Decarbonising pathways for cement and concrete: will innovation overcome industry resistance?

Portland cement (PC) production is the world’s largest emitter of CO2 at 8% of global emissions, equal to the global car fleet. Pressure from the community on the construction sector to decrease CO2 emissions results in green-washing from the industry, with no plan for radical change. Also, the prescriptive standards for construction materials and design codes based on PC act as a major obstacle to adopt low CO2 binders. 

We are proud to have at next year's Sustainable Minerals '23 Prof. Jannie Van Deventer, who was ranked #2 in the world in mining and metallurgy research (posting of 17 December 2020). With three doctorates in chemical engineering, mineral processing and business economics, Jannie has received several awards for his research and has been listed three times as one of Australia's most influential engineers. 

Prof. Van Deventer is CEO of Zeobond Pty Ltd and is an honorary professorial fellow at the University of Melbourne, where he was Dean of Engineering until 2007. He has a track record of commercialising technology in cement and mineral processing, and by analysing the interplay between technical and commercial factors, especially regarding concrete durability, a pathway will be proposed in his keynote lecture in Falmouth for the adoption of new technology to decarbonise cement and concrete.

New technology, including electrically-enhanced supersonic shockwave reactors, will produce low CO2 cements and supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) from primary and secondary resources. Synthetic SCMs will create a new value chain by replacing the dwindling supplies of blast furnace slag and coal fly ash as the steel and energy sectors decarbonise.

We are very pleased to welcome Jannie back to Falmouth as a keynote speaker, his first time in Cornwall since SRCR 11.

Jannie (left) at the Chain Locker, Falmouth

and with Markus Reuter, Dean Eastbury, Kari Heiskanen and me
in one of Falmouth's many fine restaurants

#SustainableMinerals23