AETHER - Demonstration of the reduction of

CO2 emissions from the production of an

innovative class of cements
LIFE09 ENV/FR/000595

Project description Environmental issues Beneficiaries Administrative data

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Contact details:
Project Manager: Günther WALENTA
Tel: +33 4 74 82 18 28
Fax: +33 4 74 82 80 11
Email: gunther.walenta@lafargeholcim.com

Project description:

Background

After water, concrete is the most widely used material for the construction of
housing and infrastructure. The world market for cement - the main material
used for making concrete - is in excess of 2 billion tonnes/yr. However, cement
production accounts for a significant proportion of manmade greenhouse gases
(GHG), estimated to be approx. 5% of global CO2 emissions. Furthermore, the
demand from construction industries is constantly increasing, especially in the
developing world. Portland is the most common form of cement. It is made by
the thermal treatment - calcination - of ground calcium carbonate (limestone)
and clay to form a nodular material called ‘clinker’, which is then ground to
produce cement. Production of Portland cement clinker generates average
emissions of around 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per tonne, mostly from the chemical
reaction of the raw materials, and to a lower extent from the combustion of fossil
fuels. The cement industry has already taken major measures to reduce
process-related CO2 emissions. These have focused on energy optimisation,
clinker substitution in cements and fossil fuel replacement. However, these
conventional approaches need to be complemented with other solutions, to
contribute achieving the ambitious target set by Lafarge to reduce net CO2
emissions (per ton of cement) in 2020 by 33% compared to 1990.

Objectives
The objective of the AETHER project was to demonstrate the feasibility of
producing a new cement at industrial scale with significantly lower CO2
emissions compared with conventional Portland cement, within existing
industrial installations, using a new and patented type of clinker shown to be
successful in lab trials. The project aimed to validate the environmental,
technical and economic properties of the cement produced, which in the
longer-term may contribute to a cement-producing process that achieves the
EU’s CO2 reduction targets.

Results

The AETHER project produced a new type of cement at the industrial scale with
significantly lower CO2 emissions and a lower energy consumption compared
with conventional Portland cement, within existing industrial installations. Two
clinker trials were carried at two different industrial sites operated by
coordinating beneficiary Lafarge in France, in 2011 and 2012. These trials
confirmed that AETHER clinker could be produced in a Portland plant with a
dry/semi dry process, and demonstrated the feasibility of industrial-scale
production using traditional raw materials.
Associated beneficiary BRE (Building Research Establishment), based in the UK,
assessed the trial results, after a total of 5 000 tonnes of the new clinker was
produced. The AETHER concrete was reported as performing well, and
recommendations were provided for the standardisation of AETHER products.
Around 40 tonnes of raw materials from Lafarge’s plants or suppliers were
treated to produce AETHER clinker and cement products, with a broad range of
compositions (13 different mixes) being clinkered under different production
conditions. Clinkers were also prepared and tested in the facilities of associated
beneficiary the Institute of Ceramics and Building Materials (ICiMB) in Poland.
Altogether, twenty different types of AETHER cements were produced during the
project. The project team formulated an optimal chemical composition of raw
mix for AETHER clinker, and produced technological guidance for its
industrial-scale production. Final assessment results showed the feasibility of
producing the new cement with a 25-30% reduction in CO2 emissions compared
with conventional Portland cement production; a figure independently confirmed
by Lafarge and BRE. Depending on the process, the new cement was also
produced with a minimum 15% reduction in energy consumption. This is because
the new process improves energy efficiency, because the raw materials need less
heat for their transformation. Therefore, environmental benefits derive both
from reduced greenhouse gas emissions as a result of the process, and less
energy consumed during the process.
The project’s dissemination activities were aimed at the general public and
specific target groups, such as scientists and specialist industrial media, at
national and international level. The project produced technical reports,
scientific publications and a website. Awareness was increased among the
different stakeholders, especially potential customers, scientists, and other
cement companies. According to the beneficiary, competitors have already
started working in the same direction as the AETHER results. The project
contributes to the implementation of a range of European legislation. The
development of the low CO2-emitting clinker, and the more energy-efficient
transformation process, can help the cement industry reduce emissions in line
with the Communication on EU policies and measures to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions (COM(2000)88). The project contributes to the objectives of the
Directive establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading
(2003/87/EC): the goal of Lafarge is to achieve a reduction of 33% of CO2
emissions in 2020 compared to the reference 1990, using traditional levers
together with the innovative class of cement proposed as one of the solutions to
achieve this goal. The project also helps implement European energy efficiency
policy (e.g. COM(2007)1 and Green paper on energy efficiency or doing more with
less COM(2005)265).
The main innovative aspect of the project was the complete demonstration of the
AETHER clinker and cement production at the industrial scale, based on original
raw materials and modifications in the production process. This directly reduced
the CO2 emissions generated by cement production, by reducing the fuel needed
to heat and transform the raw materials.
Work on developing applications for the new process is being continued in the
AETHER II project, funded as part of the EU’s Sustainable Industry Low Carbon
(SILC) scheme, an initiative that aims to help sectors achieve specific greenhouse
gas emission reductions in order to maintain their competitiveness.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report
and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).

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Environmental issues addressed:

Themes

Industry-Production - Non-metallic minerals

Climate change Mitigation - GHG reduction in EU ETS sectors

Keywords

energy saving‚ emission reduction‚ building material‚ greenhouse gas‚ climate

change mitigation

Target EU Legislation

Climate Change & Energy efficicency

Directive 2004/101 - Amending Directive 2003/87 establishing a scheme for
greenhouse gas emission ...
Directive 2012/27 - Energy efficiency (25.10.2012)
COM(2014)15 - Policy framework for climate and energy in the period from
2020 to 2030 (22.01.2014 ...
Natura 2000 sites

Not applicable

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Beneficiaries:

Coordinator LAFARGE LCR

Type of organisation Large enterprise
Description Lafarge is a major private company specialising
in the production - and associated research -
of cement, aggregates, concrete and gypsum
products for the construction industry.
Partners Institute of Glass Ceramics, Refractory and
Construction Materials-Mineral Building
Materials Branch, Poland Building Research
Establishment, United Kingdom

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Administrative data:

Project reference LIFE09 ENV/FR/000595

Duration 01-SEP-2010 to 31-AUG -2013
Total budget 5,879,780.00 €
EU contribution 2,306,390.00 €
Rhône-Alpes(France) Lodzkie(Poland Polska)
Mazowieckie(Poland Polska) Malopolskie(Poland
Polska) Slaskie(Poland Polska) Lubelskie(Poland
Polska) Podkarpackie(Poland Polska)
Swietokrzyskie(Poland Polska) Podlaskie(Poland
Polska) Wielkopolskie(Poland Polska)
Zachodniopomorskie(Poland Polska)
Lubuskie(Poland Polska) Dolnoslaskie(Poland
Polska) Opolskie(Poland Polska)
Kujawsko-Pomorskie(Poland Polska)
Warminsko-Mazurskie(Poland Polska)
Project location Pomorskie(Poland Polska) Extra-Regio(Poland
Polska) Associated Poland (PL)(Poland Polska)
North(United Kingdom) Yorkshire and
Humberside(United Kingdom) East
Midlands(United Kingdom) East Anglia(United
Kingdom) South East (UK)(United Kingdom)
South West (UK)(United Kingdom) West
 Midlands(United Kingdom) North West
(UK)(United Kingdom) Wales(United Kingdom)
Scotland(United Kingdom) Northern
Ireland(United Kingdom) Gibraltar(United
Kingdom)

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Read more:

Project web site Project's website

Publication: After-LIFE Title: After-LIFE Communication Plan
Communication Plan Year: 2014 Editor: LAFARGE LCR No of
pages: 10
Publication: Layman report Title: Layman report No of pages: 6

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Project description Environmental issues Beneficiaries Administrative data

Read more