A specialised grinding circuit and supporting infrastructure are on Boral’s shopping list after the company secured a multi-million dollar grant for its cement facility in NSW.
The company has secured $24.5 million in federal government funding for a new cement kiln project that will enable it to significantly reduce its CO₂ emissions. Around 55% of the CO2 emissions of Australia’s cement and concrete sector originates from this calcination of limestone.
The reduction will see its Berrima Cement Works in NSW’s Southern Highlands reduce emissions by up to 100,000 tonnes each year. The site is responsible for supplying up to 40% of cement in NSW and ACT, according to Boral.
The integration of the specialised grinding circuit will enable the company to substantially increase the proportion of alternative raw materials (ARMs) in kiln feed to up to 23% from its current 9% capability. This will lower the amount of limestone used which produces CO₂ when it is heated during the clinker manufacturing process.
In addition, ARMs also require lower heating temperatures compared with limestone, and therefore, lower energy intensity. Boral plans to use ARMs derived from the by-products of the steel manufacturing process and industrial waste rejections including granulated blast furnace slag, steel slag, cement fibre board, fly ash, and fine aggregates from recycled concrete.
The federal 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. The project is expected to be fully operational in 2028, just in time for the site’s centenary. The Berrima Cement Works began operations in 1929 by Blue Circle Southern Cement.
The grant Boral received comes from the Powering the Regions Fund which supports projects that will enable the decarbonisation of existing industries.
About the author
Desi Corbett
Desi is the Editor of Concrete in Australia, at the helm since December 2013, and our weekly news writer since 2016. Focused on concrete and construction for more than 11 years, her expertise in this field forms part of a journalism career spanning three decades. To get in touch please email desi@corbettcomms.com