Ankita Gangotra, PhD’s Post

Cement is a fundamental BUILDING block of the modern economy (sorry) — it is also responsible for 8% of global emissions. Finding ways to decarbonize cement production is vital to securing a safe and stable net-zero economy. A new ClearPath report, with support from C2ES and Clean Air Task Force, summarizes some simple steps to help accelerate cement decarbonization. The focus of the report? Flexibility and substitutions. Standard-setting orgs and states can offer cement manufacturers greater flexibility to substitute materials with cement-like binding qualities, without the associated emissions. This simple solution could reduce emissions by as much as 70%! In this blog, C2ES Industrial Policy Analyst Tess Moran summarizes the paper: https://lnkd.in/eHvhfS3W You can find the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eeK3wYNn

How can the cement industry, which contributes 7-8% of the world’s GHG emissions, balance the need to build with the urgent need to decarbonize? I recently read an insightful article by Alfie Lloyd-Perks in World Cement (Oct 18, 2024) that explores how global cement producers can achieve this balance. The core challenge lies in clinker manufacturing, the main source of these emissions. Solutions discussed in the article include: • Replacing carbon-intensive clinker in concrete with alternative materials. • Using clinker sparingly and efficiently. • Capturing the remaining emissions and putting them to use. The article also outlines the “Roadmap to Net Zero,” which involves actions under direct control of producers—such as using lower-carbon fuels, more efficient technologies, and supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs)—while leveraging carbon markets and tax breaks to speed up decarbonization efforts. At the Global Network for Zero (GNFZ), we make GHG reporting and the transition to net zero easy for businesses, including those in heavy industries like cement production. Let’s work together for a sustainable future. To read more: https://lnkd.in/gWYAbjW9 #NetZero #Decarbonization #CementIndustry #GHGEmissions #Sustainability #GreenBuilding #RenewableEnergy #CircularEconomy

False air may seem harmless, but it's a hidden enemy in cement production, silently increasing energy costs, decreasing productivity, and expanding the plant's carbon footprint. This article explores how false air ingress impacts your operations and environment, and how identifying and eliminating it can lead to massive savings and sustainability improvements. Learn how to fight back against this unseen intruder with expert advice from ICC specialists, ensuring your cement plant runs at its best while reducing emissions! Hashtags: #FalseAir #CementIndustry #EnergyEfficiency #Sustainability #AirLeakDetection #CO2Reduction #EnvironmentalImpact #IndustrialInnovation #GreenManufacturing #CementProduction https://lnkd.in/gnnC-nPM

Article Carbon dioxide uptake by Brazilian cement-based materials https://lnkd.in/deXB5ssW The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) recognizes the physico-chemical process known as carbonation. The present paper utilizes a way of calculating carbon dioxide uptake quickly and easily following the simplified methodology known as Tier 1 applied to the largest cement consumer in South America.

👷🏼 #GreenCement Did you know there are innovative solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of cement? At Ansa, Julien Arnoux and Clara Denoyelle are leading the way in transforming the European construction materials market. They've been exploring several decarbonization strategies for cement, including: 🏭 Industrial Upgrading: By adopting the Best Available Techniques, cement companies can cut emissions by up to 5%. This includes methods like using a dry process with pre-calcination. 🔥 Thermal Mix: Switching from petroleum by-products to alternative fuels can reduce emissions by up to 25%. The industry has long used Recovered Solid Fuels made from waste materials. 🔗 Clinker Content: Clinker is the main emissions culprit in cement (around 70%). Fortunately, we can replace clinker with materials like calcined clay, pozzolan, or metakaolin, which offer similar properties with a lower carbon footprint. 🌍 Carbon Capture: Cement companies are also advancing carbon capture and storage solutions to trap CO2 emissions before they enter the atmosphere, potentially slashing greenhouse gas emissions in the future. How is your company incorporating transformative initiatives for a sustainable future in construction? 🏗️💚 #Sustainability #GreenBuilding #CarbonReduction #ConstructionInnovation #EcoFriendly #Cement #CleanConstruction #SustainableBuildings #SustainableIndustry

Decarbonizing the cement industry is a critical and complex challenge, requiring systems-level change that reimagines both the fossil-fuel-dependent, high-energy requirements and the inherent chemical processes of industrial cement production. Low-emissions concrete is vital for transitioning to net-zero emissions, especially as concrete demand is set to increase by 2050. Instead of reinventing the wheel, we’re scaling nature-inspired solutions to grow cement sustainably, as nature has done for millennia: utilizing carbon as a building block for a new chemical reaction and eliminating fossil fuel combustion from cement production. 🌱 https://lnkd.in/dZmTYBGh

Low Carbon & Environmental: Belonging to New Low Carbon Inorganic Gel Material From the carbon emission factor index data, ordinary silicate cement has a carbon emission factor of 740 kg CO2eq/t; gypsum has 65 kg CO2eq/t; and MgO boards have 70 kg CO2eq/t. Comparatively, MgO boards significantly reduce carbon emissions during production.

Carbon Free Cement! Right when I start getting down about the state of the world, BAM, some great news. Not a lot of details here about the chemistry although one can start to see approximately how this works. Just don't start the process with CaCO3 (Limestone), or if one does start with CaCO3, don't drive off the CO2 with a fossil fuel powered kiln to make CaO (Portland Cement) or Ca(OH)2 (Slaked Lime). There are other routes, other methods better than net zero to get to CaO. Don't get me wrong, Net Zero is great, but instead of saying I want to walk on the Earth more lightly, while the earth is getting trampled by 8 billion footprints, where I walk, I want flowers to grow. Editors Note: Climate Positive/Ecosystem Positive....should be a big green sticker that triple bottom line companies can put on their green products. Climate Negative/Ecosystem Negative...a big RED sticker to put on products from single bottom line companies, lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of single bottom line products. Why should I buy those single bottom line products? Don't I have a right/desire to live on a world with healthy animals, insects, plants, soil, water, clean air, stable climate, abundant renewable/sustainable resources? Guess which products I want to buy? Hint - it's definitely the ones with the green sticker. ecosystem rant ✔ triple bottom line ✔ #triplebottomline #triple #bottom #line #singlebottomline #single #bottomline #greenproducts #green #products #sustainable #tech https://lnkd.in/eZCw9fQf

👀 Did you see our post about the potential of using household refuse to power green cement processes? It’s here! https://bit.ly/3WsEEz9 We want to explore the possibilities more deeply. Can we get alternative fuels to emit as much heat as traditional fuels? How do we do this without harming the clinker quality? This thoughtful article in World Cement caught our eye for the innovative solution that its authors suggest: drying the fuels! ☀️ Here’s what it can do.... 💧 Reduce the fuel’s moisture content to 5-9% 🌵 Reuse the exhaust air from the clinker cooler to dry the fuel ✨Remove impurities by adjusting the dryer air flow Drying out alternative fuels makes up for the fact that their composition widely varies between materials, unlike more uniform fuel sources like coal. Processing is key – and good processing means consistently low moisture content in prepared alternative fuels. Looking to reduce carbon emissions from your kiln or calciner burner? Learn more about the difference low-moisture alternative fuel can make ⬇️ https://ow.ly/MzXI50RuMwF #MalvernPanalytical #BuildingMaterials #AlternativeFuels #GreenCement #WorldCement

We are thrilled to announce that we have joined the Portland Cement Association (PCA), the premier industry association for #cement manufacturers and those that support them. This partnership is a major step forward in Carbon Upcycling’s mission to reduce the carbon intensity of cement production and promote industrial circularity. The most effective and credible pathway to decarbonizing the cement industry is working alongside established leaders in the infrastructure sector. Joining the PCA demonstrates our commitment to advancing sustainable practices together to build the low-carbon future of tomorrow. Through our carbon capture and utilization technology, we provide a local, low-energy solution to carbon sequestration and low-carbon cement production by upcycling CO2 emissions and industrial waste materials into high-performance alternatives to cement. Click here to learn more about our partnership: https://lnkd.in/eHuCaM4b #CarbonUpcycling #Sustainability #PCA