Abstract
Like other hard-to-abate sectors, the cement and concrete industry is facing growing pressure to reduce CO2 emissions. In this context, the carbonation of minerals or industrial wastes with CO2 (CO2 mineralization) is attracting growing interest in research and industry as well as among policy makers. Despite their technical feasibility, few of these innovative carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies have so far reached the commercialization stage. Due to their low maturity and potentially higher market prices, these technologies presently require policy support in order to realize their full sustainability potentials. This paper elucidates which policies are considered appropriate, in the literature, for fostering the further development and implementation of CCU technologies and thus achieving the sustainability potential of CO2 mineralization applications. First, we performed a meta-analysis of recent literature in order to identify policies and measures that potentially represent barriers or incentives to the development and deployment of CO2 mineralization technologies, and categorized them as technology-push or market-pull policies. As a second step, we conducted an online survey of policy-making priorities among experts in the field. This identified numerous relevant policies, of which the majority are market-oriented. While most existing market-pull policies do currently not support CCU technologies and would require adaptation to do so, technology-push policies already provide support for their development. However, while the need for technology-push support in the early development phases is still continued, the broad spectrum of market-pull policies that are considered relevant shows that a shifting focus of policy support is required to better address the current state of development of CO2 mineralization technologies and their upcoming market entry.
Highlights
Cement is among the most used substances on Earth (IEA, 2019)
To determine which policies measures are considered relevant, survey participants were asked to prioritize the importance of: 1) emission trading systems7, 2) product labelling and standardization issues as the visible outcomes of standardized assessments, 3) the EU Waste Framework Directive as an important policy measure with regard to mineralization products that are already available in some countries (Carbon8, 2020), and 4) and 5) government procurement and blending quotas as policy measures that most directly target market implementation
This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of why—despite proven technological feasibility—few CO2 mineralization applications yet reached the commercialization stage
Summary
Cement is among the most used substances on Earth (IEA, 2019). Since 2014, global cement production has remained consistently high at around 4 Gt per year (IEA, 2020), accounting for approximately 7 percent of annual global anthropogenic CO2 emissions (IEA, 2020; Le Quéré et al, 2018). Ambitious agendas and strategies are being developed to secure the future viability of the sector, such as the Carbon Neutrality Roadmap published by the European Cement Association (Cembureau, 2020a) and HeidelbergCement’s “Beyond 2020” strategy (Beumelburg, 2020) In this context, the carbonation of minerals or industrial wastes with CO2 is attracting growing interest in research and industry as well as among policy makers (Schlögl et al, 2018; Sanna et al, 2014). In such “carbonation” or “mineralization” processes, CO2 is reacted with virgin minerals or certain types of industrial waste to form a solid carbonate, resulting in an effectively permanent means of sequestering CO2 (SCOT project, 2016; Sandalow et al, 2017) In addition to their possible contribution to reducing the carbon footprint of the construction sector, CCU technologies can create value-added products in the form of cement-like construction materials, such as cementitious materials, aggregates, and concrete (Hendriks et al, 2013; IEA, 2019). They may provide additional or more economical options for the industry’s emission reduction strategies
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
