2022 brought us some unexpected shocks to the system – a war reminiscent of the 1940’s, an energy supply shock akin to the 1970’s, and inflationary pressures and rates I recall from the 1980's.
Through this kind of chaotic, uncertain, and unsettling operating environment, the sprint to net-zero must continue. Solving long-term problems will also help alleviate shorter-term ones. If only we could convince more of that good sense.
What will 2023 bring?
We will provide you our perspectives in January through our Quarterly Investment Insights and our 14th annual edition of the Global Cleantech 100, and by hosting our 400-person, resort-style, Cleantech Forum North America, January 23-25 2023 (note: we have less than 80 places still available at the time of writing).
All will show the shifts that are occurring and the growing amounts of attention of the innovator world on the full spectrum of the decarbonization challenge, and some of the hardest to abate challenges out there. Cement will be one such topic, and it is indeed the feature focus of our last newsletter of the year (see below).
I wish you all happy holidays and look forward to sharing perspectives with all of you in 2023 and with some you, in the desert, in January.
Richard Youngman, CEO, Cleantech Group
Viewpoint: Innovation Will Help Address Abatement Challenges in the Cement Industry
Cement is a primary material in concrete as well as mortars, blocks, and plaster. It’s the glue that holds buildings and structures together. Unfortunately, manufacture of 1kg of portland cement releases between 0.7 - 1kg of carbon dioxide. Most of the emissions are assigned to the production of clinker, which when combined with gypsum and other materials, makes cement.
50-60% of these emissions come from the calcination of the limestone, and most of the remainder from combustion of fossil fuels necessary to achieve the required kiln temperatures. As a result, cement production is responsible for around 7% of global emissions - and demand for cement will continue to increase with population growth up to 2050. Addressing these emissions will be critical if the world is to meet its climate goals.
Unfortunately, the cement industry faces some difficult challenges. Generally, new production processes with lower emissions tend to have higher production costs; while margins for producers are too slim to absorb these costs. Mature approaches to mitigation include carbon capture and clinker substitution.
The carbon capture approach typically attracts additional cost and is often constrained by the availability of CO2 transport and storage infrastructure. The clinker substitution approach is constrained by prescriptive standards and future availability of supplementary cementitious materials (typically fly ash from the coal industry or blast furnace slag from the steel industry).
Despite the challenges, there are some green shoots. Novel calciner configurations can enable the separation of process and fuel emissions and enable process electrification. The use of alternative clinker substitution materials such as processed glass or natural materials can address materials availability constraints.
Meanwhile a huge reduction in emissions can be achieved by using alternative cements which avoid the requirement to calcify limestone in clinker production and can help address process emissions. Significant reductions can also be achieved with ‘bio-cement’ where organisms break down limestone and reconstitute it to bind aggregates in the end product (i.e., concrete). Finally, novel additives can enable further uptake of CO2 during the concrete curing processes.
Ultimately, innovation can help significantly reduce emissions of the cement industry, but it will require funding to scale and bring down costs, while adjustment of standards will be critical to enable market access.
Procurement policies related to embodied carbon exists in many U.S. states including Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Minnesota, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.
Leading cement producers, including Heidelberg, Holcim and Cemex are committed to reducing emissions intensity by 2030, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Corporates are engaging innovation. Holcim’s accelerator continues to foster collaboration in the construction value chain, while CEMEX launched its own accelerator in November 2022.
Get to know these early-stage innovators acting on the climate crisis and find ways to support the innovative work that they do. The entrepreneurs in the 2022 list are creating new technologies and business models that could solve the plastics crisis, regenerate soils, recycle building materials, and promote environmental and economic stewardship.
Terra CO2 Technologyraised $46M in June 2022 from Breakthrough Energy Ventures LENx, Rio Tinto, and Creative Ventures. Terra CO2 is using the funding to accelerate the commercialization of Terra's OPUS cementitious materials made from a variety of abundant local feedstocks and waste products.
Alcemy raised $10M in September 2022 in a funding round led by Galvanize Climate Solutions. Alcemy’s predictive analysis software is designed to assist cement and concrete manufacturers optimise the quality of the products. The funds will be used to accelerate the software development team’s growth and establish a sales team.
Have you seen the 2022 APAC Cleantech 25 List?
Find out who is pioneering cleantech innovation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Meet the investors, innovators, and corporate change makers who are building and championing the technologies that will deliver net-zero transformation.
Register early to secure your spot for 3 days of learning, connecting, and action towards a net-zero future. Early-bird tickets available until 22 December.
See where we have been featured and quoted in the news, along with our most recent press releases for everything you need to know about the latest trends in cleantech.
If you're a cleantech entrepreneur, you can claim your company's profile on our i3 database of innovators. Our customers and other experts looking for investable companies use i3 to find and connect with businesses just like yours. And, we've made the process of creating your profile fast and easy. Claim your profile today and start making connections that will accelerate your progress.
Senior Associate - Transport & Mobility - Seeking an experienced analyst with deep understanding of how innovative technologies enable solutions in a transportation & logistics landscape addressing climate change & sustainability.
UK Director - Cleantech Innovation and Policy - We’re looking for a manager to join our consulting team, to support the UK expansion of our Cleantech for Europe initiative.
