Connect with us

Concrete

Behind the scenes of MissionZero: What, why and how?

Published

on

Shares

??e??e had an overwhelming response to our announcement of MissionZero: zero use of fossil fuels and zero emissions in cement by 2030. Whilst ambitious, it?? a necessary step to take to meet the urbanisation needs of a growing population. Here is the what, why and how innovation will help us get there.??Thomas Petithuguenin, Innovation Manager, FLSmidth

Since the announcement of our sustainability programme, MissionZero, we??e heard a lot from our customers, industry stakeholders and the media. There has been a mix of scepticism, excitement and great anticipation. The dust has since settled, and we are busy tackling the task from all possible angles.

MissionZero comes with the responsibility of pulling the weight of an entire industry, looking for solutions that will not only reduce our environmental impact, but do so without jeopardising profitability and economic growth.

Innovation plays a crucial role in MissionZero because its main purpose is to improve efficiency, which go hand in hand

with lowering resource consumption: the essence of sustainability.

Numbers don?? lie

Concrete is the second most-used substance on Earth due to its versatility and durability. It is estimated that by 2030, about 4.8 billion annual metric tonnes of cement will be needed to support a population growth of approximately 1.2 billion people.

If we are to provide future generations with the high-quality infrastructure that we have grown accustomed to, we need to change our current practices. MissionZero may be ambitious, but we are willing to take responsibility and lead the cement industry towards a carbon-neutral future.

Looking forward, cement production is expected to increase at a regular annual rate of five percent. With cement plants currently operating at close to 70 percent of global capacity, the number of new plants required to meet market growth is limited.

It is therefore essential that solutions developed to reduce CO2 emissions at cement plants are competitive in a cost-conscious market, and that they can be retrofitted on existing plants.

Baseline

CO2 emissions from cement production come from three main sources:

  • Calcination of limestone (approx. 56 percent)

  • Combustion of fuels (approx. 37 percent)

  • Power consumption (approx. 7 percent)

These values are based on a cement plant that emits 0.89 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of cement produced. Of course, these numbers can vary from site to site based on cement composition, fuel substitution and process efficiency. This information is being used as our baseline to meet the objectives of MissionZero.

Innovation focus

Achieving our MissionZero objectives by 2030 requires focus on innovation milestones that:

  • Facilitate the use of alternative fuels over fossil fuels

  • Increase the practice of clay calcination and thereby reduce the volume of clinker

  • Introduce circular economy and alternative raw materials 

The road ahead

The roadmap for the next decade is pitched to be filled with research and development opportunities, collaboration between industry stakeholders and a wide range of product innovation activities. Our plan has three phases with different focuses.

Phase one

Over the next two years, we will make it easier to obtain 100 percent alternative fuel firing and complete fuel flexibility. The latter describes the ability to fire a variety of fuel types to avoid relying on a single source. Refuse-derived fuel (RDF) is an example of alternative fuel.

We will focus our effort on gasification technology, to first produce stable, clean and sustainable combustion gas in the calciner; and as a second step, deploy this solution to the main burner. 

Meanwhile we will use process control solutions to maintain clinker quality while firing fuels of varying properties. This will enable fuel flexibility, i.e. the ability to fire a variety of fuel types and avoid reliance on a single source. Research in alternative sources of heat, such as solar, nuclear, and electric, as well as the development of heat-free calcination is also being conducted.

Phase two

Spanning five years, phase two started in 2020 and focuses on lowering the volume of clinker by accelerating deployment of clay calcination and promoting the use of clinker/clay/limestone blends.

The first step will be to demonstrate industrial-scale clay calcination for use as a cementitious binder, and second step is to decarbonize this process via electrification. Clay is particularly interesting as it is abundant in growth regions which also face a lack of good quality limestone.

Phase three

Sustainability and circular economy go hand-in-hand. Once phase two has wrapped up, we??l turn our focus to leveraging this final phase. The goal is to reduce overall calcination emissions. Where this is not possible, the emissions will be offset through producing brown fuels. There are three pathways that can contribute to this goal:

  • Deploy geopolymers to commercialise a process solution for cementitious binders with extremely low clinker content.

  • Replace limestone with cement recycled from old concrete structures. This strategy will effectively bring calcination emissions down to zero.

  • Use the cement plant to produce synthetic fuels, which are drop-in replacement fuels. By using a larger version of our alternative fuel gasifier, it will be possible to recycle waste into useful hydrocarbons for the aviation and maritime industries. This pathway has the potential to earn additional revenue, dispose of more waste, and close the carbon loop by replacing fossil hydrocarbons with recycled hydrocarbons.

Natural progression

The solutions being described in our roadmap are not revolutionary, more of a natural evolution of the many efforts already ongoing across the FLSmidth Group. What needs to happen now is cohesive collaboration across our industry to create solutions that will get us there by 2030.

I hope that this behind-the-scenes glimpse answers some of the questions raised following the announcement of MissionZero. Perhaps it will spark new questions and generate more conversations, which will raise even more awareness around sustainability in the cement industry. Every industry and individual has a part to play if we are to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Thomas Petithuguenin

Innovation Manager, FLSmidth

Discover more: https://www.flsmidth.com/en-gb/company/sustainability

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Concrete

Sambhv Steel Tubes is Now Certified as a Great Place to Work

This certification, valid from January 2025 to January 2026.

Published

on

By

Shares
Sambhv Steel Tubes Limited, one of the key manufacturers of electric resistance welded (“ERW”) steel pipes and structural tubes (hollow section) in India in terms of the installed capacity as of March 31, 2024 (Source: CRISIL Report) is pleased to announce that it has been officially certified as a “Great Place to Work® for 2025. 
This certification, valid from January 2025 to January 2026, is a testament to the company’s commitment to fostering a workplace environment built on trust, collaboration, innovation, and employee well-being. Sambhv Steel Tubes also invites talented professionals who share its values of trust, collaboration, and innovation to join its team and be part of its growth journey. The Great Place to Work® certification is a recognized benchmark for workplace excellence. It is awarded based on employee feedback and an evaluation of workplace practices. Achieving this certification underscores Sambhv Steel Tubes’ dedication to nurturing a culture where Sambhv Steel strives to ensure that employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to grow both personally and professionally 
The DRHP is available on the website of the Company at www.sambhv.com, SEBI at www.sebi.gov.in, websites of BSE Limited at www.bseindia.com and National Stock Exchange of India Limited at www.nseindia.com and the website of the book running lead managers, i.e. Nuvama Wealth Management Limited and Motilal Oswal Investment Advisors Limited at www.nuvama.com and www.motilaloswalgroup.com, respectively. Any potential investor should note that investment in equity shares involves a high degree of risk and for details relating to such risk, please see the section entitled “Risk Factors” of the RHP, when filed. Potential investors should not rely on the DRHP for making any investment decision. This announcement does not constitute an offer of the Equity Shares for sale in any jurisdiction, including the United States, and the Equity Shares may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under the US Securities Act of 1933 or an exemption from registration. 
Any public offering of the Equity Shares to be made in the United States will be made by means of a prospectus that may be obtained from the Company and that will contain detailed information about the Company and management, as well as financial statements. However, the Equity Shares are not being offered or sold in the United States. CRISIL Market Intelligence & Analytics (CRISIL MI&A), a division of CRISIL Limited, provides independent research, consulting, risk solutions, and data & analytics to its clients. CRISIL MI&A operates independently of CRISIL’s other divisions and subsidiaries, including, CRISIL Ratings Limited.
Image Source: Sambhv Steel Tubes

Continue Reading

Concrete

Cement Industry Key to Growth, Jobs, and Nation Building in Budget

Budget presents opportunities for cement sector in growth, jobs, and infra.

Published

on

By

Shares
The Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA) welcomes the Union Budget 2025-26 presented by the Honourable Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. CMA Member Companies have been at the forefront of nation building by significantly contributing to infrastructure development, employment generation, and economic growth. CMA believes that the Budget presents a commendable vision for India’s development through strategic investments in people, economy, and innovation.
Commenting on the Budget, Neeraj Akhoury, President, Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA) and Managing Director, Shree Cement Limited, stated, “CMA hails the Union Budget, announced under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for its comprehensive focus on holistic and inclusive development. The Budget reinforces a transformative journey towards building a resilient economy for advancing India’s development goals. The various initiatives announced by the Government balance people’s aspirations with the future requirements for the Country’s economic growth. The focus on increased investments on infrastructure across States amplifies opportunities and avenues for the growth of the Cement sector. We appreciate the sustained core focus on infrastructure and reiterate our commitment to being partners in Nation’s progress.<p></p>
<p>The increased spending on large scale housing and infrastructure projects will drive demand for construction materials allowing capacity expansion and promotion of innovation in sustainable practices. We are certain that despite challenges these measures will support the Cement Industry in achieving a consistent CAGR growth rate of more than 6 per cent of installed cement capacity in the present financial year. Policy reforms in Budget 2025-26 signal a reaffirmation of the Government’s intent to augment socio economic growth across core sectors.”
The Cement Industry plays a vital role in creating direct and indirect employment across various sectors, including manufacturing, logistics, and construction, thereby supporting millions of livelihoods. Additionally, the industry remains a key contributor to the Government exchequer through taxes, duties, and levies, strengthening the country’s fiscal framework.
Parth Jindal, Vice President, Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA) and Managing Director, JSW Cement Limited, said, “The Budget presented by Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman is a forward-looking roadmap that will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of India’s cement industry, in line with the country’s vision for a Viksit Bharat by 2047. It prioritizes growth in key sectors such as infrastructure, manufacturing, and technology. The increased investment in technology will accelerate advancements in green cement solutions, driving both sustainability and innovation within the industry. Notable allocations, including Rs 200 billion to foster innovation and Rs 1.5 billion in 50-year interest-free loans to states for capital expenditure on infrastructure development, are expected to significantly bolster growth in the core sectors, including cement sector.
He further added, “The Budget’s focus on a three-year pipeline of projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) model will incentivize private sector investment and catalyse a transformation in the infrastructure landscape. Additionally, the establishment of five National Centers of Excellence for skill development, as part of the ‘Make for India, Make for the World’ initiative, will ensure that India’s emerging workforce is well-equipped to meet the demands of a rapidly growing economy.”
In light of the recent Budget announcements, which prioritise infrastructure expansion and affordable housing, the Cement Industry is poised to leverage these opportunities by ensuring steady and sustained supplies of Cement to meet the Nation’s growing domestic market and infrastructure demand coupled with sustainable and innovative technologies. With a strong commitment to sustainability and efficiency, the Cement Industry will continue to drive India’s progress and economic resilience.

Continue Reading

Concrete

GMDC Inks Long-Term Limestone Supply Deal With JK Cement

The agreement has been signed for supply of 250 million tonne.

Published

on

By

Shares
State-owned GMDC said it has entered into a long-term pact with JK Cement Ltd for the supply of limestone from its upcoming mine in Gujarat. 
The agreement has been signed for supply of 250 million tonnes of limestone over a period of 40 years from its upcoming Lakhpat Punrajpur Mine in Lakhpat Taluka of Kutch district in Gujarat. 
This agreement will help JK Cement Ltd in setting up an integrated mega-capacity cement plant, fostering industrial growth in the region.Kutch’s coastal proximity, improved access to domestic and international markets, and cost-efficient logistics position it as an ideal hub for cement production. 
The state-owned company has five operational lignite mines in Kutch, South Gujarat, and Bhavnagar region.          

Continue Reading

Trending News

This will close in 5 seconds

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER

 

Don't miss out on valuable insights and opportunities to connect with like minded professionals.

 


    This will close in 0 seconds