Two ground-breaking projects are aiming to decarbonise the energy-intensive cement industry.
This week saw the launch of a government, industry and academia alliance in Dubai, while in Spain a trial used solar power for cement production.
The Dubai collaboration is being led by the UK’s Heriot-Watt University and wants to bring the cement sector in the UAE to net zero emissions by 2040. If achieved, it plans to roll out its emissions-busting blueprint globally.
The research is based at the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC) at Heriot-Watt’s Dubai campus and will focus on four key areas: materials and waste management; building permits and regulations; new technologies; and education.
Cement is the source of about 8% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, according to think tank Chatham House.
The majority of this CO2 is produced as a result of decomposition of limestone, while the remainder comes from the combustion of fuel and indirect emissions from electricity consumption.
Dr Anas Bataw, director of the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction at Heriot-Watt, said construction and the wider built environment “accounts for around 40% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions”.
“Yet, the global construction market is expected to grow by $4.5 trillion up to 2030 to reach $15.2 trillion, with China, India, US, and Indonesia expected to account for 60% of this growth.
“During the global transition to net zero, the construction sector needs to dramatically reduce the amount of carbon embedded in new infrastructure and buildings, ultimately reducing its wider impact on the environment.
