Mineral Products Association comments on publication of UK Committee on Climate Change’s 7th carbon budget
THE UK Committee on Climate Change (CCC) 7th carbon budget (published today) has been welcomed by the Mineral Products Association (MPA) amid calls for a reduction in the UK’s consumption emissions rather than decarbonization through deindustrialization.
In its 7th carbon budget, the CCC recognizes that the use of carbon capture will be vital to decarbonizing the UK cement and lime sectors – represented by the MPA – due to unavoidable emissions from the chemical changes in the materials, called process emissions.
Cement and lime are essential for UK construction and manufacturing and, according to the MPA, the use of carbon capture – combined with using waste biomass as fuel – has the potential for UK cement and lime production to go beyond net-zero emissions.
Hydrogen could also be an important fuel for decarbonizing activities in the mineral products industry, but the MPA says it needs to be both affordable and accessible in sufficient quantities, and welcomes the CCC’s advice to focus hydrogen use on industry.
However, whilst some UK cement and lime plants are part of geographical ‘clusters’, where they can work together with other industrial operators on carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) and hydrogen initiatives, half the UK’s producers are located outside these clusters, making decarbonization more challenging.
And for the hundreds of aggregate quarry sites looking at hydrogen-powered Non Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM), such as dumptrucks and excavators, the CCC’s carbon budget suggests they will need to find a hydrogen supply solution that does not rely on the gas grid, for example generating on site or delivery by truck.
To be truly world leading, the MPA argues the CCC and the Government must set targets based on the total emissions from the consumption of goods in the UK, including the emissions embodied in imported goods. Over the last two decades imports of cement have been rising and in 2023 the UK cement market was made up of 32% imports while consumption has remained broadly the same – evidence that the UK is already decarbonizing by deindustrializing, posing a threat to rural jobs and economies.
This is why the MPA has repeatedly called on the Government to maintain the competitiveness of domestic cement and lime production and enable the transition to net zero by decarbonization. Key policy asks include:
A watertight carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM)
Urgent clarity on key aspects of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) including free allocation from 2027 onwards
Visibility of support for carbon capture beyond the initial Track 1 projects that have been announced, including support targeted at dispersed sites in more isolated locations and commitment to support the Peak Cluster (the world’s largest cement and lime carbon capture and storage project that aims to capture more than 3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually).
The MPA is also concerned that the 7th carbon budget assumptions around resource efficiency in relation to cement are unrealistic. While MPA members continue to explore options to reduce the carbon intensity of cement and concrete through the use of supplementary cementitious materials, the availability of these alternatives can create complexities, and the changes they bring to the cement and concrete characteristics and performance mean they cannot be used in all applications.
Dr Diana Casey, the MPA’s executive director for energy and climate change, said: ‘The CCC has set out a challenging 7th carbon budget which will only be met by taking action now. The Government must urgently implement policies to attract investment to the UK to ensure we have a secure supply of low-carbon cement to meet the UK’s ambitions for economic growth and decarbonization by 2050.’
