NET-ZERO
CONCRETE GAINS Canadian facilities making significant steps toward net-zero targets. BY ANDREW SNOOK
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PHOTO COURTESY OF LAFARGE CANADA
t should come as no surprise that the cement industry is a major contributor to CO2 emissions around the globe. The Cement Association of Canada (CAC) states that the sector is the third-largest industrial energy consumer and the second-largest industrial CO2 emitter, representing approximately seven per cent of the world’s CO2 emissions. The fact that concrete is the second-most consumed commodity around the world, trailing only behind water, amplifies its impact. To assist the cement industry in its effort to reduce CO2 emissions, in 2022 the CAC, with assistance from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, launched the Roadmap to Net-Zero Carbon Concrete by 2050. The roadmap “commits
the sector to achieving reductions of 15 million tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions cumulatively by 2030, followed by ongoing reductions of over 4 million tonnes annually from the production of cement and concrete in Canada.” The CAC expects these GHG reductions to come from a combination of initiatives, including the elimination of the use of coal and petroleum coke, increased use of lower-carbon and alternative fuels, use of alternative and blended cements, improving thermal efficiency, carbon capture investment, the use of clean energy, and advocating for updated codes, standards, specifications and procurement policies. “Concrete Zero in Canada includes a wide array of different technologies that we
can apply today, which, in many cases, are bolt-on technologies that can be implemented right now, with proven effectiveness. In other instances, they’re almost ready for prime time. They’re just in the final stages of demonstration and optimization. And in other cases, it’s really a lot of early-stage research that is in place,” says Robert Cumming, head of sustainability and public affairs for Lafarge Canada (East). Lafarge Canada, a member of Holcim, is one of the companies that has been leading the charge to lower GHG emissions across the country. Over the past several years, the global building materials manufacturer has been investing millions of dollars in its cement plants across Canada with new technologies, retrofitting them to use alternative fuel supplies. “Our commitment to sustainability encompasses a multi-faceted approach, revolving around emissions reductions, use of circular economy principles in our products, reduction of our impact on nature and increasing our positive impact on people in communities,” says Stephanie Voysey, head of sustainability and environment for Western Canada at Lafarge Canada. “When we look at it from these four pillars, emissions play a pivotal role. So, over the last 20 years, we’ve looked at investing in upgrading equipment to ensure we have the best available technology. You can see that through the Exshaw revitalization for Kiln 6, which happened in 2016.” The Lafarge Exshaw Cement Plant on-sitemag.com / 41
