Displaying items by tag: Trial

Australia: Suvo Strategic Minerals has been offered an opportunity to field test its lower carbon cement made from kaolin in the Victorian government's level crossing removal project (LXRP). This trial aims to evaluate Suvo’s cement formulation, which the company hopes can reduce up to 70% of Portland cement typically used in construction.

The company utilises ‘hydrous’ kaolin from its Pittong operation, located 40km west of Ballarat, Victoria, in producing this cement. The LXRP trial will allow Suvo to demonstrate the feasibility of using their product in real-world infrastructure projects, with help from the government to navigate the commercial and technical approval processes to introduce its cement product to the market.

Türkiye: Limak Çimento has carried out a month-long test on hydrogen fuel blends at its cement plant in Ankara. The company partnered with France-based Air Liquide for the supply of hydrogen, which was injected into the preheater tower. The pair previously used a 50% hydrogen blend during a test at Limak’s Polatli plant in June 2024, with ‘excellent results’, according to Hydrogen Insight.

Erkam Kocakerim, CEO of Limak Çimento, said "The purpose of this investment is to enable safe and effective use of hydrogen technologies in our cement kilns and to increase the rate of alternative fuel substitution. We aim to operate the kilns in our seven integrated cement plants with a low-carbon fuel mix between 2030 and 2035."

One unusual thing about coverage of cement in the media is the way that discussions often centre precisely on its absence – that is, on alternatives to cement. These alternatives boast unique chemistries and performance characteristics, but are all produced without Portland cement clinker. They are generally called ‘alternative cements,’ perhaps because ‘cement-free cement’ does not have such a commercially viable ring to it. This contradictory tendency reached a new high in the past week, with developments in alternative cement across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. Together, they hint at a more diverse future for the ‘cement’ industry than the one we know today.

Asia

In Indonesia, Suvo Strategic Minerals has concluded tests with Makassar State University of a novel nickel-slag-based cement. Huadi Nickel-Alloy Indonesia supplied raw materials, and tests showed a seven-day compressive strength of 37.5MPa. Suvo Strategic Minerals says that a partnership with Huadi Nickel-Alloy Indonesia for commercial production is a likely next step.

Europe

Cement producer Mannok and minerals company Boliden partnered with the South Eastern Applied Materials (SEAM) research centre in Ireland to launch a project to develop supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) from shale on 7 October 2024. The project will additionally investigate CO₂-curing of cement paste backfill for use in mines. Irish state-owned global commerce agency Enterprise Ireland has contributed €700,000 in funding.

UK-based SCM developer Karbonite expects to launch trial production of its olivine-based SCM with a concrete company in 2025. The start-up launched Karbonite Group Holding BV, with offices in the Netherlands, to facilitate this new phase. Karbonite’s SCM is activated at 750 – 850°C and sequesters CO₂ in the activation process, resulting in over 56% lower CO₂ emissions than ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Managing director Rajeev Sood told Global Cement that talks are already underway for subsequent expansions into the UAE and India.

Back in the UK, contractor John Sisk & Son has received €597,000 from national innovation agency Innovate UK. John Sisk & Son is testing fellow Ireland-based company Ecocem’s <25% clinker cement technology in concrete for use in its on-going construction of the Wembley Park mixed development in London.

At the same time, Innovate UK granted a further €3.23m to other companies for concrete decarbonisation. Recipients included a calcined clay being developed by Cemcor, an SCM being developed from electric arc furnace byproducts by Cocoon, a geopolymer cement technology being developed by EFC Green Concrete Technology UK and an initiative to develop alternative cement from recycled concrete fines at the Materials Processing Institute in Middlesbrough. Also included was the Skanska Costain Strabag joint venture, which is working on the London stretch of the upcoming HS2 railway. The joint venture, along with partners including cement producer Tarmac and construction chemicals company Sika UK, will test low-kaolinite London clay as a raw material with which to produce calcined clay as a cement substitute in concrete structures in HS2’s rail tunnels.

Middle East

Talks are underway between UK-based calcined clay producer Next Generation SCM and City Cement subsidiary Nizak Mining Company over the possible launch of a joint venture in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The joint venture would build a 350,000t/yr reduced-CO₂ concrete plant, which would use alternative cement based on Next Generation SCM’s calcined clay.

North America

Texas-based SCM developer Solidia Technologies recently patented its carbonatable calcium silicate-based alternative cement, which sequesters CO₂ as it cures.

Meanwhile, C-Crete Technologies made its first commercial pour of its granite-based cement-free concrete in New York, US. C-Crete Technologies says that the product offers cost and performance parity with conventional cement, with net zero CO₂ emissions. Its raw material is globally more abundant than the limestone used as a raw material for clinker. Other abundantly available feedstocks successfully deployed within C-Crete Technologies’ repertoire include basalt and zeolite.

Across New York State, in Binghamton, KLAW Industries has succeeded in replacing 20% of concrete’s cement content with its powdered glass-based SCM, Pantheon. KLAW Industries has delivered samples to local municipalities and the New York State Department of Transportation. Its success expands the discussion of possible circular cement ingredients from the industrial sphere into post-consumer resources.

In Calgary, Canada, a novel SCM has drawn attention from one of the major cement incumbents: Germany-based Heidelberg Materials. It invested in local construction and demolition materials (CDM)-based SCM developer EnviCore on 9 October 2024. The companies plan to build a pilot plant at an existing Heidelberg Materials CDM recycling centre.

Conclusion

Alternative cement developers are still finding the words to talk about their products. They may be more than ‘supplementary’ up to the point of entirely supplanting 100% of clinker. Product webpages offer ‘hydraulic binder,’ ‘pozzolan’ and even ‘cement.’ As alternative ‘cements’ are developed, they build on the work of pioneers like Joseph Aspdin and Louis Vicat. Start-ups and their backers are now reaching commercial offerings, on a similar-but-different footing to cement itself. None of these novel materials positions itself as the sole, last-minute ‘super sub’ in the construction sector’s confrontation with climate change. Rather, they are a package of solutions which can combine into a net zero-emissions heavy building materials offering, hopefully before 2050.

Related to this is the need for ‘technology neutral’ standards, as championed this week by the Alliance for Low-Carbon Cement and Concrete (ALCCC), along with 23 other European industry associations, civil society organisations and think tanks. The term may sound new, but the concept is critical to the eventual uptake of alternative cements: standards, the ALCCC says, should be purely performance-based. They ought not attempt to define what technology, for example cement clinker, makes a suitable building material. According to the ALCCC, Europe’s building materials standards are not technology neutral, but instead ‘gatekeep’ market access, to the benefit of conventional cement and the exclusion of ‘proven and scalable low-carbon products.’

At the same time, cement itself is changing. Market research from USD Analytics showed an anticipated 5% composite annual growth rate in blended cement sales between 2024 and 2032, more than doubling throughout the period from US$253bn to US$369bn. If you can’t beat it, blend with it!

For a further discussion of alternative cement and binders in Europe, see Global Cement’s interview with ALCCC co-ordinator Joren Verschaeve in the forthcoming November issue of Global Cement Magazine on 17 October 2024.

Indonesia: Suvo Strategic Minerals has reported successful laboratory tests in collaboration with Makassar State University (UNM) in Indonesia, transforming nickel slag into a ‘high-strength, low-cost and low-carbon’ cement, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. The trials used slag from PT Huadi Nickel-Alloy Indonesia's operations in South Sulawesi, achieving a compressive strength of 37.5MPa after seven days. The company is now looking to conduct further testing and will provide the results to PT Huadi, with the aim of forming a partnership for the commercialisation of low-carbon cement using nickel slag.

Aaron Bank, executive chair of Suvo Strategic Minerals, said “We are excited to have commenced this workstream in Indonesia testing the byproduct of one of the country’s largest mining companies, with our ultimate goal being to manufacture an environmentally-friendly and low-carbon alternative to Portland cement. Achieving up to 37.5MPa after only seven days is an outstanding first round trial result for the company and could provide an entry into a large industry.”

India: Thiruvananthapuram city Corporation has conducted a trial run of its refuse-derived fuel (RDF) plant at Sanmathi Park, Chala. The plant processes up to 1t/day of legacy waste, which is hard to segregate, to produce fuel for cement plants. The plant processes 40kg of materials per 15-minute cycle. Currently, non-recyclable materials are sent to Tamil Nadu cement plants. The government plans to establish at least one RDF plant per district as a permanent solution.

UK: A steel and cement co-recycling process developed at the University of Cambridge has received US$2.9m in seed funding. Cambridge Electric Cement is utilising slag produced during the steelmaking process, which uses electric arc furnaces instead of blast furnaces, as clinker for cement. The researchers are conducting a US$8.4m trial called Cement 2 Zero to test the production process, aiming to produce 110t of recycled cement during the two-year program.

Italy/UK: UK-based carbon capture technology provider Nuada has launched carbon capture trials with Buzzi at its cement facility in Monselice, aiming to accelerate the decarbonisation of the cement industry. The MOF-based VPSA carbon capture plant is now fully operational, capturing 1t/day of CO₂ directly from the facility's stack.

Nuada posted on LinkedIn “Nuada's carbon capture solution is the most energy-efficient developed to date, redefining the decarbonisation landscape for hard-to-abate sectors like cement. Together with Buzzi, we are showcasing the future of carbon capture in the cement industry.”

Canada: Lafarge Canada and Geocycle Canada have successfully completed a pilot at the Lafarge Brookfield cement plant in Nova Scotia to produce clinker using recycled minerals from discarded material. This pilot can potentially cut CO₂ emissions by 60% of clinker. The new clinker product will be used to produce recycled cement in 2024.

CEO of Lafarge Canada David Redfern said "Our teams have been tirelessly working towards finding solutions to decarbonise our business in Canada. This new recycled-minerals clinker combines operational excellence with circular construction, building new and green from what is considered old and waste. This is a great example of how far we can go - the local team at Brookfield is certainly setting the tone for the industry in Canada."

Since May 2023, Lafarge Canada, Geocycle Canada and the Holcim Group Innovation Centre have been collaborating on a 100% circular production of clinker at the Brookfield plant. The new production method involves substitution of raw materials with lower carbon options from discarded materials, as well as alternative fuels produced from these materials. The trial was performed in February 2024 and cement from this clinker will be produced in 2024 for further testing and development of the technology.

UK: C-Capture has initiated a carbon capture trial at Heidelberg Materials’ Ketton cement works in Rutland, as part of its national 'XLR8 CCS' project aimed at accelerating low-cost carbon capture solutions in industries like cement and glass. The trial utilises C-Capture’s technology, which employs a solvent to selectively capture CO₂ from emissions. According to the company, this process does not rely on the use of amines, therefore requiring 40% less energy than conventional methods and reduces costs. The carbon capture solvent compatibility unit designed by C-Capture and partner Wood will test the effectiveness of this technology in removing CO₂ from flue gas emissions produced during the cement manufacturing process.

XLR8 CCS is funded with €2m from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero’s €1.2bn Net Zero Innovation Portfolio. The funding is part of the €23m Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) Innovation 2.0 programme aimed at accelerating the deployment of next-generation CCUS technology in the UK. Additional private sector contributions support a €3.1m total.

C-Capture CEO Tom White said "Decarbonising industry is one of the most pressing global issues. C-Capture’s XLR8 CCS project is a critical step in the race to net zero as we work with our innovative technology and leading industry partners to demonstrate that an affordable carbon capture solution is a reality – even for industries that are difficult to decarbonise. We are incredibly proud to be working with our project partners which have strong commitments to decarbonisation and are early adopters of novel carbon capture technology."

Simon Willis, CEO of Heidelberg Materials UK said “Carbon capture is a critical part of our strategy to decarbonise cement production and essential if we are to reach net zero and help our customers achieve their own decarbonisation goals. Our venture with C-Capture is another example of our commitment to developing new technologies and, if successful, has the potential to be rolled out at other sites across the Heidelberg Materials Group.”

UK: First Graphene has announced a third trial at Breedon Group’s Hope Cement Works to test an optimised formulation of its PureGRAPH-CEM product under full-scale production conditions. The trial aims to further improve the performance of graphene nanoplatelets in cement production using practical experiences obtained from the previous two trials. The third trial is based on a PureGRAPH grade with a particle size distribution and morphology optimised for use in cement grinding mills, designed for direct addition to the mill without the need for additional equipment. The trial will last eight hours and involves close monitoring of cement fineness during the process. It will use just over 2t of the graphene product in up to 1000t of cement, according to the company. The trial is scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2024.