Cement is a foundational material in modern construction, forming the basis for infrastructure worldwide—from towering skyscrapers to essential highways. Yet, this vital material comes with a high environmental cost. Cement production alone accounts for roughly 7-8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, positioning the industry as a substantial contributor to climate change. This significant impact has spurred innovation and investments to reduce cement’s carbon footprint, with a particularly promising approach emerging as a potential game-changer: carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). By intercepting CO₂ emissions before they escape into the atmosphere, cement plants are working to reimagine their processes and create a cleaner future for global construction.
Why Cement Has a Carbon Problem: Understanding the High Emissions
The carbon intensity of cement production becomes clear when examining the process itself. Clinker, the main ingredient in cement, accounts for most of the industry’s carbon emissions. Cement manufacturers create clinker by heating limestone to temperatures above 1,400°C, which generates emissions in two ways. First, the calcination process breaks down calcium carbonate (limestone) into calcium oxide and carbon dioxide, directly releasing CO₂. Second, the high heat required for calcination often comes from burning fossil fuels, adding another layer of emissions.
These dual emission sources present a significant challenge since renewable energy alone cannot resolve the issue. Even if the industry adopted 100% renewable power tomorrow, calcination would still release large amounts of CO₂. This reality has driven companies to explore carbon capture, utilization, and storage as a more targeted solution. Unlike energy efficiency measures or fuel alternatives, CCUS directly captures emissions at the source, providing a pathway to drastically reduce cement’s carbon footprint.
How Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Works
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) captures carbon dioxide emissions at their source, purifies the gas, and then either stores it underground or repurposes it as a resource. For the cement industry, CCUS offers a unique advantage by addressing emissions that would otherwise be seen as an unavoidable byproduct of production. While companies have experimented with other decarbonization methods, CCUS remains unmatched in its ability to mitigate emissions at this fundamental level.
The following three methods of carbon capture are now gaining traction in cement production:
- Post-Combustion Capture: In this approach, companies capture CO₂ after combustion by channeling flue gas through an absorption system that isolates the CO₂. Many plants can retrofit this system into existing infrastructure, making it a relatively straightforward option.
- Oxyfuel Combustion: Oxyfuel combustion burns fuel in pure oxygen instead of air, resulting in a CO₂-rich stream that is simpler to capture. While the method requires some changes to plant equipment, it works efficiently with advanced capture technologies.
- Direct Air Capture (DAC): This technology extracts CO₂ directly from ambient air, bypassing the need for extensive plant modifications. While still costly and energy-intensive, DAC holds promise as a solution to capture emissions from diverse sources, not just at their point of origin.
Once plants capture CO₂, they can either store it underground in geological formations, preventing it from entering the atmosphere, or reuse it in the manufacturing process. Some companies embed captured CO₂ into concrete or convert it into other products through carbon utilization. This combination of storage and utilization offers a comprehensive approach to reducing emissions and building a more sustainable industry.
CCUS in Action: How Companies Are Leading the Way
Several pioneering companies are already using carbon capture, utilization, and storage to decarbonize cement production at scale. The Norcem cement plant in Brevik, Norway, is leading a high-profile CCUS initiative, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2030. Through partnerships and government support, Norcem has developed a system that captures CO₂ emissions from its flue gases. After capturing the carbon, the company transports it to storage sites beneath the North Sea, safely sequestering it in geological formations. Norcem’s initiative serves as a model for other regions with similar storage capabilities and demonstrates how industry and government collaboration can drive sustainability goals forward.
In Canada, LafargeHolcim, a major global cement player, has taken a different approach at its plant in Richmond, British Columbia. Here, LafargeHolcim captures CO₂ emissions and uses the gas directly in the concrete curing process, reducing emissions while enhancing the final product. Known as “carbon curing,” this process sequesters CO₂ within the concrete matrix, permanently locking it in place while also improving the material’s strength and durability. By incorporating captured CO₂ directly into their products, LafargeHolcim shows how carbon capture, utilization, and storage can go beyond mere containment, actively contributing to high-performance, low-carbon construction materials.
Challenges to Adopting Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage in Cement
Despite the promise of carbon capture, utilization, and storage, companies face several challenges before they can adopt it industry-wide. High costs remain the most prominent barrier. CCUS technology is expensive, both to install and to operate, and cement companies typically operate on slim profit margins. This has led to calls for increased government incentives, including subsidies, grants, and carbon pricing policies that make green investments more accessible.
In some regions, carbon capture infrastructure also presents logistical challenges. Even if a plant successfully captures its CO₂ emissions, it needs suitable locations to store them. Regions with minimal geological storage options or inadequate transportation infrastructure face costly challenges in managing captured CO₂. These challenges highlight the need for partnerships where areas with established storage facilities can accept CO₂ from areas lacking such resources.
Furthermore, running carbon capture, utilization, and storage systems requires substantial energy. Oxyfuel combustion, while more efficient than some alternatives, still demands a significant amount of energy, leading companies to evaluate their local energy grids’ capabilities. However, advancements in energy efficiency and renewable power integration continue to make this challenge more manageable.
The Role of Government and Policy in Cement Decarbonization
Government support is already playing a vital role in enabling carbon capture, utilization, and storage in heavy industry. In Europe, the EU’s Innovation Fund has allocated billions toward green industrial projects, including CCUS initiatives. Similarly, in Canada, federal support for industrial decarbonization has enabled several CCUS pilot projects, including LafargeHolcim’s carbon curing project. By creating financial incentives, governments can help offset the costs that prevent many companies from investing in clean technologies.
Beyond financial aid, policy changes also support CCUS adoption. Regulatory measures like carbon taxes and emissions trading schemes encourage clean technologies by penalizing high emitters and rewarding companies that invest in sustainability. As policies like these become more widespread, carbon capture, utilization, and storage may transition from an expensive, niche technology to a standard practice across industries.
Looking Ahead: Building a Low-Carbon Cement Industry
Although the use of carbon capture, utilization, and storage in cement production remains in its early stages, it has the potential to reshape the industry. By addressing emissions inherent to cement-making, CCUS could drastically reduce the industry’s environmental impact. Over time, as the technology advances and costs fall, carbon capture, utilization, and storage could become the foundation of a carbon-neutral cement industry, enabling us to build the infrastructure of tomorrow without compromising the planet.
Beyond cement, this technology’s success could inspire other high-emission industries like steel and chemicals to adopt similar approaches. Cement’s journey toward sustainability serves as a testament to human ingenuity, illustrating that with enough innovation and collaboration, even the most challenging industries can adapt to meet modern climate demands. While the road to a greener future may be long, the cement industry is paving the way—one captured ton of CO₂ at a time.
