{"id":17731,"date":"2024-09-25T14:04:43","date_gmt":"2024-09-25T13:04:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ecocemglobal.com\/?p=17731"},"modified":"2024-11-27T12:50:31","modified_gmt":"2024-11-27T12:50:31","slug":"innovate-uk-supports-development-of-scalable-low-carbon-cement-solutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecocemglobal.com\/en-ie\/innovate-uk-supports-development-of-scalable-low-carbon-cement-solutions\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovate UK Supports Development of Scalable Low-Carbon Cement Solutions"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

At Ecocem, our commitment to sustainability is at the core of everything we do. As global emissions rise and the urgency for climate action intensifies, it’s clear that every industry must play its part in driving down carbon output. The construction industry, responsible for 11% of all global emissions, is no exception. Bringing new solutions and technologies to market is essential if we are to tackle this challenge and the \u00a3500,000 funding announced on 25 September 2024 by Innovate UK as part of the Contracts for Innovation: Decarbonising concrete competition is real recognition <\/span>of the potential of Ecocem\u2019s ACT low carbon cement technology.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the next eight months we will be working as part of a <\/a><\/span>consortium led by Sisk<\/span>\u00a0to collaborate on a pioneering, scalable, low carbon demonstrator, a world first application for ACT.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Clinker Challenge and the Future of Sustainable Concrete<\/h4>\n

Concrete production is one of the primary sources of carbon emissions globally, and clinker \u2014 a critical ingredient in cement \u2014 is at the heart of this issue. Clinker production alone is responsible for <\/span>up to 90% of CO2 emissions<\/span><\/b> from concrete manufacturing. To meet our net zero targets, we need to push concrete technology further and explore low-CO2 solutions and alternatives that can reduce or replace clinker on a large scale.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To date, the <\/span>most effective way to decarbonise<\/span><\/b> has been to reduce the clinker content in cement by using <\/span>Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) <\/span><\/b>which can significantly lower carbon emissions\u00a0\u00a0 However, the limited availability of scalable SCMs has been a significant barrier to reducing the carbon footprint of cement on a global scale.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our new ACT technology addresses this challenge by enabling the use of a variety of SCMs, including those not yet fully valorised, with unprecedented efficiency. ACT significantly reduces the clinker content of cement \u2014 <\/span>lowering it from 75% to below 25%<\/span><\/b> \u2014 while maintaining concrete’s workability, strength, and durability, all without excessive costs. This is achieved by boosting the performance of the SCMs used and enhancing their efficiency \u2014 essentially doing more with less and spreading the low-carbon benefits far more widely than previously anticipated.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Innovation at Scale: The Power of ACT Technology<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

ACT is a breakthrough in cement technology that combines various technical innovations with widely available low-carbon material ingredients. It has the potential to decarbonise cement production by as much as 70%, while also enhancing the strength and durability of the concrete. Our consortium members; <\/span>Sisk, Ramboll Group, Loughborough University, Creagh Concrete, Capital Concrete, and BRE Group, will demonstrate the potential of this technology at a live construction site in Wembley Park<\/span><\/b>. This project marks a world-first application of ACT technology and is a pivotal step toward transforming the way we build.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The project team will conduct technical and testing verification, as well as environmental assessment and validation of concrete products in different laborator<\/span>i<\/span>es, at concrete production facilities and applied within a live construction site. The low carbon demonstrator will be based at NE02\/NE03, Wembley Park, where Sisk has been working on the redevelopment of Wembley Park for its long-term client, Quintain for the past 20 years.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

ACT performance has already been demonstrated data from a series of partner trials in Europe, and Ecocem’s six patented innovations have set new standards for low-carbon cement, demonstrating that it<\/span> not only enhances SCM performance but also brings market availability closer, without the need for a substantial green premium. This Demonstrator project at Wembley Park is another important milestone.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A Call to Action: Scaling Innovation and Policy Change<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To drive meaningful change in the industry, it is essential to advance both the technologies and the policies that support their adoption. The adoption of new low-carbon SCMs requires regulatory frameworks and performance-based concrete standards that provide confidence to an industry often hesitant to change. Governments and regulatory bodies must evolve to support the widespread use of these materials, similar to how the EU has set standards for additions like GGBS, fly ash, or silica fume.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This pioneering work by the consortium to collaborate on a scalable, low carbon demonstrator will take us another step closer to delivering scalable low carbon solutions to the construction industry.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Path Forward: Market Implications and Future Outlook<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We are committed to leading this change by making ACT commercially available by 2026.\u00a0 With the\u00a0 right combination of innovation, collaboration, and policy support, we can redefine what sustainable construction looks like and support the industry\u2019s drive to a low-carbon future.<\/span> This funding from Innovate UK is a great example of how governments can take the lead in scaling innovation and enabling decarbonisation.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s build it together.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Contact and information<\/h4>\n