New cement production methods could cut CO₂ emissions up to 98%

Researchers have unveiled two separate approaches that could dramatically lower the carbon footprint of cement, a material responsible for roughly 8 % of global CO₂ emissions.

A team at the University of British Columbia demonstrated an electro‑chemical process that replaces high‑temperature fossil‑fuel combustion with electricity. The method reduces the thermal energy needed by about 70 % and cuts CO₂ emissions from the traditional 800 kg per tonne of cement to roughly 20 kg, a “reduction of 98 %” according to lead author Curtis Berlinguette.

In a separate study published in Communications Sustainability, an international group showed that swapping limestone with calcium‑rich rocks such as basalt or gabbro can lower emissions by “more than 80 %” and reduce energy use by over 40 %. The substitution would bring CO₂ emissions per tonne from about 609 kg down to between 43 kg and 59 kg, while using materials already abundant worldwide.

Both proposals aim to accelerate decarbonisation of the construction sector without altering the performance of conventional Portland cement, offering near‑term pathways for industry adoption.