“We haven’t just developed low carbon cement to be environmentally friendly, but we’ve also applied innovation and knowledge to enhance cement properties for greater efficiency, meeting customer needs for all types of usage, preserving natural resources, and taking care of the world simultaneously. This is another step in developing innovation for sustainability,” says Mr. Surachai Nimlaor, Managing Director of SCG Cement and Green Solution Business.
Cement is crucial for city construction, making buildings and houses strong and durable. However, with the ongoing global warming issue, the cement manufacturing industry cannot remain idle. It must accelerate the adjustment of production processes, using innovation and knowledge in various fields to help reduce the impact on our world.
“The cement manufacturing industry uses quite a lot of energy and releases carbon dioxide in the production process. This is a point that made us think about how we can reduce this impact because if we can do it, it will be very beneficial. I think this is the important starting point,” Mr. Surachai Nimlaor, Managing Director of SCG Cement and Green Solution Business, explains about the origin of SCG’s low carbon cement innovation development.
SCG is the first manufacturer in the country to be certified for low carbon cement standards. One ton of low carbon cement helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the production process by 0.05 tons of CO2 and is still strong and durable, with compressive strength equal to or better than ordinary Portland cement.
Mr. Surachai explains that the research team improved the production process, switching from fossil fuels to clean energy such as biomass fuel, solar energy, and reusing hot air generated from production. This reduces energy consumption by 38 percent and adjusts the proportion of raw materials to reduce carbon dioxide emissions even better.
“We are accelerating the development of low carbon cement to be even better with materials science innovation and new standard production technology, along with special mixtures that SCG has specifically developed. From the first low carbon cement formula, we can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 15-20 percent. We aim to move forward and set a goal to develop the next low carbon cement formulas that can reduce carbon dioxide emissions up to 50 percent.”
“SCG not only develops for environmental friendliness but also adds other properties to low carbon cement. For example, when this cement is mixed into concrete, we get a smooth and beautiful surface texture, and it’s particularly dense when hardened. This is because the specifically developed substitute materials are fine, filling in gaps and reducing porosity in the concrete. There are many projects that have chosen to use low carbon cement.”
Mr. Surachai explains that SCG’s intention is to make customers feel that this innovation is close to them, benefiting them while also reducing carbon for the environment and society. This way, it will be more sustainable.
The challenge from now on is to try to continuously reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the cement production process. “SCG is studying Carbon Capture and Utilization technology to capture released carbon dioxide for other uses, such as making fuel or raw materials in the petrochemical business. However, the path of developing such technology still has a long way to go, but we will do our best to aim for Net Zero Emissions.”
In 2023, the proportion of low carbon cement usage replacing normal cement in Thailand is at 70 percent. However, SCG’s goal is to push this proportion to 100 percent.
“The world is moving towards a new era of environmentally friendly construction. SCG cannot succeed alone. It requires everyone in the industry throughout the supply chain to create participation from manufacturers, entrepreneurs, users, policymakers, and relevant government agencies to jointly adjust production patterns and raw materials up to various industry standards. Over the past few years, SCG has been moving forward to create cooperation and expand knowledge and understanding with many related parties. It’s a challenging and worthwhile journey,” Mr. Surachai concludes.
Published on: Sep 18, 2024