As the global population burgeons and urbanization surges, creating cities akin to the size of New York City every month, Nollaig Forrest, Chief Sustainability Officer at Holcim, emphasizes the crucial role of cement in construction. Despite its local, affordable, versatile, and recyclable nature, the production of cement contributes to approximately 7% of global CO2 emissions, posing a significant challenge to decarbonization efforts.
To address this, the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with the Global Cement and Concrete Association, has outlined a seven-part framework to scale low-carbon design and reduce emissions from cement and concrete production. The framework focuses on three key levers:
- Manufacturing Process Decarbonization: This involves tactics like enhancing production efficiency and incorporating renewable electricity to reduce emissions.
- Specifying Lower-Carbon Cement Blends: Utilizing supplementary cementitious materials to diminish the volume of cement in production, thereby reducing the carbon footprint.
- Optimizing Material Volume: Implementing design techniques to reduce overall material volumes in projects, balancing the trade-offs between carbon intensity and required volumes.
One promising solution to decarbonize the manufacturing process is offered by Dr. Leah Ellis, CEO of Sublime Systems. Described as the ‘electric vehicle of cement-making,’ Sublime Systems replaces traditional high-temperature kilns with an electric chemical approach, eliminating CO2 emissions associated with fossil fuel combustion and thermal decomposition of limestone.
The technology has shown promise in the lab, scaling up from a gram of cement to 100 tons per year in a pilot plant. However, the ultimate goal is to reach a demonstration-scale capacity of 100 tons daily, with aspirations to scale up to a million tons per year for industry relevance and cost competitiveness.
Leah emphasizes the shift from chemistry-based to performance-based standards in defining cement, focusing on properties rather than just chemical composition. Her vision extends beyond achieving net-zero carbon, aiming for ‘true’ zero carbon by avoiding CO2 emissions from the outset.
In Leah’s perspective, Sublime Systems’ technology is not just for the present but envisions a post-carbon world, relevant for centuries to come. Her journey underscores the importance of unconventional thinking and problem-solving, urging others to venture outside their expertise and contribute innovative ideas.
The commitment to reducing carbon emissions in the cement industry is pivotal for sustainable urban development and construction practices. As cities continue to expand, embracing innovative, low-carbon technologies becomes imperative to ensure a resilient and environmentally conscious future.
The ongoing collaboration between industry leaders, researchers, and startups exemplifies the collective effort needed to revolutionize a sector that plays a central role in shaping the world we build. This collaboration signifies a shared commitment to exploring unconventional solutions and driving advancements that extend beyond the immediate challenges, aiming to create a lasting impact on the way we produce and use cement, ultimately leading to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly construction industry. The journey towards a low-carbon cement future is not only a technological pursuit but a collective responsibility to shape a world where infrastructure development aligns seamlessly with environmental preservation.