New cement set to reduce carbon emissions
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≥-0.11 tonnes of CO2 is produced manufacturing one tonne of Novacem cement - compared with 0.8 tonnes for one tonne of Portland cement. A new, carbon-negative cement is heading for manufacturing reality thanks to Novacem, a spin-out company from Imperial College London. EPSRC funding has played a key role in developing both the cement itself and the manufacturing process. A team of engineers and scientists at Imperial College London have developed a carbon-negative cement that absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere during manufacture. This is because the cement isn’t limestone based, requires low process temperatures and contains carbon-negative additives. It could play a vital role in tackling climate change. IMPACT ON CARBON REDUCTION AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT > Novacem cement could make a major contribution to meeting carbon reduction targets. > As a manufacturing company offering a product with global appeal, Novacem could strengthen the UK’s manufacturing sector and its export performance. > Developing countries’ prosperity will depend on the availability of huge volumes of cement for infrastructure projects. Novacem cement could help meet these needs in a sustainable way. Cost of a modern wonder A key constituent of buildings, roads and much more besides, cement holds the modern world together. Little wonder that global production is set to double to over five billion tonnes/year by 2050. But all of this comes at an environmental price, with the manufacture of Portland cement (the type most commonly used today) accounting for five percent of manmade CO2 emissions. From first steps to the future An EPSRC-funded project in 2004 prompted the Imperial College team to consider the scope for designing a magnesium oxide-based, construction-quality cement with significant sustainability benefits. With support from EPSRC and the London Development Agency, they identified a way of manufacturing such a cement which had the right physical properties and was economic to produce. This process, which effectively scales up existing technology, mixes powdered magnesium silicates with water and special additives. The resulting slurry is transformed into magnesium oxide, which is then turned into cement by blending it with hydrated magnesium carbonates. Novacem has already reached a key milestone, with a batch pilot plant for manufacturing experimental quantities of the cement being commissioned. The company plans to have an industrial- scale pilot plant up and running in 2011, with the first volume production facilities operational from 2014/15. Novacem believes that, within 20 years, 25 percent of the cement the world relies on could be based on Novacem technology. For more information about EPSRC and the impact it is making visit www.epsrc.ac.uk Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council I Case study 30 NEW CEMENT SET TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS
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A new, carbon-negative cement is heading for manufacturing reality thanks to Novacem, a spin-out company from Imperial College London. EPSRC funding has played a key role in developing both the cement itself and the manufacturing process.
Transcript of New cement set to reduce carbon emissions
≥-0.11 tonnesof CO2 is producedmanufacturing onetonne of Novacemcement - comparedwith 0.8 tonnesfor one tonne ofPortland cement.
A new, carbon-negative cement is heading for manufacturing realitythanks to Novacem, a spin-out company from Imperial College London.EPSRC funding has played a key role in developing both the cementitself and the manufacturing process.
A team of engineers and scientists atImperial College London have developeda carbon-negative cement that absorbsCO2 from the atmosphere duringmanufacture. This is because the cementisn’t limestone based, requires lowprocess temperatures and containscarbon-negative additives. It could playa vital role in tackling climate change.
IMPACT ON CARBON REDUCTION ANDINTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT> Novacem cement could make a
major contribution to meetingcarbon reduction targets.
> As a manufacturing companyoffering a product with globalappeal, Novacem could strengthenthe UK’s manufacturing sector andits export performance.
> Developing countries’ prosperitywill depend on the availability ofhuge volumes of cement forinfrastructure projects. Novacemcement could help meet theseneeds in a sustainable way.
Cost of a modern wonderA key constituent of buildings, roads andmuch more besides, cement holds themodern world together. Little wonderthat global production is set to doubleto over five billion tonnes/year by 2050.But all of this comes at an environmentalprice, with the manufacture of Portlandcement (the type most commonly usedtoday) accounting for five percent ofmanmade CO2 emissions.
From first steps to the futureAn EPSRC-funded project in 2004prompted the Imperial Collegeteam to consider the scope fordesigning a magnesium oxide-based,construction-quality cement withsignificant sustainability benefits.With support from EPSRC and theLondon Development Agency, theyidentified a way of manufacturing sucha cement which had the right physicalproperties and was economic to produce.
This process, which effectively scalesup existing technology, mixes powderedmagnesium silicates with water andspecial additives. The resulting slurry istransformed into magnesium oxide, whichis then turned into cement by blending itwith hydrated magnesium carbonates.
Novacem has already reached a keymilestone, with a batch pilot plant formanufacturing experimental quantitiesof the cement being commissioned.The company plans to have an industrial-scale pilot plant up and running in 2011,with the first volume production facilitiesoperational from 2014/15.
Novacem believes that, within 20years, 25 percent of the cement theworld relies on could be based onNovacem technology.
For more information aboutEPSRC and the impact it is makingvisit www.epsrc.ac.uk
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council I Case study 30
NEW CEMENTSET TO REDUCECARBON EMISSIONS
CO2NEWCEMENTSETTO
DRAMATICALLYREDUCE
EMISSIONS
Engineering and Physical SciencesResearch Council
www.epsrc.ac.uk
