CO2 impact
From essential infrastructure like buildings and roads to applications in renewable energy, steel, pharmaceuticals and agriculture, cement and lime provide the foundations of our societies and economies.
They are indispensable to our way of life. And they will be critical in ensuring global living standards continue to improve in the transition to a carbon neutral world.
Cement is the key ingredient in concrete, the most consumed substance on Earth, after water
4-5 billion tonnes used globally
∼ 8% of global employment
Essential for rapid economic development needed to meet UN SDGs
Environmental impact
The cement and lime industries are also amongst the largest contributors to climate change, accounting for approximately 8% of global CO₂ emissions.
Since 1990, significant effort has been made to reduce the energy and emissions intensity of cement and lime production, resulting in a 20% decrease in CO₂ output. Despite these efforts, cement and lime remain the largest single source of industrial emissions.
~8%
of global CO₂ emissions
LARGEST
single source of industrial emissions
Unavoidable CO2 emissions
Unlike other industries, most of the CO₂ produced in the manufacture of cement and lime is unavoidable. Cement is made by heating limestone with clay and other materials. When heated to high temperatures, limestone (CaCO3) is converted into calcium oxide or quicklime (CaO), releasing CO₂ in the process.
In fact, for every 1,000kg of cement, 700kg of carbon dioxide is produced. The unavoidable process CO₂ emissions account for around two thirds of the total emissions from the industry, with the balance resulting from the energy emissions required to heat the reaction. Decarbonising cement and lime requires a solution that addresses both.
Heat
700kg*
of CO2 for every
1000kg
of cement
* Material Economics (2019). Industrial Transformation 2050 - Pathways to Net-Zero Emissions from EU Heavy Industry.
The call to decarbonise
To preserve our planet, cement and lime producers must urgently decarbonise. To preserve our way of life, we must do so at the lowest possible cost.
As penalties for emitters increase across the world, decarbonising is not only a matter of environmental responsibility for producers. It is a matter of survival.
< €20/tonne – potential cost of carbon abatement with Leilac
US$35trn: investments in financial products abiding by ESG rules
>€80/tonne average EU carbon price for H1 2022
US$85/tonne US tax credit for stored CO2
Cement is the key ingredient in concrete, the most consumed substance on Earth, after water
4-5 billion tonnes used globally
∼ 8% of global employment
Essential for rapid economic development needed to meet UN SDGs
~8%
of global CO₂ emissions
LARGEST
single source of industrial emissions
Heat
700kg*
of CO2 for every
1000kg
of cement
* Material Economics (2019). Industrial Transformation 2050 - Pathways to Net-Zero Emissions from EU Heavy Industry.
< €20/tonne – potential cost of carbon abatement with Leilac
US$35trn: investments in financial products abiding by ESG rules
>€80/tonne average EU carbon price for H1 2022
US$85/tonne US tax credit for stored CO2
Our solution
Leilac’s technology seeks to deliver highly efficient capture of unavoidable process emissions in cement and lime production.
It is being developed to be clean energy ready to enable the sustainable decarbonisation of cement and lime.
1.37
BILLION TONNES OF C02
from cement needs to be captured and stored annually by 2050 to reach net zero.**Global Cement & Concrete Association. Getting to net zero
Carbon capture, utilisation and storage
To meet global climate targets, cement and lime producers must be able to implement credible and economical technologies that capture unavoidable CO₂ process emissions.
Accessible, low cost CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure is also vital to enable the successful decarbonisation of our industries.
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) plays a major role in decarbonizing the industry sector in the context of 1.5°C and 2°C pathways, especially in industries with higher process emissions, such as cement.
*SR1.5. Chapter 2. IPCC. 2018.
Carbon utilisation
Carbon utilisation consists of a range of technologies that use or convert CO₂ to make valuable fuels, feed, chemicals, building materials or other products. For some existing applications, captured CO₂ can replace conventional CO₂ feedstocks, while new applications can be developed based on incentives to utilise CO₂.
The market for CO₂ utilisation, however, will likely remain small relative to the volume of CO₂ that will need to be captured from industry.
Carbon storage
The primary means of ensuring the CO2 generated by industry does not reach the atmosphere is to permanently store or sequester it. Geological storage reservoirs are the only volumes that can store CO2 at a sufficiently large scale in volume and time.
Geological storage of CO2 has been safely undertaken for many years. From storage in deep saline aquifers, to depleted hydrocarbon fields, to mineralisation, where the CO2 is bound to rocks, geological storage of CO2 uses well established, regulated, effective and safe practices.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that 70% of CO2 emissions are within 100km of potential subsurface storage reservoirs in key regions. For cement and lime, the decentralised nature of production opens opportunities for local storage solutions. This can help reduce transport costs and provide local incentives for storage infrastructure development.
Accessible and low cost infrastructure for the transport and permanent storage of CO2 is critical for the decarbonisation of cement and lime. Support from all levels of government is needed to develop carbon transport and storage solutions at scale and ensure fair access for all producers in carbon-intensive industries.
The transition to a carbon neutral world
Just like the Global Goals, we recognise the need to balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.
Leilac’s innovation, development and partnerships are aligned with the Global Goals, helping to accelerate our work in delivering the transition to a carbon neutral world.
We’re creating sustainable industries and a sustainable planet.
