Cement, Energy and Environment

'Decarbonisation and Energy Efficiency Roadmap': Experiences from Cement Sector in the UK Drawn from Industrial Decarbonisation & Energy Efficiency Roadmaps to 2050s - Cement prepared by Parsons Brinckerhoff and DNV GL Changes in the international economy and the need to decarbonise mean that UK businesses face increasing challenges, as well as new opportunities. The UK government is committed to moving to a low carbon economy, including the most energy-intensive sectors. These sectors consume a considerable amount of energy but also play an essential role in delivering the UK's transition to a low-carbon economy, as well as in contributing to economic growth and rebalancing the economy, one such sector is the cement sector. Decarbonisation and energy efficiency roadmap for the cement sector, is one of a series of eight reports , which assess the potential for low– carbon future across the most energy intensive industrial sectors in the UK. It investigates how the industry could decarbonise and increase energy efficiency whilst remaining competitive. This roadmap project was the result of close collaboration between industry, academia and government, some key findings of the project have been described below. • • The aim of the roadmap project was to : Improve understanding of the emissions abatement potential of individual industrial sectors, the relative costs of alternative abatement options and the related business environment including investment decisions, barriers and issues of competitiveness . Establish a shared evidence base to inform future policy and identify strategic conclusions and potential next steps to help biomass waste fuel and indirect emissions from electricity consumption. Enablers identified for decarbonisation and energy efficiency projects • • • Ability to overcome significant technical and economic complexity and business risk associated with available energy efficiency measures. For example, cement companies noted that they have pipelines of various energy reduction projects awaiting funding but all companies interviewed cautioned that the majority of ideas with high impacts and lower risks have already been deployed by the sector. Projects with multiple benefits (including decarbonisation and energy reduction) have a higher chance of success. A stable and profitable business environment coupled with a steady, consistent and predictable regulatory environment would encourage further capital investment and innovation in the UK. Companies emphasized that UK climate change and energy regulations, taxes and incentives must enable companies to operate competitively relative to other countries in Europe and beyond. Collaboration on and identification of suitable funding for the development and demonstration of technologies with the potential to significantly reduce carbon such as carbon capture and recognition of whole-life impacts of concrete as a building material. deliver cost effective decarbonisation in the medium to long term (over the Figure 1: Overview of the different decarbonisation and energy efficiency pathway period from 2020 to 2050). Enablers and Barriers for Decarbonisation in the cement sector The cement sector in the UK produced 8.6 million tonnes of cement in 2013, vast majority of which was used to make concrete. The chemical decomposition of limestone (calcination) accounts for approximately 60-65% of total C0 2 emissions from the UK cement sector with the remaining coming from combustion of fossil fuel and non- Curr&nt lnnds (en - Refilrent-. ------- ------- ·- - - ---- --- - ------ - -- ---·-· - -- ---BAU -20 ·<0"' -Ma>oiOd1,noCCS ______ --- ------_ ----------_____ ----------- .----ccs 20... -------------- --- ------ - - - --- - --- - - -- ------ -· In'. I----~~--~-~~--~ 2013 201• 2015 2020 2025 20JO 2035 20<0 20<5 2050 9