Technology Roadmap Low-Carbon Transition in the Cement Industry

Technology Roadmap
Low-Carbon Transition in the Cement Industry
Roadmap scope
Although this Technology Roadmap focuses on 
energy savings and carbon mitigation strategies 
within the cement manufacturing process, the 
authors recognise the need to consider CO
2
emissions reduction in the broader context of the 
whole life cycle of cement, concrete and the built 
environment. 
The roadmap therefore also discusses synergies of 
the cement industry with the wider energy system 
and potential constraints in the upstream sourcing 
of raw materials and cement constituents for 
blended cements and cements based on alternative 
binding materials. It discusses process requirements 
for the curing of specific alternative binding 
materials due to the synergies in reducing the 
overall net carbon footprint for this type of cement.
The cement sector is extending its support of 
emissions reduction opportunities that can 
be achieved beyond the manufacturing stage. 
Adopting a life-cycle approach and working 
collaboratively along the whole construction 
value chain provides the potential for additional 
opportunities for emissions reductions. Such areas 
offer opportunities for sustainable collaborative 
stakeholder action by:
z
Optimising the use of concrete in construction.
The efficient specification and use of concrete 
with a lean design can help to cut wastage by 
aligning the lowest carbon option with the 
optimal technical performance required for the 
specific application. 
z
Maximising design life of buildings and 
infrastructure.
The durability of concrete 
provides opportunities for a long design life 
Monitoring energy performance and CO
2
-
related indicators of cement production is 
the first step in understanding the potential 
for improvement. It is critical for tracking 
progress and prioritising actions towards future 
targets. Data collection and reporting systems 
that set a homogeneous boundary and rely 
on transparent monitoring and verification 
procedures facilitate the comparison of 
performance data across the cement industry 
and provide accurate information to industry 
stakeholders, policy makers and analysts. 
Getting the Numbers Right (GNR) is a voluntary 
and independently managed database of CO
2
and energy performance information of the 
cement industry managed by the CSI. It compiles 
uniform and accurate data from 934 individual 
facilities that produce 889 million tonnes per 
year (Mt/yr) of cement or 21% of the global 
cement production. The developed protocol 
ensures consistency across the reported data. 
The data in the GNR database is externally 
verified (CSI, 2017).
The analysis for this roadmap is based on 
a compilation of performance data and 
information related to cement production 
from the best available data sources 
worldwide. These comprise the GNR 
database (independently verified), the China 
Cement Association, the Confederation of 
Indian Industries and the Brazilian Sindicato 
Nacional da Indústria do Cimento, as well 
as consultations with local cement experts. 
Expanding the regional coverage of uniform 
and verified energy performance data collection 
would improve the quantitative analysis of 
the progress of carbon mitigation strategies 
in cement production. This could circumvent 
potential methodological inconsistencies across 
different regional reporting structures. 
Some differences in reporting may be related 
to inconsistent boundaries when accounting 
for energy consumption (e.g. inclusion of 
the electricity consumed that is generated 
from EHR systems at the cement site, or the 
reporting of energy use from alternative fuels) 
or defining the clinker to cement ratio. Regional 
differences related to local aspects, such as 
the characteristics of raw materials and the 
specific product quality requirements, influence 
directly the energy performance of local cement 
production, thus making comparisons across 
different regions difficult.