Did you know that cement accounts for 8% of global CO2 emissions? Every ton of cement creates a ton of carbon dioxide!
Cement production releases CO2 at different stages of the process. Powdered limestone and clay are heated to 1450°C in a fossil fueled fired kiln which accounts for roughly half of the emissions. As the materials are heated, limestone splits into calcium oxide and carbon dioxide, creating ‘clinker’ which accounts for the other half of the emissions.
How do we decarbonize this industry? Innovation in this space will need to address the two primary sources of emissions. Replacing the fossil fuels used for heating with electricity or green hydrogen, and testing new raw materials, while increasing the use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) to minimize the carbon footprint of the process.
>> Check out our Linkedin post about cement here.