The production of cement accounts for approx. 5-8 per cent of the annual emission of CO2 worldwide. At the same time, society’s consumption of cement is increasing, and there is therefore a great need for the development of solutions that reduce CO2 emissions from cement production. It is expected that global cement production will increase from the current level of 4.4 to 7.0 billion tons per year by 2050.
21.6 million from the Innovation Fund
The CALLISTE development project aims to halve the CO2 emissions from cement production. The Innovation Fund has invested DKK 21.6 million in the project, which is led by the Danish Technological Institute.
CALLISTE builds on Aalborg Portland’s FUTURECEM technology, which came on the market on 1 January 2021. FUTURECEM cement is primarily developed for use in so-called ready-mixed concrete. The ambition in the CALLISTE project is to further develop FUTURECEM, so that the requirements from all application areas within concrete are covered even better, and to achieve an even greater CO2 reduction. This is written by the Sustainable Concrete Initiative.
High early strength and high replacement
For the first part of the project, the goal is to develop a cement with high early strength, thereby optimizing its applicability in the production of concrete elements and coating products. The second part of the project aims to achieve an extremely high replacement of the so-called cement clinker with calcined clay and lime – up to 50 per cent.
– Our calculations show that the potential for annual CO2 savings that can be achieved by implementing the project’s results is considerable. In Denmark alone, potential savings are expected to be as high as DKK 0.5 million. tonnes of CO2 in 2030. On a global level, an implementation of the FUTURECEM technology can lead to a CO2 saving of approx. 900 million tonnes of CO2 per year, if it is assumed that the technology results in a 30 per cent reduction of the current CO2 emissions from cement production, says Søren Lundsted Poulsen from the Danish Technological Institute, project manager for CALLISTE.
Crucial for the green transition
According to Aalborg Portland, the project’s results have the potential to be decisively important for the green transition within construction both in Denmark and globally.
– At Aalborg Portland, we have a strong desire to be part of the solution in the green transition. We are fully aware of our role and co-responsibility, which is why for decades we have invested massively in the green transformation of our production in Aalborg. The preliminary climax is the development of our FUTURECEM with up to 30 per cent lower CO2 footprint, says Jesper Sand Damtoft, director of R&D in Aalborg Portland and the Cementir group.
The Road Directorate and Femern A/S are testing
Although a competent research team is a prerequisite for CALLISTE, a strong client is also an important part of a consortium when the cement of the future is to be developed. From the Roads Directorate, Gert von der Ahe is also satisfied with being one of the builders and he is looking forward to being able to test the new, greener cement.
– In the Roads Directorate, we want to be at the forefront of the development of even more CO2-reducing building materials. The development of a greener cement is absolutely essential if we are to succeed in reducing CO2 emissions in the construction industry. We look forward to being able to test the new cement in full-scale demonstration projects – because this is where we get out into the real world, out of the laboratories and test the solutions on an industrial scale. It is an important step in the green transformation, and it is exciting to be at the forefront where the development is taking place, says Gert von der Ahe, for the Sustainable Concrete Initiative.
As a developer, Femern A/S must also contribute to facilitating demonstration projects where the developed materials and technologies are tested in full-scale concrete structures.
