immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Mineralisierung

  • Cement recycling – a cost-effective and efficient way

    Cement recycling – a cost-effective and efficient way

    The study recently published in the journal PNAS, led by Imperial College London and in collaboration with Empa and EPFL, shows that recycling cement paste from demolished concrete is one of the most effective and economical ways to reduce CO2 emissions. The process of CO2 mineralization, in which CO2 is absorbed into building materials such as concrete, could reduce emissions from cement production by around 15% – equivalent to 0.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2020.

    Cementpaste recycling is the frontrunner among the technologies
    Of the ten CO2 mineralization technologies examined, recycled cement paste proves to be the most promising. Cement paste, a binding agent for concrete, usually comes from demolished buildings and can be processed at low cost. Rupert J. Myers from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College emphasizes: “Our results show that CO2-mineralized cement could be a key technology for decarbonizing the construction sector.”

    Economic benefits and sustainability
    The study highlights that cost-effective CO2 mineralization technologies are up to five times cheaper than conventional carbon capture and storage methods. In addition, they offer a long-term solution, as building materials can store CO2 for centuries. Justin D. Driver from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College adds: “While CO2 mineralization is not an all-purpose solution, it offers great potential for reducing emissions in the construction sector.”

    Limitations and further research needed
    Ellina Bernard, a scientist at Empa’s Concrete and Asphalt Laboratory, points out that the amount of material available for carbonation is limited, which restricts the potential of this technology. Nevertheless, the potential CO2 savings of 15% are significant. Further research to optimize and reduce the cost of carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies remains essential.

    Recommendations for the future
    The study formulates concrete recommendations for political decision-makers, investors and researchers:

    • Develop strategies to support the recycling of concrete demolition: the aim is to promote the recycling of concrete demolition in order to maximize emission reductions.
    • Focusing on competitive CO2 mineralization technologies: The focus should be on developing and supporting those technologies that have proven to be economical and effective in making optimal use of resources.

    Ensure transparency in the competitiveness of these technologies: To enable investors to make informed decisions, clear and comprehensible information must be provided on the costs, market opportunities and possible applications of the various technologies.

  • Berner Kantonalbank cooperates with Neustark

    Berner Kantonalbank cooperates with Neustark

    Berner Kantonalbank(BEKB) is promoting CO2 storage facilities in the Bern-Solothurn region. To this end, it has agreed a cooperation with the Bernese start-up Neustark, according to a press release. The aim is to support its innovative technology for the permanent storage of CO2 in demolition concrete. The aim is to remove around 1,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere in the BEKB economic area over the next ten years.

    Neustark, a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich founded in 2019, is the first company in the world to put carbon removal through mineralisation in demolition concrete into commercial practice and set up a network of storage facilities, according to the press release. In the summer of 2023, the largest plant to date in the BEKB economic area was put into operation in Biberist, Solothurn. Further facilities in the region are being planned. “Through our cooperation, we are not only promoting innovative technologies to achieve climate targets, we are also contributing to the circular economy in the region and making it possible to permanently remove CO2 emissions in our own economic area,” BEKB CEO Armin Brun is quoted as saying.

    In 2022, BEKB’s operational CO2 emissions amounted to 1153 tonnes. These are to be further reduced through various measures. Through this cooperation with Neustark, the bank will permanently remove 100 tonnes of CO2 from its operational emissions in its own economic area every year from 2024. According to the information provided, these are the estimated residual emissions that are unavoidable for BEKB and cannot be reduced in the future.