Cement industry sets decarbonization targets

CEMENT manufacturers said they plan to cut back on clinker and accelerate the shift to alternative fuels in order to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.

The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CeMAP) launched the Philippine Cement and Concrete Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap on June 29, with a target to reduce clinker use to 68% of current levels by 2030, falling further to 61% by 2040, and 58% by 2050.

The manufacturing of clinker, a binder in Portland cement production, is energy-intensive and emits carbon due to high-temperature limestone calcination.

CeMAP said it hopes to increase the use of alternative fuels in the cement-making process to 25% of the total by 2030 from 13% in 2024, rising to 35% and 36% in 2040 and 2050, respectively.

In a statement, CeMAP President John Reinier H. Dizon said the roadmap “provides a clear, coordinated strategy for one of the world’s most carbon-intensive industries to reduce emissions while continuing to support economic growth and infrastructure development.”

According to the group, the roadmap will serve as a guide for the industry’s decarbonization via the increased production of low-carbon cement; the adoption of alternative and renewable energy solutions; new supplementary cementitious materials; and the eventual deployment of carbon capture technologies.

“It provides a clear pathway for government and industry to work together in securing a sustainable future for both economic growth and environmental stewardship,” Mr. Dizon added.

The roadmap was developed with funding from the Canadian government through the Environment and Climate Change Canada.

CeMAP launched the roadmap in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and the Canadian government. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz