Malaysia's Cement Change for a Greener Environment | Blog

Posted 30-07-2024
Category News

CIMA’s Bahau plant in Negeri Sembilan is installing a waste heat recovery system, and uses oil palm waste as alternative fuel. The quarry sits in an old oil palm plantation. (Photo by CIMA)

 

Cement is a critical ingredient in the making of the modern world, but it also takes a toll on the environment. Other than the impact of mining limestone, cement manufacturing is the third-largest cause of man-made carbon emissions, according to the United Nations Climate Technology Centre and Network. 

In Malaysia, cement production was the highest contributor (27.76%) to emissions in the industrial processes and product use category in 2019. The demand for green cement is coming and cement players are taking note of the global trend towards lower emissions.

Hannah Lyana Lee Abdullah, head of strategy and transformation at Cement Industries of Malaysia Bhd (CIMA), the second-largest cement manufacturer in Malaysia has provided great insights to the development of greener cement.

Using waste materials

The chemical reaction in the kiln is a major source of emissions in cement production. To reduce these emissions, CIMA focuses on maximising efficiency, says Hannah. Another strategy is to add alternative feedstock like pulverised fly ash — a waste material from power plants — at the final cement grinding stage to reduce the clinker-to-cement ratio.

CIMA also adds gypsum repurposed from waste materials, instead of the conventional natural gypsum. Using waste materials does not compromise the quality of the cement, says Hannah. On the contrary, it gives the cement special properties.

“If you use materials like fly ash, it reduces the heat of hydration [for mass concreting], so there is less risk of thermal cracks. That’s why our cement is widely used in major infrastructure projects like the mass rapid transit, light rail transit, tunnel linings and the second Penang bridge. It also offers improved resistance to the acidity of seawater,” she adds.

“For green cement to truly capture the mainstream market, systemic changes are required. This is where government support, through policies and incentives that encourage the use of sustainable materials, and industry-wide collaborations play a pivotal role,” says Hannah.

Greener cement

CIMA is aiming to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and has identified six strategic pillars to do so. These efforts could set CIMA apart and align it with global trends. It just recovered from a period of financial losses in the financial year 2022. “Our aim is not only to drive our growth but also to contribute towards the realisation of Malaysia’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.” Although this carbon neutral way of producing cement would be more expensive for consumers Hannah observes that customers have been coming to the company for high-performance cement — that happens to also have a lower carbon footprint — with special qualities, even if it is more expensive.
 

See the full article here:

https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/715426