The cement industry is highly competitive, with low margins and little innovation and needs comprehensive support to decarbonize. But why is the cement sector so relevant for reaching a net-zero 2050? What challenges do we face in decarbonizing the cement sector? What alternatives or solutions can we implement to decarbonize cement production?
The Basics & The Gaps is the Future Cleantech Architects flagship series of factsheets and animations which aims to summarise the key facts and figures on some of the most challenging issues and technological innovations needed to reach net-zero.
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[1] Emissions
Total CO2eq 2019: Climate Watch
Aviation 2019 (CO2 only): page i in “CO2 Emissions from Commercial Aviation”, 2020, ICCT
Aviation (non-CO2 factor 2): Jungbluth N, Meili C: Recommendations for calculation of the global warming potential of aviation including the radiative forcing index, The international journal of life cycle assessment, 2019 Mar, 24(3):404-11.
Cement 2019: page 216 in Energy Technology Perspectives 2020, IEA
[2] Global material usage
Usage: Monteiro, P., Miller, S. & Horvath, A. Towards sustainable concrete. Nature Mater 16, 698–699 (2017).
Composition of concrete: page 2 in Decarbonizing Concrete: Deep decarbonization pathways for the cement and concrete cycle in the United States, India, and China. Industrial Sustainability Analysis Laboratory, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 2021.
[3] Applications of cement and concrete
Data for cement end-use in the United States: Figure 4.3 in Ruth, Matthias, and Brynhildur Davidsdottir, eds. Changing stocks, flows and behaviors in industrial ecosystems. Edward Elgar Publishing, 2009.
Data for cement end-use in the United Kingdom: Figure 2.17 in Allwood, J. M., Azevedo, J., Clare, A., Cleaver, C., Cullen, J., Dunant, C., Fellin, T., et al. (2019). Absolute Zero.
[4] Cement demand
Forecast to 2050: Figure 4 in IEA (2018), Technology Roadmap – Low-Carbon Transition in the Cement Industry.
Historical data: Figure 1 in Taylor, M., Tam, C. and Gielen, D., 2006. Energy efficiency and CO2 emissions from the global cement industry.
Concrete stock in Germany: Figure 4 in High-Resolution Maps of Material Stocks in Buildings and Infrastructures in Austria and Germany. Haberl et al, Environmental Science & Technology, 2021, 55 (5), 3368-3379.
[5] Emissions
The distribution of emissions is an approximate average from several sources and discussions with industry experts.
Figure 2 (excluding article manufacture) in Drewniok, M., Cullen, J., & Hibbert, A. (2022). Low Carbon Concrete Technologies (LCCT): Understanding and Implementation, EPSRC IAA Final report.
Page 292 in Allwood JM, Cullen JM, McBrien M., Milford RL, Carruth MA, Patel ACH, Cooper DR, Moynihan M (2011) Sustainable Materials: with both eyes open. UIT Cambridge, England. ISBN 978-1-906860-05-9
[6] High-temperature heat
Fuels used today: page 28 in IEA (2018), Technology Roadmap – Low-Carbon Transition in the Cement Industry.
[7] Emissions reduction potential and maturity of proposed solutions
Drewniok, M., Cullen, J., & Hibbert, A. (2022). Low Carbon Concrete Technologies (LCCT): Understanding and Implementation, EPSRC IAA Final report.
[8] Recommendations
Energy Transitions Commission, Mission Possible: Reaching Net-Zero Carbon Emissions from Harder-to-Abate Sectors by Mid-Century, 2018.
Global Cement and Concrete Association, Concrete Future: The GCCA 2050 Cement and Concrete Industry Roadmap for Net Zero Concrete, Roadmap Overview Document, 2021.
Drewniok, M., Cullen, J., & Hibbert, A. (2022). Low Carbon Concrete Technologies (LCCT): Understanding and Implementation, EPSRC IAA Final report.