HEAVYSIDE
CEMENT COMPANIES RISE TO SUSTAINABLE CHALLENGE
Cement manufacture is an energy-intensive process, so the challenge to be as sustainable as possible is being met by manufacturers.
H
anson UK has progressed to the due diligence and negotiation phase in its bid to install carbon capture technology at its Padeswood cement works in Flintshire through the Government’s Phase-2 cluster sequencing programme. The announcement represents another important step forward for the construction
sector in its ambition to reach net zero. If funding is confirmed, this project will deliver the first net zero cement works in the UK, placing Padeswood and Hanson at the forefront of the industry’s transition to a low carbon future – helping decarbonise north Wales and beyond. The Phase-2 cluster sequencing programme, funded through the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, is part of the Government’s ten point plan for a green industrial revolution and follows the recent £20bn funding announcement for the early development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects.
The development of CCS at Padeswood will reduce embodied carbon in infrastructure and building projects around the UK, including wind farms, schools, hospitals, rail and roads, and create 54 new, full-time highly-skilled roles, as well as 350 additional jobs during construction. When operational the plant will capture 800,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. l Cemex, meanwhile, has trialled an industry- first discharge system for cement, which can be powered by electricity to substantially reduce fuel use and subsequent emissions. The system, the brainchild of a Cemex employee, has been trialled in Cemex’s UK
cement operation, where it has performed effortlessly. Not only has the use of electricity to power the discharge equipment cut emissions, but it has enabled a faster turnaround and significantly quieter delivery. Longer-term, vehicle wear and tear are also reduced. The benefit to the environment of incorporating this equipment into a commercial fleet is considerable; the trial has demonstrated a potential saving of over 4000kg of CO2 in a year, per vehicle using the system, as well as 330 gallons of fuel.
Matthew Wild, Vice President of Supply Chain and Procurement for Cemex EMEA, says: “We have been very impressed with the results of the initial trial of the electric discharge equipment in our cement business. Every single delivery that uses this system to discharge cement, rather than the tanker’s own fuel, saves 13.5kg of CO2; if this equipment was used across our fleet over a full year the difference to our supply chain emissions would be considerable.”
The idea came from Nigel Ponton, National Fleet Engineer for the UK business. He worked with supplier Gardner Denver to create the system, which is mounted onto the tractor unit and simply requires three-phase connection to pressurise the tank and allow discharge to silo. This means no additional equipment or investment is needed at the customer’s site. l Mannok and FLSmidth are celebrating the successful implementation of the FUELFLEX® Pyrolyzer, a new combustion system which has almost eliminated the use of fossil fuel in the most carbon intensive stage of cement production at Mannok’s plant, reducing 240 tonnes of carbon emissions per day, whilst significantly reducing NOx emissions.
April 2023
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
The new FUELFLEX® system is enabling Mannok, at present, to replace 90% of its coal use with SRF (solid recovered fuels), which would otherwise go to landfill, in the pre- calcination stage of cement production and it is working towards eliminating the use of coal. FLSmidth, the Danish engineering company which created the new technology, partnered
with Mannok on the development of the world’s first pilot of the FUELFLEX® Pyrolyzer back in 2018.
With the technology operating successfully at the Irish producer’s facilities since July 2022, it has already enabled Mannok to cut its fossil fuel use in the cement production process. Embodied carbon is responsible for 14% of carbon emissions in Ireland and cement production is a large part of these emissions. The production of clinker, a precursor to cement, is the most fuel intensive part of the process, and the pre-calcination phase accounts for the largest portion of fossil fuel use. Operations Director, Kevin Lunney, says: “The key challenge for the entire cement industry is decarbonisation, and it’s our primary area of focus. We’ve set ambitious targets to reduce our carbon emissions by a third by the end of the decade, and go on to achieve net zero by 2050. This requires innovative thinking, and we’re very proud to partner with FLSmidth and to help provide leadership in this space. “The success of the FUELFLEX® technology is a big win for us, as we are now on track to eliminate all coal use in the pre-calcination phase of production, which surpasses our initial expectations of displacing 80%. BMJ
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