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00:00:00 – 00:55:37
The video focuses on decarbonizing the cement and concrete cycle to address climate change. Key points include the urgent need for decarbonization, greenhouse gas emissions from concrete production, challenges and strategies for reducing carbon emissions in the industry, and potential scenarios for achieving net-zero emissions. Important terms include carbon capture and storage (CCS), supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), low-carbon fuels, and material efficiency strategies. Key conclusions emphasize the importance of accelerating innovations, involving stakeholders, and implementing technologies to achieve decarbonization goals by 2050. The speaker also stresses the importance of addressing barriers like high costs and local supply constraints for low-carbon fuels to drive decarbonization efforts.
00:00:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker introduces a seminar on decarbonizing the cement and concrete cycle, highlighting the urgent need to address climate change and find solutions. Professor Eric Missannet is mentioned as the presenter who will discuss emerging innovations in material science and carbon capture for decarbonizing emissions. Housekeeping details for the Q&A session after the presentation are provided, and the speaker’s background is briefly introduced before handing over the screen to Professor Missannet. The professor shares his expertise and collaboration on decarbonizing the cement and concrete cycle, acknowledging his research team and recent report on the topic. Key points include motivations, methods, and findings related to decarbonization efforts in the cement and concrete industry.
00:05:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the significant greenhouse gas emissions associated with concrete production, with estimates suggesting it amounts to about three gigatons of CO2 equivalents. The main sources of emissions in the concrete cycle include cement manufacturing, concrete pouring on construction sites, aggregate production, and transportation. The speaker highlights the progress made by the industry in improving thermal efficiency and shifting towards lower carbon fuels. However, it is emphasized that significant acceleration is needed in climate ambitions to achieve decarbonization of the cement and concrete cycle. The speaker presents analysis results indicating that drastic reduction of emissions from the cement sector is essential by mid-century. Additionally, the global demand for cement is expected to increase by around 30 percent by 2050, emphasizing the need for decarbonization while meeting increased demand.
00:10:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the challenges of reducing carbon emissions in the cement sector and the need for carbon capture technology. They highlight the substantial amount of carbon capture and storage (CCS) required for global decarbonization plans. The speaker emphasizes the necessity of equipping most world cement plants with CCS technology to meet emission reduction targets. However, they acknowledge the historical deployment pace of CCS and the need for a significant acceleration. The speaker also explores alternative pathways for decarbonizing the cement and concrete cycle, aiming to open up options beyond CCS and involve more stakeholders in the decarbonization process. Additionally, they mention improving energy efficiency in cement kilns and transitioning to low-carbon fuels as strategies to reduce emissions in the industry. The speaker teases upcoming scenarios proposed for achieving net zero emissions in the cement and concrete cycle by mid-century.
00:15:00
In this segment of the video, the focus is on reducing the carbon footprint in cement production. One strategy discussed is using supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) like fly ash, ground limestone, gypsum, and blast furnace slag to replace a portion of clinker in cement production. Data shows an increase in SCMs usage and a decrease in the clinker to cement ratio. Emerging technologies in low carbon and low energy cement chemistries, such as Solidia blend of cement, are being developed to reduce CO2 emissions. Innovations in kiln technologies and efforts to reduce demand for concrete in construction are highlighted as key areas for decarbonizing the industry. Accelerating the development and deployment of these technologies is crucial to meet carbon reduction goals, especially as there is a limited timeframe to stay within the 1.5-degree carbon budget.
00:20:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses ways to reduce concrete use in construction, such as using cross-laminated timber. They also explore innovations in carbon capture and utilization, including CO2 curing and mineralizing captured carbon for concrete production. The speaker introduces a public model called “Imagine Concrete” that analyzes the entire life cycle of concrete, tracking mass flow, energy inputs, and emissions. The model includes 30 technology levers for decarbonization, such as improving cement plant technology, using low-carbon fuels, and implementing material efficiency strategies like lean construction practices and recycling aggregate. The model aims to provide a holistic view of concrete production and its environmental impact.
00:25:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses tracking the lifespan of concrete to make projections on cement demand under different societal demand conditions. The focus is on cement demand projections for residential and non-residential buildings, roadways, and three primary countries: China, the United States, and India. The dynamic stock flow model is used to understand future demand based on building lifespans, population growth, and construction practices. Detailed accounting of CO2 fluxes and sinks is done, with a focus on co2 uptake, emissions, and implications of engineered timber and biomass utilization. The importance of understanding the net effects of the overall system, including co2 storage in timber and carbonation in the built environment, is highlighted. The detailed carbonation model allows for tracking carbon emissions and uptake throughout the life cycle. Results show positive emission fluxes and co2 uptake, giving users the flexibility to include or exclude certain factors in generating scenarios.
00:30:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the progress in the cement and concrete industry, presenting different scenarios for decarbonization. Two scenarios are highlighted: a production-centric scenario focusing on plant technologies for decarbonization, and a demand-side scenario emphasizing material efficiency and substitution to reduce concrete usage. The production-centric scenario relies on emerging technologies to achieve net-zero emissions, with some dependence on carbon capture and storage (CCS). In contrast, the demand-side scenario shows potential for achieving net-zero without CCS through leaner construction practices, material substitution, and recycling efforts. The speaker emphasizes the importance of accelerating innovations and involving various stakeholders for successful decarbonization in the industry.
00:35:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the differences in savings between countries like the US, China, and India based on their current building structures and strategies. They mention that achieving net zero emissions by 2050 is possible, but stakeholders like cement producers and policymakers play crucial roles in implementing technologies to reach this goal. The need for all stakeholders, including architects and urban planners, to embrace new ways of designing buildings and shift to mass timber is highlighted. The video stresses the importance of involving various stakeholders in the decarbonization process to accelerate the reduction of carbon emissions, emphasizing the limited time available to meet climate targets. The segment also touches on barriers such as the high cost of implementing new technologies, local supply constraints for low-carbon fuels, adoption challenges for emerging technologies like carbon capture and storage (CCS), and the need for incentives to drive decarbonization efforts in the cement industry.
00:40:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the key findings and the availability of models for redesigning the use of concrete in the built environment to reduce its consumption. They emphasize the importance of considering factors like building design, codes, living standards, and population growth for global decarbonization of the cement and concrete cycle. The speaker outlines two approaches to achieve decarbonization: focusing on production side measures like energy-efficient kilns and carbon capture, and involving stakeholders and innovations on the demand side. They stress the need for accelerated development and deployment of innovations, as well as cost reduction and risk perception. The speaker invites viewers to test out a web-based version of the model and provide feedback. Finally, they express gratitude to the ClimateWorks foundation for funding the research and encourage questions from the audience. The discussion also touches on the potential impact of construction technologies like 3D printing on carbon emissions and the global distribution of concrete products.
00:45:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the production and transportation of cement and concrete, highlighting that cement can be imported and exported, while concrete is typically made close to the job site. The discussion then shifts to the potential cost implications of production and demand initiatives in the industry, mentioning the need for cost analysis in future research phases. The speaker also touches upon the challenge of evaluating the cost benefits and drivers associated with material substitution, such as choosing cross-laminated timber over concrete. Lastly, there is a brief mention of considering carbon cycling in forests and the uncertainty surrounding the carbon balance in timber construction materials.
00:50:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the decomposition of landfill timber producing methane, methane recovery rates in landfills, combustion of wood for energy recovery, and how biogenic CO2 flows are handled in their modeling framework. They mention allowing users to modify assumptions in the model. The discussion also touches on the consideration of technology readiness levels (TRL) in modeling for future impact, focusing primarily on TRL 9 technologies or those close to it. The talk concludes with gratitude to the audience and organizers, emphasizing the importance of the presented work and collaborations for the future.