Displaying items by tag: Green Cement

The Indonesian government emphasised its intention this week to use ‘green’ cement in the construction of its new capital city Nusantara in Borneo. However, this begs the question: what exactly is ‘green’ cement?

In this case, Mohammad Zainal Fatah, the secretary general of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, told state media that his department was “seeking to encourage the supply of domestic-industry-based material resources and construction equipment, which can support sustainable infrastructure development principles." The ministry is working with state-owned cement producers such as Semen Indonesia (SIG) to ensure the provision of sustainable cement and related products. SIG was selected as a supplier for the project in late 2022 and, as of February 2024, has reportedly provided 400,000t of cement from its plants at Balikpapan and Samarinda.

This is admirable stuff. However, the timing of the announcement is curious given that both the head and deputy head of the Nusantara Capital City Authority resigned this week forcing the government to reassure investors that the project was still on. Cue some swift discussion about ‘green’ cement! Previously it was hoped that the first phase of the US$34bn project could be inaugurated on the country’s independence day in August 2024 with civil servants scheduled to start relocating to the site in the autumn.

SIG sells a number of ‘green’ blended cement products and some of these have received Green Label Cement certification from the Green Product Council Indonesia. The group says that these products have contributed up to a 38% drop in CO₂ emissions compared to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). This compares to the group’s clinker factor reduction rate of 69% and its Scope 1 emissions intensity reduction of 17% to 585kg/CO₂/t of cement in 2023 compared to 2010 levels.

Along similar lines, the Alliance for Low-Carbon Cement & Concrete (ALCCC) in Belgium also announced this week that it had released a new policy roadmap aimed at achieving net zero emissions by 2040. Amongst its recommendations were a focus on the standards for cement and concrete to promote low-carbon products and encouragement to create lead markets to develop demand for them.

Crucially, the ALCCC uses low-carbon cement in place of ‘green’ cement and this makes its definition clearer. ‘Green’ cement is a marketing term intended to associate cement with environmentalism. Yet there is no accepted definition describing how these products are more sustainable than, say, OPC. For example, a so-called ‘green’ cement could use 100% clinker manufactured with no CO₂ emissions-abatement, but it might be sustainable in other ways such as saving water. For the purposes of this article we’ll assume that ‘green’ cement means a low-carbon one. To further add to the confusion, ‘green’ concrete can be made using OPC in various ways but that’s beyond the scope of this piece. Clearly the world could do with some universal definitions.

US-based research and consulting company Global Efficiency Intelligence came to the same conclusion when it published its ‘What are Green Cement and Concrete?’ report in December 2023. It decided that - despite there being plenty of standards, protocols, and initiatives - there is no general agreement on the definition of ‘green’ cement or concrete. Its emissions intensity for cement summary table can be viewed below. It demonstrates the massive range of emissions intensity between the various standards. It is worth noting here that the description the Indonesian government may have been using for ‘green’ cement could already meet SIG’s Scope 1 emissions intensity reduction for its cement in 2023 depending on the standard being used.

Table 1: Emissions intensity definition for cement as stated by standards, protocols, initiatives, and policies with stated numerical quantity targets. Source: Global Efficiency Intelligence.

Part of the problem here is that there is a language gap between the simple definition of a cement that is less CO₂ emissions-intensive than OPC and the technical definitions used in the specifications and standards. Simply describing a cement product as ‘green’ can potentially cover anything that is slightly better than OPC down to a bona-fide net-zero product. Added to this is pressure from the manufacturers of new and existing cement products that use less or no OPC for regulators to move to performance-based standards to replace existing prescriptive standards, because it makes it easier for their products to be used. For more on this issue see Global Cement Weekly #606. Cement associations such as Cembureau and the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) have also called in their respective net zero roadmaps for changes to the standards system to promote low-carbon cement and concrete products.

The answer to what is ‘green’ cement is whatever the promoters want it to be. So, it might be helpful if the use of the word ‘green’ were banned in connection to any marketing activity related to cement products. Everyone could then adopt some kind of universal grading system using simpler language. One approach might be to copy the colour-coding scheme used by hydrogen to describe how it is made. One could use yellow for limestone blends, silver for slag, orange for clay, black for OPC made with carbon capture and so on… but not green! Another route might be to mandate the use of the carbon labels that some cement producers have used for at least a decade. Or something like the alphabet energy rating system used in the UK and EU for electrical appliances could be used. It’s too much to hope for a global system but simpler systems in the main markets would make it much easier to determine what exactly is ‘green’ cement.

Peter Edwards, Editor of Global Cement Magazine, discusses ‘sustainable’ cement in The Last Word in the June 2023 issue

World: Investment firm Insight Partners has forecast a composite annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.3% in the global green cement and concrete market between 2023 and 2030. This will result in a total value of US$990m in 2030, compared to US$806m in 2023. Regionally, the firm expects the sharpest growth in South and Central America, with a CAGR of 10% to US$7.9m in 2030. North America is expected to grow at a rate of 5.4% annually, to US$190m, followed by Europe, at 4.5% to US$226m, Middle East and Africa, at 2.9% to US$13m, and Asia-Pacific, at 1.4% to US$553m. In 2023, Asia-Pacific commanded a 61% share of the global market. Europe’s share was 20% and that of North America was 16%.

Global: The Green Cement Technology Tracker, launched by the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) and the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT), has expanded its scope to include calcined clay production, a significant step in cement industry decarbonisation. This tool, vital for tracking progress towards net zero emissions, initially focused on various decarbonising technologies and has now broadened to cover calcined clay kilns, which have lower energy requirements and CO₂ reduction potential.

LeadIT Head Per Andersson said “In order to empower the industry and policymakers committed to emission reductions, our goal is to provide comprehensive tracking of public announcements of investments in low-carbon cement technologies.”

GCCA’s Cement, Innovation and ESG Director Claude Loréa said “Driving down emissions requires investment in new technologies and production methods and incorporating calcined clay can contribute significantly, making it a valuable strategy for sustainable construction.”

New Zealand: Golden Bay Cement has signed a deal with Genesis Energy for a supply of bottom ash from Huntly power plant for use in cement production at its Portland cement plant in Northland. Genesis Energy generates 20,000t/yr of bottom ash at the Huntly plant, situated in Waikato, 260km south of the Portland cement plant. The plant currently uses 15,000t/yr of fly ash from the Huntly power plant in its operations. The producer was previously investigating the use of volcanic ash in cement production in 2022. It currently uses waste tyres and wood waste as alternative fuels (AF) to produce its EcoSure low-carbon general-purpose cement.

Golden Bay Cement's general manager Gian Raffainer said "We are driven to decarbonise and achieve 30% less carbon by 2030. Contributing to waste reduction at a large scale for the benefit of all New Zealanders is incredibly exciting. It is a win-win for the environment and for Kiwis who want to use more environmentally friendly products."

Mexico: Holcim Mexico has commenced production of its Fuerte Más reduced-CO₂ cement at its cement plants in Macuspana and Tabasco at a combined rate of 60,000t/yr. The cement offers 50% reduced CO₂ emissions and 10% higher physical performance than ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The El Economista newspaper has reported that Holcim Mexico replaces some of the clinker in the cement with locally-sourced minerals from Southeast Mexico. Chemical compounds in the material colour the cement red.

The Centre for Technological Innovation for Construction (CITEC) Toluca verified the product as suitable for all applications. Holcim Mexico's industrial director Adrián Belli said that comparable green cements are currently only available in France and Italy.

France: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies has acquired ABC Broyage, which operates a slag grinding plant in North Dordogne. The producer says that ABC Broyage will import granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) via La Rochelle and supply ground GBFS to its H1 and H2 green cement plants in Bournezeau. This will give Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies self-sufficiency in its raw materials processing.

Co-founders Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmann said “Managing our supply chain has always been one of Hoffmann Green's strategic priorities. After securing our supplies of co-products and their storage, we are now focusing on optimising their processing through the acquisition of ABC Broyage and the development of vertical integration.” Blanchard and Hoffmann noted that, besides strengthening the company’s control over its raw materials supply, ABC Broyage’s slag grinding capacity also secures its margins in the ‘current highly inflationary context.’

US: Eco Material Technologies has successfully completed its acquisition of near-zero carbon cement alternatives producer Green Cement. Eco Material Technologies previously agreed to acquire Boral’s US fly ash business in December 2021, a transaction which it expects to conclude in 2022.

US: Eco Materials Technologies has finalised its US$1.05bn acquisition of Boral’s US fly ash business and launched an oversubscribed US$525m green bond issue. The issue will help it to become a global green cement production leader, according to the group. The Australian Financial Review newspaper has reported that subscriptions were four times the available bonds.

Germany: Master Builders Solutions has announced the addition of a new range of admixtures consisting of MasterEase and Master X-Seed to its admixtures portfolio. The company developed MasterEase and Master X-Seed to best enable European cement companies to produce cement of the EU’s new CEM II/C-M and CEM VI Portland-composite cements. Master Builders Solutions hopes that the new products will drive the construction industry’s transition to low-clinker cements and CO2-optimised concrete.

Parent company MBCC Group’s European president Christian Geierhaas said “Providing sustainable solutions is a key factor of Master Builders Solutions’ portfolio and overall strategy. Strong partnerships are essential and support and accelerate the development of significant innovations. We work with major players to continuously develop efficient admixtures to add value to our customers and achieve a long-term sustainable positive effect on the construction industry.” He added “In addition to the usual performance criteria, such as fluidity and compressive strength, our new solutions for our ready-mix customers are characterised by their outstanding robustness. Our admixtures provide an important differentiator by guaranteeing consistently high quality concrete, even upon variation of the cement type and fluctuation of the raw materials used to produce these new, more sustainable cements.”

Benelux: Belgium-based building supplies chain EcoBati has signed a distribution agreement with France-based Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies. The producer will supply its H-Iona clinker-free cement for EcoBati to sell online and in its shops in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies owners Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmann said "Signing a distribution agreement with an international specialist in ecological materials shows the competitive edge and relevance of our H-Iona cement within the context of the fight against global warming. We are therefore delighted with the signing of this partnership that allows us to benefit from the EcoBati network’s strategic retail outlets and provide a response to the exponential demand for sustainable cement. We intend to sign more such partnerships in the future in order to spread our responsible vision of the construction sector and contribute to the environmental transition."