CEMENT AND
CLIMATE

Known for centuries, cement is the core of the whole building materials value chain and the second most widely used material in the world after water. It is used in almost every building material one can imagine – from ready-mix concrete and dry mixes, mortars and finishing materials to paving stones, wells, and other concrete products. It is part of piles, building foundations, and walls. It makes our roads, houses and cities stand strong and last for centuries.

Production of cement is complex and resourceful process, requiring high energy and heat consumption. Its main raw material limestone is extracted in the quarry and then burned in high temperature rotary kiln together with clay, iron oxide and sand, producing clinker.
It is later milled in huge mills together with specific additives to produce cement. This complicated process makes cement production as one of the most emission intensive industries globally. As largest part of emissions is bound into the limestone and released during its burning process, it is extremely difficult to avoid CO₂ emissions.

Therefore, cement production is among those considered to be a hard-to abate industry and for its decarbonization radically innovate approach is needed.

More climate-friendly clinker production

Use of alternative rw materials
SCHWENK replaces more than 14% of natural raw materials with alternative input materials. These are combined with natural raw materials in such a way that our high quality standards are ensured. In this way, we conserve natural raw materials and close material cycles.

Use of alternative fuels
SCHWENK is an industry leader in the use of alternative fuels which already leads to the lowest CO₂ pollution of widely used cement types

Cements with less clinker

By reducing the clinker in cement, the overall CO₂ load is also significantly lowered. This is made possible through the use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), which partially replace clinker. We are investing heavily in the procurement and long-term availability of these materials, while continuously exploring new types of supplementary cementitious materials through ongoing research and development. Our pioneering technology, “meca-clay,” makes it possible for the first time to convert all types of clay into highly reactive cement additives using electrical energy.

CCU | CCS

As two-thirds of emissions in the cement industry are process-related, they can only be reduced to a limited extent. The objective is therefore to capture the CO₂ that cannot be avoided during production using carbon capture technologies. Once liquefied, the CO₂ can either be stored underground (CCS = Carbon Capture & Storage) or converted into valuable products, such as synthetic fuels (CCU = Carbon Capture & Use).

At SCHWENK, two approaches are currently being tested for CO₂ capture in cement plants:

Oxyfuel technology
Hot Potassium Carbonate (HPC) technology

More climate-friendly concretes

Aggregates, like supplementary cementitious materials, can be used not only in cement production but also in concrete manufacturing. By optimizing the concrete mix, the proportion of cement can be reduced and partially replaced with aggregates. This approach can positively influence the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the concrete. Furthermore, the use of recycled aggregates in concrete (R-concrete) enables excellent sustainability performance and helps conserve natural resources.

Sustainable construction methods with concrete

Thanks to extensive innovations, it is already possible today to successfully implement sustainable construction methods using concrete. These include advanced technologies such as 3D printing, as well as product innovations like carbon concrete and lightweight concrete.

Circular economay and recycling

Since 2023, SCHWENK has consolidated its recycling activities into a business division. Initial projects, such as the construction of a soil washing facility in Achstetten, complement this initiative and contribute to an optimal circular economy for our building materials.

Sustainable logistics

At SCHWENK, reliable, punctual, and cost-efficient delivery to our customers is a top priority. Even during significant fluctuations in customer demand, we remain a dependable partner with deliveries accurate to the hour.

Our building materials are naturally heavy. In the interest of sustainability, we therefore use inland vessels and rail transport for the delivery of raw materials and the distribution of building materials whenever possible.

Sustainable energy

Across all locations and divisions, SCHWENK is pursuing an increase in the share of green electricity. In addition to concluding various Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), we are working on several projects aimed at reducing the overall electricity consumption of our plants.

Renaturation and recultivation

Quarry projects involve intervention in the natural world and the landscape that could last for several decades. For this reason we implement concepts that reduce intervention to the absolute minimum possible and that include measures for the promotion of protection of nature and species diversity during the operational phase. We make an effort to keep the area required for our work as small as possible. We therefore make an effort to use the natural raw materials as completely as possible and we try to use alternative raw materials.

Already during the planning phase of our rock extraction projects, the subsequent uses are defined in the form of a landscape management plan. This plan outlines the timeline and objectives for recultivation and renaturation.