How to Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Cement With the Right Cement Binder
How to Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Cement With the Right Cement Binder
Cement production is one of the largest industrial sources of carbon emissions and accounts for approximately 7% of global CO2 emissions, making it a major contributor to climate change and putting pressure on industries to find new solutions. The energy required to make cement is a core driver of its significant scope 3 emissions that can impact sustainability goals, supply chain eligibility and taxation. How can new solutions, like alternative cement binders, help make the use of cement more environmentally friendly? This article will explore how mixing the right low-carbon alternative cement binder with cement can reduce the carbon footprint of cement by up to 50%.
Low-carbon alternative cement binders replace a portion of traditional cement
Traditional cement, typically known as Portland cement, is composed of “clinker” that is produced in high temperature kilns fueled by coal, natural gas and other petrochemicals, and wastes (e.g. tires) to heat the cement mix and calcine (heat treat it) to transform it into a cementitious material. This process emits a high amount of carbon dioxide per ton of cement product, both as a consequence of emissions from limestone calcining and the fuel combustion.
A low-carbon cementitious binder, as the name suggests, is capable of replacing 15-to-50% of the cement in various mining and construction applications with no compromise in performance and a significantly lower greenhouse gas footprint.
Why are cement binders more environmentally friendly?
A low-carbon cement binder reduces GHG/carbon because the materials involved in production are either naturally active or require low-energy activation methods. In addition, the production process is not dependent on other carbon-intensive processes; unlike fly ash, another potential binder, that relies on coal power production. With the right binder provider, you can even reduce overall binder consumption by optimizing the chemical composition based on project-specific needs. A high-performance versatile engineered alternative cement binder is adaptable to various cement chemistries, aggregate types and mineralogies.
Key applications for low-carbon cement binders
The construction industry is the largest consumer of cement, which is a key component of concrete used for construction of roads, bridges, foundations, residential buildings, and various other essential infrastructure. Cement is also widely used in many other industrial applications including mining, soil treatment, oil and gas etc. Other cement users include Ready-Mix concrete producers, general civil works contractors, precast concrete industry, concrete block manufacturers, oil and gas well casting etc.
The high GHG footprint from cement presents a significant challenge for industries who have set aggressive GHG reduction targets. For instance, in mining operations, cement can be responsible for up to 70% of the total GHG footprint of mine backfilling processes.
Cement can be responsible for up to 70% of the total GHG footprint of mine backfilling processes.
Introducing GRAYBOND™: a new low-carbon alternative binder
GRAYBOND™ is a new fully customizable low-carbon, lime-based solution that can replace up to 50% of your cement with all-natural materials that produce significantly less carbon during production. Produced independently using lime commodities by Graymont, one of the world’s largest lime suppliers, GRAYBOND™ enhances flexibility and reduces risk in your supply chain. With a familiar chemical makeup, it’s easy to work GRAYBOND™ into existing operations without a substantial learning curve. As an added bonus, GRAYBOND™ is cost-competitive with cement while offering equal or better performance.
More ways to reduce the carbon footprint of cement
Reducing the carbon footprint of your cement-based projects involves a combination of strategies, including using alternative materials (i.e., low-carbon cementitious binders), improving energy efficiency, transitioning to renewable energy sources such as wind or solar, adopting carbon capture technologies, and adopting new construction practices. Combine carbon-reduction strategies for the greatest impact on your next project.
Learn how to Implement your own custom low-carbon cement binder
Contact us to learn more about GRAYBOND™, our high-performance, low-carbon alternative cement binder solutions for your next mining or construction project.
