Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES)’s Post

Just when I thougth I am done reading about "green" concrete there comes a new Nature paper to keep me hooked! (Dunant et al, Link in Comment) The authors propose to leverage synergies between both steel and concrete recycling processes: already decarbonated (!) recycled cement paste from demolition waste is used as flux in a steel arc furnace (instead of GHG emitting lime). Out comes recycled steel and reclinkered cement in the slug. Little to no chemical emissions. Still needs TONS of energy for demolition and crushing of reinforced concrete, microwave separation of aggregates and the arc furnace. Having the process be "zero emission" hence is only thinkable with a 100% renewable electric energy grid. But hey, at least the decarbonation challenge seems addressed with good potential for scaled application. Looking forward to a much "greener" option to build all the foundations for the mass timber buildings of the future ;) #circular #sustainable #construction #cement #innovation

Excellent document by the Climate Group. Within the context of the United Kingdom, this valuable resource highlights the importance of alkali-activated materials as enablers for decarbonising construction, as well as mechanochemical activation of clays as a key technology for the production of lower carbon supplementary cementitious materials for concrete production, among other technologies. #alkaliactivatedcement #lowcarbonconcrete #activatedclay #mecanochemicalactivation #decarbonising

It was wonderful to pick this up when I joined ConcreteZero, supporting the team of expert contributors and colleagues get this important analysis out into the world. This report is just one example of the thought leadership I'm glad ConcreteZero is a part of. It provides an initial assessment of how combining different decarbonisation levers can support us to close the gap between where the concrete sector's emissions are now, and a Paris aligned pathway. A key takeaway for me is that closing the carbon gap will take maximising all the measures currently at our disposal, as well as introducing innovations whose scaling will require us to address the significant technological and commercial barriers. Recommended read with lots of insights on measures that can reduce or eliminate emissions from concrete production and the financial case for their adoption and scaling. Reach out if you'd like to discuss or find out more! #LCCG #ConcreteZero #ClimateGroup

Concrete production is currently responsible for ~8% of global CO2 emissions, and with the equivalent of Paris being built every single week for the next 40 years, demand shows no signs of slowing down. To decarbonise this essential sector, urgent action is needed—and today, the UK Lower Carbon Concrete Group (LCCG) and #ConcreteZero have launched a ground-breaking scoping study that outlines the solutions to get us there. Long referred to as ‘hard-to-abate’, the solutions to decarbonise concrete are here, now. The report highlights: ⭕Immediate actions like reducing clinker content and increasing concrete efficiency to kickstart progress ⭕"Goldilocks pathways" that balance best practices with breakthrough technologies ⭕Promising solutions like near zero carbon Portland cement and clinker-free concretes that can help close the "carbon gap" in UK (and likely other countries’) concrete production by the 2030s. In the words of our Head of Industry Jen Carson: "The carbon gap is a stark reminder that good intentions alone won’t cut it—we need bold and coordinated action to drive the deep decarbonisation that’ll get the concrete sector to net zero by 2050." 📅 The time to act is now. Find out more about how to reduce emissions and reshape the concrete industry’s future here: https://ow.ly/tEjN50TJxwQ Bruce Martin Mike de Silva Pete Winslow Jim Hall Nia Bell Paul Astle Iva Munro David Cotton Ben Azoula-Victory Marta Dawydzik Natalie Bird Will Arnold Michał P. Drewniok Hisham Hafez Aurelia Hibbert John Ward

The moment this zero-carbon concrete becomes a scalable process, the United States government should immediately 100% mandate that all concrete and steel producers follow this process. 8 trillion tons of concrete are produced every year, and 1/6 of all global emissions are due to steel and concrete production. This will be enormously beneficial for the world, and will cost next to nothing to implement.

Important source of industrial carbon that is finding potential innovative pathways to decarbonize: cement and concrete.

Brilliant way of energizing the reactivation of cement from concrete.

Titan America's Roanoke cement plant, in Virginia, USA, has been selected for negotiations by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for an up to $61.7 million award to support the first-of-a-kind deployment of a calcined clay production line. The implementation of this innovative cement technology will substantially reduce CO2 emissions and become a #model for #building more #sustainable #infrastructure in the #USA and across the Group. The selection of our project underscores our dedication to reducing CO2 emissions throughout the organization, aligning closely with our ambitious goal of achieving #netzero concrete by 2050. This move is also in line with the Group’s Green Growth #Strategy 2026, aimed at expanding the range of low-carbon #cementitious products offered to #customers. The technology from this project is poised to set a new standard for building bridges, hospitals, schools, and other critical infrastructure projects. You may learn more here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gbEHuubt #Titan #climateaction #decarbonization #greentransition

Ever wondered about the much-cited statistic that 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions can be attributed to construction materials? Data from Climatetrace.org roughly corroborates this statistic. The ClimateTrace project measures greenhouse gas emissions via satellite. The 2022 release activities from three major construction product sectors --cement, steel and aluminum-- landed at 4.98 billion tons of CO2e, based on measurements from 3399 individual sources. This is a whopping 8,5% of the total greenhouse gas emissions ClimateTrace registered in 2022. Gives good credence to the 10% statistic when you take a few factors into account: not all cement, steel and aluminium releases are site monitored by ClimateTrace, and the source monitoring doesn't include many other construction products (no mineral based insulation, no ceramic products, no glass). On the other hand, not all steel or aluminum is used in the construction sector. Like I said, it's a rough corroboration! Take a look - fascinating actual emissions data on national /international levels: https://lnkd.in/dRhiEgpe

CONCRETE PRODUCTION WITH CARBON CAPTURE AND UTILIZATION To achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, we’ll need the full spectrum of carbon removal solutions Carbon utilization puts captured CO2 to work as an input for a wide range of products, including garments, vodka, jet fuel and concrete, among others. The potential with concrete is particularly massive. With an estimated 35 billion metric tons of concrete poured around the world annually. Right now, all concrete comes with a hefty carbon footprint. Cement — its key ingredient — generates roughly 7% of global CO2 emissions. The industry has set a roadmap for achieving net zero emissions using a combination of climate solutions, mainly relying upon carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). Carbon dioxide can be utilized in concrete production in three different ways: 1️⃣ injection of CO2 during curing of precast concrete 2️⃣ injection of CO2 during mixing of ready-mixed concrete 3️⃣ formation of carbonate aggregates/additives.   Unlike some other carbon dioxide utilization pathways, such as the conversion to e-fuels, which requires large amounts of energy and green hydrogen, the basic mineralization chemistry underpinning the uptake of CO2 during concrete manufacturing is thermodynamically favored and less energy-intensive because stable metal carbonates are formed. These carbonates represent effectively permanent sequestration of CO2, so CO2-derived building materials double up as simultaneous carbon dioxide utilization and carbon dioxide storage. The process is compatible with many different sources of CO2. #concrete #cement #emissions #CO2 #carbon #capture #utilization #storage #CCUS #CCU #CC #energy