Trends and developments in green cement and concrete technology

The cement industry faces a number of challenges that include depleting fossil fuel reserves, scarcity of raw materials, perpetually increasing demand for cements and concretes, growing environmental concerns linked to climate change and an ailing world economy. Every tonne of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) that is produced releases on average a similar amount of CO2 into the atmosphere, or in total roughly 6% of all man-made carbon emissions. Improved production methods and formulations that reduce or eliminate CO2 emissions from the cement manufacturing process are thus high on the agenda. Emission reduction is also needed to counter the impacts on product cost of new regulations, green taxes and escalating…