RC109 NovDec 2023 - Magazine - Page 10
LEADERSHIP
emissions after 2030. But right now, there isn’t really a lot of supply,
and what supply exists is prohibitively expensive. So, there do remain
some barriers when we look beyond 2030.
What role do you see carbon capture utilization and storage technologies and projects playing in assisting the industry in its emissions
targets?
Carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies are
needed because of those industrial process emissions. About 30 per
cent of our emissions are coming from combustion, and about 60 per
cent of the emissions come from the sintering of the limestone in the
kiln. Limestone is calcium carbonate, and that carbon is released in
the heating process. That’s what allows for the chemical reaction to
take place to make clinker. And so those emissions are e昀昀ectively irreducible, and that’s why CCUS becomes essential. It’s really the only
technology that exists today to mitigate the process emissions from
the calcination of limestone in the kiln.
There are two cement facilities in Alberta where there’s already
a pretty mature conversation about CCUS technologies. Of course,
Alberta already has the CO2 transportation infrastructure. They also
have signi昀椀cant identi昀椀ed geologic storage space, and they have
the regulatory and liability regimes more-or-less sorted out. So, it’s
quite advanced in terms of providing that fertile 昀椀eld of regulatory
and infrastructure resources that are needed to support CCUS. The
Heidelberg Materials facility in Edmonton, and the Lafarge Canada
facility in Exshaw are actively pursuing carbon capture utilization
and storage, with the aim of producing net-zero cement by 2030, or
as early as 2026 in the case of Heidelberg’s Edmonton plant.
What else can be done to help the industry meet its goal of net-zero
carbon emissions by 2050?
In our action plan we really look across the whole value chain.
We call it the 昀椀ve C’s: clinker, cement, concrete, construction, and
carbonation. We really wanted to be able to articulate within each
of those C’s who we need to partner with to remove obstacles or
to create the right incentives and environment for these solutions
to succeed in the market. We are transparent about what we are
doing, and planning to do, and what we can do on our own on the
industrial manufacturing side.
We also clearly articulate how the construction industry needs
to work with us on things like optimizing mix design, and 昀椀guring
out how we can integrate material e昀케ciency into the design of our
structures. How do we need to change construction practices and
design practices to be able to incentivize those types of solutions?
In many ways this is a call to action to our partners in the
construction value chain, as well as government, to work with us to
make reductions that are achievable with today’s technology; and to
work with us to make sure the regulatory and market environment
are aligned with the goal of reducing carbon and bringing those
solutions into the market. We can’t do it alone. These things are
not possible just by the cement sector and concrete sector acting
independently. We need partnerships to be successful.
Infrastructure optimization
through innovation
At CIMA+, we leverage
solutions to help our clients
decrease their carbon footprint
and lower energy costs, while meeting
the needs of our growing communities.
Learn more
cima.ca
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RENEW CANADA – NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023
RENEWCANADA.NET
