The cement industry is one of the largest industrial sources of carbon (CO₂) emissions, accounting for nearly 7% of global cement production. As demand for sustainable construction increases, implementing carbon capture and utilization technologies is essential to reducing the industry’s environmental impact. By integrating innovative solutions such as CO₂ mineralization and reuse, cement producers can significantly reduce emissions, improve circularity and contribute to global net-zero goals, while maintaining the strength and durability that concrete provides.
Lafarge Canada Inc., known as a leading provider of innovative and sustainable construction solutions, is increasing its CO₂ capture and mineralization efforts at its Bath cement plant near Kingston, Ontario. In partnership with Hyperion Global Energy Corp., the cement plant is testing an advanced carbon capture and utilization (CCU) system, with the goal of reducing emissions by 10,000 tons per year, with a scalability plan for industrial deployment by 2025.
Lafarge Canada is a subsidiary of Holcim Group, a global leader in sustainable building materials, operating in more than 70 countries with a strong commitment to decarbonization and circular construction. As Canada’s largest supplier of cement, aggregates and concrete solutions, Lafarge Canada plays a pivotal role in the country’s transition to low-carbon building materials and infrastructure.
The pilot project marks a significant milestone in Holcim’s global efforts to decarbonize cement production. “This represents a 500 percent scale-up of the technology,” said Rob Cumming, director of sustainability and public affairs for Lafarge Canada (East). “It’s one of the solutions we can rely on for decarbonization.”
The CO₂ capture process uses external scrubbers to divert emissions into Hyperion’s patented Tandem Carbon Recycling (TCR) system, which converts CO₂ into precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC). This valuable material can be used as a supplemental cementitious material in low-carbon concrete, reducing reliance on traditional high-carbon cement components.
A key advantage of Hyperion’s system is its modular, container-based design, which allows for minimal construction and operation downtime. This makes it a sustainable and scalable solution for cement plants looking to reduce their carbon footprint. The system is expected to reduce emissions by up to 10 percent at North American cement plants, with the potential to scale to capture 50,000 tons of CO₂ per year.
By adopting innovative carbon capture technologies, Lafarge Canada and Holcim continue to strengthen their commitment to net-zero emissions and sustainable construction, positioning themselves at the forefront of the green transformation of the cement industry.