Environmentally Friendly Cement with Reduced Carbon Footprint

A new type of environmentally friendly cement may be a useful weapon in the fight against climate change, a UK firm has suggested.

Carbon dioxide emissions generated by the cement sector make up no less than five per cent of the global total – a higher percentage than the entire aviation industry. 

Generally speaking, cement production and CO2 emissions have nearly a one-to-one ratio – with one tonne of cement producing an equal weight of carbon.  At best, this CO2 output can be slimmed down to 800 kilograms.  

Cement Emissions

Welsh firm Cenin, however, claims that by using its products, cement emissions can be reduced by up to 75 per cent per tonne – up to 65 per cent more than the reductions achievable by many larger cement firms.  Cement with no carbon footprint whatsoever is said to be next on Cenin’s list.

Since Cenin’s cement incorporates unwanted materials associated with energy and steel production, a number of the usual processes linked to cement production, like quarrying raw materials, do not feature at all.  The by-products it draws upon are adapted to create a concrete alternative which offers durability and strength, as well as a low carbon footprint.

The firm’s annual level of cement production is presently 75,000 tonnes, compared to the 2.75 billion tonnes manufactured around the world each year.

Cenin’s cement technology was developed through a collaboration with the University of Cardiff. 

Carbon Footprint Reduction

The EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme obliges all regional cement producers to attempt to implement carbon footprint reduction strategies, as does the need to become more economically efficient in the current financial climate.

Commenting on his company’s cement, the Director of Cenin, Martyn Popham, referred to it as a wholly environmentally friendly product.

“Our cement eliminates the need to quarry raw materials”, he said.

“Demand for Cenin’s products – and interest in the technology – is huge.”

“There is real potential for global growth as the construction industry is under increasing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint. “

Cenin’s production facility is located on the site of a former airfield, and Popham wants this site to develop into a renewable energy technology centre where similar companies can develop new products.

“We would like other like-minded green companies to co-locate on our site and create a business cluster powered by renewable energy, helping to cut costs and bring even greater benefits to the local economy and the environment”, he said.

“Our long term objective is to create a Technology Centre of Excellence for Sustainability in Practice, attracting and creating research and development jobs locally.”