Company awarded grant from US Department of Energy to develop pioneering carbon-capture technology
CEMEX’s US operations have been awarded a grant from the US Department of Energy to research, engineer and develop a pilot for a breakthrough carbon-capture unit. The project, anchored to CEMEX’s Victorville cement plant, in California, will also contemplate cost-competitive solutions to completely close the loop on current carbon emissions.
In this initiative, which is being led by RTI international, an independent non-profit research institute, CEMEX are joining forces with UK-based Carbon Clean, a global leader in low-cost CO2 capture technology, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The goal of the consortium is to increase efficiencies and value in CEMEX’s overall building material fabrication process, while significantly reducing their CO2 footprint through the leverage of technological upgrades.
The specific objectives of the project also include the development, optimization and scale up of specific CO2 capture process components, as well as incorporation of next-generation non-aqueous solvents. It is also planned that integration aspects of the low-cost, modular, process-intensification capture technology with CEMEX’s cement plant will be covered, together with subsequent cost evaluations and technical considerations for the transformation of captured CO2 into new marketable products.
‘CEMEX are committed to being part of the solution to reduce carbon emissions globally and to deliver net-zero CO2 concrete to all of our customers by 2050,’ said Jaime Muguiro, president of CEMEX USA. ‘We cannot achieve these without innovative technology and collaborative relationships with both public and private organizations who share a commitment to climate action. This grant gives us an excellent opportunity to further develop a new technology to help us all reach our goals.’
‘With CEMEX being a project partner and technology stakeholder, the design and integration of the capture system with their cement plant and subsequent use of the CO2 at their concrete plants are set to align with the industry’s needs,’ said Paul Mobley, research chemical engineer at RTI International. ‘The development of this highly disruptive CO2 capture technology could accelerate industry adoption and thereby significantly reduce industrial emissions.’
Xin Sun, interim associate laboratory director for energy science and technology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, said: ‘ORNL is dedicated to translating science into industry solutions for addressing some of the most critical problems facing our nation. We look forward to applying our advanced manufacturing expertise to this project in support of a clean, efficient, flexible and secure energy future.’
Aniruddha Sharma, chief executive officer of Carbon Clean, said: ‘CEMEX share our mission to enable the net-zero transition by developing affordable modularized carbon-capture solutions. This latest grant from the US Government endorses the importance of such work. We are looking forward to delivering this breakthrough project with CEMEX, further strengthening our relationship and helping to decarbonize the cement industry.’
