide clean energy for cement production."

Al-Dhamri also noted that the company was able to enhance the efficiency of its Salalah plant through this programme, by reducing the clinker content while improving the performance of cement in concrete. This has reportedly contributed to a CO₂ emissions reduction of around 18% compared to ordinary cement.