Boral has successfully secured $24.5 million in Federal Government funding for a new cement kiln infrastructure project, which will enable it to reduce its CO2 emissions arising from cement manufacturing.
It will be able to achieve this by up to 100,000 tonnes per annum, based on predicted production rates.
The kiln feed optimisation project at Berrima Cement Works plays a key role in Boral’s broader decarbonisation pathway by reducing process emissions – the largest and most-difficult-to-abate emissions source in cement manufacturing.
“We believe that today’s grant signifies a vote of confidence from the Federal Government on Boral’s decarbonisation and innovation efforts, amidst our immense progress in an industry that is highly carbon intensive and operates in a hard-to-abate sector,” Boral CEO Vik Bansal said.
The funding announcement was made by Minister for Climate Change and Energy the Hon Chris Bowen MP at Berrima Cement Works in NSW’s Southern Highlands – a strategically significant site for Boral and to Australia’s manufacturing capability, responsible for supplying up to 40 per cent of cement in NSW and the ACT.
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The grant is from the Federal Government’s Powering the Regions Fund, aimed at supporting projects that will enable the decarbonisation of existing industries and contribute to Australia’s emission reduction targets.
The funding will supplement Boral’s significant capital investment into a new specialised grinding circuit and supporting infrastructure at the Berrima Cement Works. Clinker, formed by heating limestone and other materials at extremely high temperatures in a kiln, is the key ingredient in cement and is highly energy-intensive to produce.
“Boral, along with the entire Cement and Concrete industry in Australia, has been seeking pathways to lower its CO2 emissions and contribute to Australia’s ambition to reach Net-Zero by 2050. This project plays a key role in Boral’s broader decarbonisation pathway, by reducing process emissions which are the largest and most difficult to abate emissions source in cement manufacturing,” Dr Ali Nezhad, head of innovation and sustainability at Boral.
It is globally recognised as a difficult to abate manufacturing process, while also being key to all modern construction methods.
The funding will enable the company to progress to the next phase of detailed process designs for front-end engineering, followed by procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning. It is expected to be fully operational in 2028.