RC109 NovDec 2023 - Magazine - Page 9
HEIDELBERG MATERIALS NORTH AMERICA
How big a role will the use of portland-limestone cement
(PLC) play in the overall reduction of emissions for the
industry?
This is an e昀昀ort that we began well over a decade ago. It
can replace up to 10 per cent of the clinker in cement and
give up to a 10 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases
associated with that cement.
When we look to 2030, we’re looking at 昀椀nalizing
our journey to full market penetration of that portlandlimestone cement at the same time that we’re exploring
PLCs that allow for even greater use of unprocessed
limestone. Right now, PLC in Canada allows for a
maximum of 15-per-cent limestone. But we know that
we could increase that to 20 or 25 per cent. In some
jurisdictions around the world this has already happened.
So, we’ve begun the hard work around researching
and testing those low-carbon cements to facilitate their
introduction and adoption in the building code and lay
the groundwork for market acceptance.
Can you describe the key technologies and alternative
fuels/feedstocks that will be used to help the industry
achieve these goals?
The amazing thing about cement and concrete is that
its production process allows for recycling all sorts
of di昀昀erent materials both as fuels and as material
feedstocks for the kilns to make cement.
On the fuels side, looking at the 2030 timeframe,
we’re really looking at the low-hanging fruit, which is
capturing waste materials that have a calori昀椀c value, and
that produce the heat signatures we need in our kilns to
make cement. Our priority materials are biomass feeds
because these are considered carbon-neutral fuels. For
RENEWCANADA.NET
example, construction and demolition waste is primarily
biomass—a lot of wood waste. But we can also use
agricultural waste. We can also use non-recyclable tires,
or the residue from tire recycling; non-recyclable plastics;
and even municipal solid waste and sewage sludge.
These are all materials that can be used as lower carbon
replacements for fossil fuels like coal and petcoke.
What barriers exist for companies using alternative fuel
sources?
The previous barrier was that the policy environment
around permitting for fuels and cement kilns didn’t really
allow for alternatives outside of traditional fossil fuels in
many jurisdictions across the country. And so, we have had
to work with provincial governments to create an environmental compliance assessment regime and permitting
regime that recognizes the environmental bene昀椀ts of those
alternative fuels. And I would say this barrier has largely
been overcome. And so now, the challenge is e昀昀ectively establishing the supplier relationships to 昀椀nd the feedstocks
and have them processed either externally, or on site, to
make them compatible with the cement manufacturing
process. This is something that some of our members in
Canada have a lot of experience with from operations
around the world. In Europe, they are close to 60-per-cent
fuel substitution on average now, and they certainly have
some plants that are 100-per-cent substitution.
In Canada, where we do need more in terms of
investment in R&D and commercial scaling of alternative
fuel technologies is in the bene昀椀ciated biomass space—
biochar, biocoal, and other future fuels like green
hydrogen. These are all fuels that could play a greater
role in cement manufacturing and help further reduce
Heidelberg
Materials is building
a full-scale carbon
capture, utilization,
and storage (CCUS)
system and a
combined heat and
power (CHP) system
at its Edmonton
cement facility.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 – RENEW CANADA 9
