"Green" reconstruction of Ukraine: how to make cement less harmful to the e
But what is the benefit for business in this?
Concrete is considered the most common building material in the world, and at the same time it causes significant damage to the environment. Cement - the main ingredient of concrete - is the second largest industrial source of carbon emissions on the planet. Cement production alone accounts for up to 8% of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, which contributes to the deepening of the climate crisis. Carbon is formed both directly in the production process and as a result of the use of fossil fuels, which are used to generate the electricity needed to ensure the operation of enterprises.
Since the 1990s, global cement production has increased by 300%, and in the future, according to Chatham House, it will only grow.
At the same time, this increase in demand for cement will occur at a time when the issue of climate neutrality and "green transformation" has become urgent, so the construction industry needs to quickly reduce carbon emissions. For Ukraine, the problem is becoming particularly relevant in the context of post-war reconstruction and achieving ambitious goals in accordance with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Ukrainian Energy has investigated what opportunities for decarbonization of the cement industry are of interest to scientists and business, and how a national system of trading in CO2 emission units can create incentives for its “green” modernization.
Carbon absorption
Concrete can absorb carbon dioxide and store it - this process is called carbon absorption (or sequestration).
Previously, scientists assumed that the amount of carbon dioxide that concrete is able to absorb from the atmosphere is quite small compared to the CO2 emissions during its production. Now they have managed to test this hypothesis in practice. A study by the University of Colorado at Boulder has shown that concrete buildings are actually able to reduce the damage they cause to the climate to some extent.
Compared to previous predictions, scientists have received impressive data: up to 19% of the carbon emitted into the atmosphere during the production of concrete can be absorbed during its use.
This is the conclusion of the scientist Adriana Souto-Martinez. She understood how carbon sequestration occurs in different concrete mixtures over time. The researcher calculated its amount in 30 different concrete mixtures that are most often used in construction. Then, using computer modeling, she estimated the period of use to find out the environmental impact specifically for each stage of the concrete's "life cycle" - from production to decommissioning or recycling.
The main conclusion of the study: the stronger the concrete, the less carbon it "emit" into the atmosphere.
The assessment of the ability of cement to absorb carbon depends on various parameters such as the type of cement or the final shape of concrete structures. But it is an important starting point for future research. Architects and engineers are making important decisions about the design and performance of concrete mixtures, taking into account the potential impact on the climate. Now they have proven data on concrete that they can rely on when developing projects.
There are other options for “making” concrete absorb carbon dioxide. The Canadian company CarbonCure proposes injecting liquefied CO2 into wet concrete. This could lead to 700 million tons less carbon being emitted into the atmosphere each year. More than 100 concrete manufacturers have already adopted this technology.
Although this building material is not completely safe for the climate, such studies prove that there are options to significantly reduce its negative impact. Based on scientific findings, more environmentally friendly technologies for its production can be created, and in the future, the industry as a whole can be modernized and brought to a new level.
Alternatives
Researchers are also finding other ways to make construction more climate-neutral. For example, by replacing cement and other ingredients during the production of concrete. Scientists from the University of Bath claim that up to 10% of the sand in concrete can be replaced with plastic without compromising the structural integrity of the building material. At the same time, this will allow the disposal of plastic waste, which is a serious problem. “Any alternative to rotting in landfill is welcome,” says Richard Ball from the University of Bath.
Australian design firm Fibercon has developed its own technology for reinforcing concrete with recycled plastic.
The company has calculated that if instead of the traditional material – reinforced steel mesh – it completely switches to recycled plastic, then CO2 emissions can be reduced by 90%.
At the University of Exeter in the UK, scientists are using nanotechnology to add graphene (a powder formed by mechanically exfoliating graphite in water) to concrete. This makes the building material twice as strong and four times more water-resistant than traditional concrete. What’s more, graphene-enhanced concrete uses half the raw materials, ancillary materials, and electricity to produce.
Another approach that could theoretically revolutionize the industry is 3D printing of houses. It could cut concrete costs by 40%, says John Orr of the University of Cambridge’s School of Engineering.
Carbon neutrality
Swiss scientists have concluded that carbon emissions from concrete in construction could be cut by 80% by 2050 – without any radical changes to its production standards or significant investment in innovative carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technology.
Instead, construction companies should invest in more efficient ways of producing concrete, based on circular economy principles, minimise waste and increase demand for sustainable materials.
For example, the Swiss corporation Holcim, one of the world's leading cement producers, has been producing cement using recycled construction waste since 2018, the share of which in the total volume of the mixture can reach 20%. The main market for the construction of such cement is companies from EU countries that seek to modernize their business according to the principles of the European Green Deal and get additional profit from it.
"In terms of construction volumes and the use of the materials necessary for this, a city the size of New York appears in the world every month. Under such conditions, it is becoming increasingly difficult to meet the demand for cement and not fill landfills with garbage - due to lack of space, the fee for their use is constantly increasing. This makes the recycling of construction materials and their reuse an attractive business that contributes to the decarbonization of the industry and becomes a growth driver," says Milan Gutovic, CEO of Holcim.
Although traditional cement remains widespread in the construction materials market, more and more consumers are relying on its more expensive climate-neutral alternative, the price of which takes into account the “green premium”. Subsequently, this allows saving on the cost of purchasing carbon emission units. “Five years ago, the decarbonization of our industry
caused a major headache. Today, I think this is the biggest opportunity for business,” says Milan Gutovic. According to him, if at the beginning of 2023 climate-neutral cement accounted for 16% of sales in the construction segment in the world, then in the first quarter of 2024 this share was already about 25%.
State support is important
Despite the growth in demand, the development of “green cement” production is “too slow” due to the lack of commercially viable solutions. This is stated in the Chatham House study “Innovations in Low-Carbon Cement and Concrete”. Therefore, businesses need access to “sustainable financing and government support to bring technological innovations in the construction industry to the market,” the study authors say.
Additional obstacles are also created by weak competition among manufacturers. “The sector is dominated by a handful of large players who are wary of innovative products that challenge existing business models,” experts say. However, in their opinion, the development of CO2 trading could change the situation. In addition, governments should set clear obligations to decarbonize the construction industry, define sectoral emission reduction targets, provide state support for pilot innovation projects, and strengthen rules to achieve carbon neutrality along the entire chain of production and use of construction materials.
Ukrainian context
Vladimir Kramar, an expert at the Bioenergy Association of Ukraine, confirmed in a comment to Ukrainska Energetika that the cement industry is currently studying various strategies to reduce CO2 emissions. Among the promising options, he named the development of new building material components, modernization and electrification of production, the transition from fossil fuels to low-carbon energy sources at cement plants, and the use of CCUS technology.
At the government level, for their part, they are sending signals that, despite the difficulties of wartime, Ukrainian cement producers should prepare for decarbonization and market innovations dictated by the EU climate agenda.
“The challenges we face are very serious, the main ones being the adaptation of legislation to EU standards. And this is a complex issue, as it has a significant impact on industry and the economy. Our country is probably the first to take on such ambitious commitments in such a short period of time,” explained Viktoriya Kireeva, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, explaining the urgency of the problem.
She also drew attention to the prospects of a national carbon trading system (ETS), which will allow determining the Ukrainian market price for carbon.
“ETS is a new and complex financial mechanism… The implementation of this system will not only stimulate business to invest in environmental technologies, but will also contribute to the adaptation of the economy to European standards, opening up new opportunities for international cooperation,” the official noted.
Earlier, the Ministry of Environment announced that the Ukrainian SETS will be fully operational in 2026, and before that, during 2025, its pilot launch will take place.
Svitlana Dolinchuk, specially for "Ukrainian Energy"
