Ground-breaking projects advance decarbonisation of cement industry
Academics launch Dubai project while solar used in manufacturing process in Spain
Two ground-breaking projects are aiming to decarbonise the energy-intensive cement industry.
Last week saw the launch of a government, industry and academia alliance in Dubai, while in Spain a trial used solar power for cement production.
The Dubai collaboration is being led by the UK’s Heriot-Watt University and wants to bring the cement sector in the UAE to net zero emissions by 2040. If achieved, it plans to roll out its emissions-busting blueprint globally.
The research is based at the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC) at Heriot-Watt’s Dubai campus and will focus on four key areas: materials and waste management; building permits and regulations; new technologies; and education.
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Cement is the source of about 8% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, according to think tank Chatham House. The majority of this CO2 is produced as a result of decomposition of limestone, while the remainder comes from the combustion of fuel and indirect emissions from electricity consumption.
Dr Anas Bataw, director of the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction at Heriot-Watt, said construction and the wider built environment “accounts for around 40% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions”.
“Yet, the global construction market is expected to grow by $4.5 trillion up to 2030 to reach $15.2 trillion, with China, India, US, and Indonesia expected to account for 60% of this growth.
“During the global transition to net zero, the construction sector needs to dramatically reduce the amount of carbon embedded in new infrastructure and buildings, ultimately reducing its wider impact on the environment.
“As we develop advanced material, technological solutions and educational initiatives that will support the cement decarbonisation journey for the UAE, we’ll be sharing these insights on a global scale to support worldwide decarbonisation efforts.
“As a university with a global footprint, collaborating with global industry partners, we are perfectly placed to share this research.”
Dr Gillian Murray is deputy principal of business and enterprise at Heriot-Watt and says the cement initiative is the latest step in the university research in sustainable construction.
She highlighted Heriot-Watt’s spin-out company Kenoteq, which has launched a revolutionary brick made of recycled construction and demolition waste. The multi award-winning K-Briq is made from over 90% recycled waste materials and produces a tenth of the CO2 emissions of a traditional-fired brick.
“By re-using valuable recycled materials from construction and demolition waste, Kenoteq has achieved a circular-economy exemplar and we are confident it will lead to a circular economy revolution for the construction sector,” said Murray.
Meanwhile in Spain this week, cement producer CEMEX announced that by working with Swiss solar firm Synhelion, it had used solar power to manufacture clinker.
Clinker is an essential component in cement making and is produced by fusing limestone, clay, and other materials in a rotary kiln at temperatures nearing 1500°C.
Usually, fossil fuels are used to heat the kiln, however, CEMEX has used solar power.
“The production of the first solar clinker is an exciting milestone for this transformational technology,” said CEMEX chief executive Fernando Gonzalez.
Synhelion and CEMEX set up a pilot batch production unit to produce clinker from concentrated solar radiation by connecting the clinker production process with a Synhelion solar receiver.
The pilot took place at the Very High Concentration Solar Tower of Spanish research institute IMDEA Energy, where Synhelion’s solar receiver delivers temperatures reaching beyond 1500°C.
The receiver heats a gaseous heat transfer fluid and in turn provides the necessary process heat for clinker production.
The clinker was used to produce cement and was then further processed to produce concrete.
In the next phase of their joint research and development project, CEMEX and Synhelion aim to produce solar clinker in larger quantities as they work towards an industrial scale pilot at a cement plant.
“Our technology converts concentrated sunlight into the hottest existing solar process heat,” said Synhelion chief executive Dr Gianluca Ambrosetti.
