Sumitomo Corp's Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer, Shingo Ueno, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Arelac Inc and Fortera, a company that Sumitomo Corp invested in through its US-based venture capital arm, Presidio Ventures, Inc, in 2023. The MoU focusses on a feasibility study to construct a commercial scale low-carbon cement plant in Japan. The project will be pursued in collaboration with Sumitomo Osaka Cement Co Ltd.
CO2 emissions from cement manufacturing account for approximately four per cent of Japan’s total emissions (around 40Mta), making it one of the largest sources of CO2 emissions after steel and chemicals in the country. Some 50 per cent of the CO2 emissions generated by cement manufacturing comes from the thermal decomposition of limestone. Reducing CO2 emissions from this process remains a global challenge.
Fortera has developed a technology that captures the CO2 emitted during cement production and recarbonate it into calcium oxide, producing a granular form of calcium carbonate that is different from that before thermal decomposition. By recarbonating CO2 and others, this technology enables a 60 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions associated with cement production, allowing for the production of low-carbon cement. Additionally, when paired with renewable energy (as the heat source), it is possible to produce carbon-free cement, eliminating all CO2 emissions in the manufacturing process.
