By-products or waste from other industries, whose chemical components make them suitable substitutes for natural raw materials. Alternative raw materials are used both in the production of clinker, the most important intermediate product in cement production, and as additives in cement grinding, in order to conserve natural raw material resources and reduce the proportion of energy-intensive clinker in cement, the end product.
Cement is a hydraulic binder, i.e. a finely ground inorganic material that sets and hardens by chemical interaction with water and that is capable of doing so also underwater. Cement is mainly used to produce concrete. It binds the sand and gravel into a solid mass.
Heidelberg Materials reports specific net CO₂ emissions in kg per tonne of cementitious material. In addition to cement,
this includes materials with cement-like properties. Heidelberg Materials uses predominantly ground granulated blast furnace slag (by-product of the steel industry) as alternative raw material to replace clinker as far as possible.
Cement grinding is the final stage of the cement manufacturing process. In cement mills, the clinker is ground into cement, with the addition of gypsum and anhydrite, as well as other additives, such as limestone, blast furnace slag or fly ash, depending on the type of cement.
A circular economy is a model of production and consumption designed to preserve and regenerate. It is based on three principles: Prevention of waste and pollution, recycling of products and materials (at the level of their highest value) and regeneration of natural resources.
Intermediate product in the cement production process that is made by heating a finely-ground raw material mixture to around 1,450° C in the cement kiln. For the manufacture of cement, the greyish-black clinker nodules are extremely finely ground. Clinker is the main ingredient in most cement types.
In composite cements, a proportion of the clinker is replaced with alternative raw materials, usually by-products from other industries, such as blast furnace slag or fly ash. Decreasing the proportion of energy-intensive clinker in cement is of critical importance for reducing energy consumption and CO₂ emissions as well as for preserving natural raw materials.
An EMTN (Euro Medium Term Note) programme represents a framework agreement made between the company
and the banks appointed to be dealers. Heidelberg Materials has the option of issuing debenture bonds up to a total volume of €10 billion under its EMTN programme.
The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) obliges companies or operators of emission-intensive industrial facilities to participate in European emissions trading. These companies must purchase certificates for their CO₂ emissions.
A grinding plant is a cement production facility without clinker-burning process. Delivered clinker and selected additives, depending on the type of cement, are ground into cement. Grinding plants are particularly operated at locations where suitable raw material deposits for cement production are not available.
LEILAC is a pioneering carbon capture initiative, developed by Calix and partners including Heidelberg Materials, focused on substantially reducing CO₂ emissions in cement manufacturing. Through innovative technology, LEILAC targets capturing 20% of a cement plant's CO₂ emissions—about 100,000 tonnes annually—starting with the LEILAC 2 project at Heidelberg Materials' plant in Hanover, Germany. This technology captures CO₂ in a pure form using minimal energy, without chemicals, and allows for the use of alternative fuels and electrical energy, enhancing sustainability. Slated for operation in 2025, LEILAC 2 underlines Heidelberg Materials' aim of cutting CO₂ emissions by utilizing carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) solutions. For additional details on LEILAC, visit https://www.leilac.com/.
Oxyfuel technology is a method used in industries like cement production where pure oxygen is used to burn fuels instead of regular air. By doing this, the concentration of CO₂ is turned up. This makes it easier to capture it.
