Source: Hirons / Hirons
MITCHELL, Ind.–Heidelberg Materials cement plant in Mitchell has been selected to get up to $500 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy.
“The purpose of this project is to advance the integration of full-scale carbon capture, transport, and storage at the new state-of-the-art cement plant in Mitchell, Indiana. The funding will build on prior funding that has been awarded by the DOE toward successfully completing the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) work necessary to verify the project’s technical feasibility,” said a news release on Monday.
Carbon capture and storage is a process in which a relatively pure stream of carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial sources is separated, treated and transported to a long-term storage location. Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas resulting from human activities. It accounts for more than half of warming.
The selection of Heidelberg Materials is part of the DOE’s Industrial Demonstrations Program to provide up to a total of $6 billion to demonstrate commercial-scale decarbonization. The cement industry is one of the main contributors to climate change, being responsible for 8 percent of global emissions.
Chris Ward, President and CEO of Heidelberg Materials North America says his company has been hard at work over the years to reduce carbon emissions and be more friendly to the environment.
He says they recently modernized the Mitchell cement plant so that it can minimize energy consumption and enable the use of alternative fuels and raw materials to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“This substantial federal funding will help create the first full-scale deployment of carbon capture and storage on a cement plant in the U.S. Through this project at the Mitchell facility, Heidelberg Materials is investing in leading the development and application of CCUS in our industry, and successful implementation of this technology at scale will play a critical role in achieving our goal of decarbonization,” said Ward.
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb says he is not surprised because he knows Heidelberg and their commitment to excellence.
“To be able to do it now in a new, sustainable, modern way is so unique. This is what Hoosiers are all about. We’ve long been pioneers and now we’re pioneering the future of cement,” said Holcomb.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm says spurring the next generation of decarbonization technologies in key industries like paper, steel, concrete, and glass will help keep America the most competitive nation on Earth.
“Thanks to President Biden’s industrial strategy, DOE is making the largest investment in industrial decarbonization in the history of the United States. These investments will slash emissions from these difficult-to-decarbonize sectors and ensure American businesses and American workers remain at the forefront of the global economy,” said Granholm.
