Displaying items by tag: carbon capture
Carbon Upcycling Technologies partners with A3&Co. for cement industry CO2 utilisation
10 March 2023Canada/UAE: Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) producer Carbon Upcycling Technologies has signed a strategic partnership agreement with technical consultancy A3&Co. The partners will now work towards the delivery of an SCM enhancement reactor that bolts on to existing cement plant equipment. Canada-based Carbon Upcycling Technologies expects to be able to offer the technology to global cement industry customers by March 2025.
Carbon Upcycling Technologies CEO Apoorv Sinha said "We look forward to collaborating with A3&Co. Their extensive experience working with over 125 facilities across the globe will prove invaluable as we continue to adapt our technology for seamless integration at cement plants, enabling onsite sequestration and utilisation of CO2."
France: CRH subsidiary Eqiom expects to complete its carbon capture system installation and kiln upgrade at its Lumbres cement plant under the EU's K6 Programme in early 2028. The project uses Air Liquide's capture technology, whereby purified CO2 is liquefied for storage or use in building materials production.
Anhui Conch releases update on domestic CCS plans and cement plant projects in Uzbekistan
03 March 2023China/Uzbekistan: Anhui Conch has released an update on some of its major development projects. Its new plant at Tashkent in Uzbekistan has an investment of around US$260m. The company reports that 30,000m2 of equipment and materials have arrived, the rotary kiln supporting wheels have been hoisted in place, the main body installation of the coal mill has been completed, the structure of the dormitory building has been capped and the main factory area has begun to take shape. It is also building a plant at Brakbash District in Andijan State. Civil engineering and main engineering construction are reportedly underway. The company also has a third cement plant in the country. So far the group has built over 10 cement plants outside of China.
In China, Anhui Conch is building a CO2 energy storage demonstration project at its Baimashan cement plant in Wuhu, Anhui province. The group says that, once complete, the project will be the world's first commercial demonstration project of a CO2 energy storage system. It says that during the low power consumption period, the excess power will be used to compress CO2 at normal temperature and pressure into a liquid. The heat energy generated during the compression process will be stored. The stored heat energy will then be used to heat the liquid CO2 back into a gas, driving the turbine to generate electricity, reducing the cost of electricity. The demonstration project has an area of 40,000m2.
The cement producer says it is working towards a model of ‘one base and five industries’ where cement production links to other industries such as new energy, new materials, environmental protection, the digital economy and the promotion of international trade.
Germany: The Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) has validated Heidelberg Materials' new 2030 CO2 reduction targets. The targets have a base year of 2020 and conform to a 1.5°C climate change framework. Per tonne of cementitious material, the producer is now committed to reducing its Scope 1 CO2 emissions by 24%, its Scope 2 CO2 emissions by 65% and its Scope 3 emissions by 25%.
Heidelberg Materials' chief sustainability officer Nicola Kimm said “As reflected in our updated Sustainability Commitments 2030, climate action is a crucial element of Heidelberg Materials’ sustainability strategy. The SBTi validation shows that our sustainability agenda not only includes the most ambitious reduction target in the cement industry – but also a realistic, measurable plan in line with the 1.5°C scenario. We follow a clear, science-based approach, reducing our carbon footprint through the levers of product and process innovation and industrial-scale carbon capture, utilisation and storage. By closing the carbon and material loops, we will lead the sustainable transformation of our sector.”
In 2019, Heidelberg Materials became the first cement company to secure SBTi validation for its emissions reduction commitments.
Spain: Cemex España will install a carbon capture system at its Alicante cement plant in Valencia, as part of its efforts to make the unit a 'benchmark pioneer low-CO2' cement plant. The producer holds a contract with ET Fuels for the supply of 45,000t/yr of CO2 captured at the facility for methanol production.
Chief executive officer Fernando González said “Our goal of reaching net-zero CO2 emissions is achievable and will be driven by collaboration and innovation. Our decarbonisation roadmap includes reducing emissions to the lowest possible level through proven levers such as clinker substitution and alternative fuels. New levers, such as rapidly developing CCUS initiatives, must effectively tackle the remaining CO2 emissions to hit our ambitious 2050 objectives.”
Heidelberg Materials increases sales as profit drops in 2022
23 February 2023Germany: Heidelberg Materials' sales increased by 13% year-on-year to Euro21.1bn in 2022 from Euro18.7bn in 2021. This was despite a 6.1% drop in cement and clinker volumes, to 119Mt from 127Mt. Heidelberg Materials' cement and clinker volumes fell by 10% in Western and Southern Europe, by 7.8% in Northern and Eastern Europe-Central Asia, by 14% in North America, by 1.3% in Africa-Eastern Mediterranean Basin and by under 1% in Asia-Pacific. The group's materials costs rose by 23% to Euro21.4bn from Euro18.8bn. Meanwhile, its profit dropped by 9.4% to Euro1.72bn from Euro1.9bn.
Chief executive officer Dominik von Achten said "It’s evident that we can only be profitable in the long term by shaping our future as a company in a climate-compatible way, further reducing the footprint of our products and closing material loops. We are making good strides in all areas. Compared with the previous year, we were able to reduce our specific net CO2 emissions by another 2% in 2022. Our carbon capture, utilisation and storage projects launched worldwide are progressing favourably. At our CCS project in Brevik, Norway, we are well on track with the construction of the world's first CO2 capture plant in our industry, and we look forward to commissioning in 2024." Von Achten continued "We have made a good start to 2023. The fourth quarter showed that we have laid a good foundation for the development in this year. Volatility on energy and raw material markets remains high, but the current easing in energy prices is giving us some breathing room. On the demand side, government infrastructure plans should compensate for the decline in private housing construction. We are optimistic about the further course of the year.”
Rohrdorfer commences carbon capture at Rohrdorf cement plant
22 February 2023Germany: Austria-based Rohrdorfer has started up an amine-based carbon capture system at its Rohrdorf cement plant in Bavaria. The producer plans to ultimately expand the system up to a capture capacity of 1500t/day. The inauguration follows a successful continuous trial of the technology since August 2022, excluding a regular kiln maintenance period over winter. Austria-based Andritz designed the system specifically for the Rohrdorf cement plant. It yields CO2 that is suitable for numerous applications, including in food and beverages and in intermediate products in pharmaceuticals production. The Rohrdorf cement plant also hosts a formic acid plant which uses captured CO2.
Rohrdorfer aims to achieve carbon-neutral cement production by 2038. Alongside production-related optimisations, the producer plans to realise its aim through a future expansion to the Rohrdorfer plant’s carbon capture system and the implementation of a further carbon capture upgrade at a second cement plant in Austria.
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.
Germany: The Carbon2Business carbon capture project at Holcim Deutschland's Lägerdorf cement plant has received Euro110m in funding from the EU. Holcim Deutschland plans to use the funds to install a new oxyfuel kiln with downstream compression and a CO2 cleaning unit at the plant in Schleswig-Holstein. The producer expects to commission the upgraded carbon neutral cement plant in 2029.