Concrete

Revealing the numbers behind calcined clay

Published

4 years ago

December 21, 2021

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Clay is a naturally occurring material found almost everywhere around the world with the potential to replace 30 per cent of the energy intensive clinker. But how does the calculations look in terms of fuel- and power consumption. We did the math.

One of the great benefits of calcined clay is that it activates at a much lower temperature than that required to make clinker. With temperatures of 750 to 850˚C instead of 1,400 to 1,500˚C and much lower costs for grinding and handling, you gain significant fuel and power savings – 30 per cent and 40 per cent, respectively – when comparing the operating cost to make 1 tonne of clay versus 1 tonne of clinker. While this is obviously a great result for the environment, it also makes for much lower operating costs, enabling you to achieve a reduced cost per tonne of cement.

Table 1 shows typical values for a direct comparison between traditional OPC (95 per cent clinker and 5 per cent gypsum) and LC3, a cement made of 50 per cent clinker, 15 per cent limestone, 30 per cent activated clay and 5 per cent gypsum. The impact is clear: 40 per cent lower CO2 emissions per tonne of cement. That is without considering the further reductions you could gain if you also switched to more environmentally friendly fuels.

Table 1

You’ll note that Table 1 also references the fact that by halving clinker content, you could double cement production. This would certainly be a driver for cement manufacturers seeking to increase productivity. However, even where extra capacity is not required, the benefits are incredibly valuable. A more efficient, more environmentally friendly process – working smarter, not harder.

Managing the risks of a new investment

With any new technology, there will always be some hesitation. Being an early adopter carries risks as well as benefits. But having dedicated ourselves to MissionZero – equipping the cement industry with the means to achieve net zero emissions by 2030 – we want to give cement manufacturers the confidence that they are investing in solutions that will work for them. That’s why we set up a pilot plant in our test facility in Denmark, specifically dedicated to calcined clay.

Here, we can carry out full chemistry and mineralogical testing of your clay source, as well as a clay reactivity analysis. We can also put your clay through our pilot test system, including crushing/drying, calcining, colour control, strength testing, etc. to show that the clay will meet the strength and colour requirements of a blended cement for ultimate peace of mind before making an investment.

This facility was instrumental in the decision by French cement manufacturer Ciment Vicat to invest in a 525 tpd clay calcination plant, which will be built in France. Citing increasing demand for sustainable cements as one of their main drivers, Ciment Vicat approached us with the project knowing we had the ability to confirm the suitability of their locally available clay source. We tested 5 tonnes of clay and were able to give them the reassurance they needed to proceed with the investment.

“With the results from the pilot studies at FLSmidth’s test facilities, we are confident that this technology will provide a truly environmentally-friendly alternative, enabling us to reduce CO2 emissions by 16 per cent compared to our existing cement products as soon as the site is commissioned in 2023, and perhaps even more than that in the future,” says Renaud Claie, Project Director at Vicat Group. Leadership like this is so important to moving the industry forward. Where one global leader moves, others will follow. We congratulate Ciment Vicat on their initiative and commitment to their sustainability goals.

One decade to make a difference

Calcined clay is a stable, widely available resource that slots in easily to the existing cement manufacturing process. It requires new but familiar technologies. It produces a different but equally high-quality cement product, at a lower cost, using less energy and less fuel. It has the potential to dramatically reduce the cement industry’s environmental impact.

What are we waiting for? FLSmidth is ready to assist with your clay calcination plans and to help answer any questions or concerns you might have. This is our decade to make a difference. We can reduce the pressure on our industry and on our planet by moving the cement industry over to a more environmentally friendly cement product as standard.

Concrete

Molecor Renews OCS Europe Certification Across Spanish Plants

Certification reinforces commitment to preventing microplastic pollution

Published

2 days ago

December 18, 2025

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Molecor has renewed its OCS Europe certification for another year across all its production facilities in Spain under the Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) voluntary initiative, reaffirming its commitment to sustainability and environmental protection. The renewal underlines the company’s continued focus on preventing the unintentional release of plastic particles during manufacturing, with particular attention to safeguarding marine ecosystems from microplastic pollution.

All Molecor plants in Spain have been compliant with OCS Europe standards for several years, implementing best practices designed to avoid pellet loss and the release of plastic particles during the production of PVC pipes and fittings. The OCS-based management system enables the company to maintain strict operational controls while aligning with evolving regulatory expectations on microplastic prevention.

The renewed certification also positions Molecor ahead of newly published European regulations. The company’s practices are aligned with Regulation (EU) 2025/2365, recently adopted by the European Parliament, which sets out requirements to prevent pellet loss and reduce microplastic pollution across industrial operations.

Extending its sustainability commitment beyond its own operations, Molecor is actively engaging its wider value chain by informing suppliers and customers of its participation in the OCS programme and encouraging responsible microplastic management practices. Through these efforts, the company contributes directly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 14 ‘Life below water’, reinforcing its role as a responsible industrial manufacturer committed to environmental stewardship and long-term sustainability.

Concrete

Coforge Launches AI-Led Data Cosmos Analytics Platform

New cloud-native platform targets enterprise data modernisation and GenAI adoption

Published

3 days ago

December 17, 2025

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Coforge Limited has recently announced the launch of Coforge Data Cosmos, an AI-enabled, cloud-native data engineering and advanced analytics platform aimed at helping enterprises convert fragmented data environments into intelligent, high-performance data ecosystems. The platform strengthens Coforge’s technology stack by introducing a foundational innovation layer that supports cloud-native, domain-specific solutions built on reusable blueprints, proprietary IP, accelerators, agentic components and industry-aligned capabilities.

Data Cosmos is designed to address persistent enterprise challenges such as data fragmentation, legacy modernisation, high operational costs, limited self-service analytics, lack of unified governance and the complexity of GenAI adoption. The platform is structured around five technology portfolios—Supernova, Nebula, Hypernova, Pulsar and Quasar—covering the full data transformation lifecycle, from legacy-to-cloud migration and governance to cloud-native data platforms, autonomous DataOps and scaled GenAI orchestration.

To accelerate speed-to-value, Coforge has introduced the Data Cosmos Toolkit, comprising over 55 IPs and accelerators and 38 AI agents powered by the Data Cosmos Engine. The platform also enables Galaxy solutions, which combine industry-specific data models with the core technology stack to deliver tailored solutions across sectors including BFS, insurance, travel, transportation and hospitality, healthcare, public sector and retail.

“With Data Cosmos, we are setting a new benchmark for how enterprises convert data complexity into competitive advantage,” said Deepak Manjarekar, Global Head – Data HBU, Coforge. “Our objective is to provide clients with a fast, adaptive and AI-ready data foundation from day one.”

Supported by a strong ecosystem of cloud and technology partners, Data Cosmos operates across multi-cloud and hybrid environments and is already being deployed in large-scale transformation programmes for global clients.

Concrete

India, Sweden Launch Seven Low-Carbon Steel, Cement Projects

Joint studies to cut industrial emissions under LeadIT

Published

4 days ago

December 16, 2025

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India and Sweden have announced seven joint projects aimed at reducing carbon emissions in the steel and cement sectors, with funding support from India’s Department of Science and Technology and the Swedish Energy Agency.

The initiatives, launched under the LeadIT Industry Transition Partnership, bring together major Indian companies including Tata Steel, JK Cement, Ambuja Cements, Jindal Steel and Power, and Prism Johnson, alongside Swedish technology firms such as Cemvision, Kanthal and Swerim. Leading Indian academic institutions, including IIT Bombay, IIT-ISM Dhanbad, IIT Bhubaneswar and IIT Hyderabad, are also participating.

The projects will undertake pre-pilot feasibility studies on a range of low-carbon technologies. These include the use of hydrogen in steel rotary kilns, recycling steel slag for green cement production, and applying artificial intelligence to optimise concrete mix designs. Other studies will explore converting blast furnace carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide for reuse and assessing electric heating solutions for steelmaking.

India’s steel sector currently accounts for about 10–12 per cent of the country’s carbon emissions, while cement contributes nearly 6 per cent. Globally, heavy industry is responsible for roughly one-quarter of greenhouse gas emissions and consumes around one-third of total energy.

The collaboration aims to develop scalable, low-carbon industrial technologies that can support India’s net-zero emissions target by 2070. As part of the programme, Tata Steel and Cemvision will examine methods to convert steel slag into construction materials, creating a circular value chain for industrial byproducts.