Managing Director & Co Founding Partner, Cementis
Anne Dekeukelaere - Managing Director & Co Founding Partner at Cementis
25 years after getting her MBA Anne decided to deepen her knowledge on climate change issues and was awarded in May 2020 a Master in Sustainability (ALM) from the University of Harvard (Boston, USA) with a Thesis on “The EU-ETS and the introduction of a Low CO2 Cement”. Having worked as executive for 13 years within Lafargeholcim, the cement industry leader, allowed her to gain a large management experience in the main key departments of this industry, namely Corporate Finance, strategy, business development. Her last assignment within Holcim was deputy to the Corporate Head of Alternative Fuels division where she was key in successfully implementing Holcim’s key sustainability actions. Capitalizing on her extensive experience she decided to start her own company Cementis in 2008. Since then she managed several strategic projects for international cement groups but also major climate related projects for large international organisations (e.g. EBRD, Worldbank/IFC) and public sector (e.g. Swiss Department of Cooperation, EPFL University).
Her international reputation led her to become an expert to the EU on sustainability issues and frequently consulted by NGO’s on CO2 mitigation actions.
Pathways to Decarbonising Cement Manufacturing in SA
The cement industry is an energy intensive industry generating 8% of the world’s GHG emissions. Majority of cement related emissions come from the process to produce clinker, an intermediate product to make cement. The limestone, the key raw material, needs to be heated up in a rotary kiln that reach temperatures up to 1450 °C. Most of the carbon emissions come from the chemical breakdown of limestone (CaCo3) into (CaO + CO2). This represents 60% of the total emissions, the remaining being the emissions from combustion fuel.
There are essentially four significant CO2 reduction levers in the cement industry that urgently need effectuation:
The presentation will show the different strategies and options to reduce CO2 in this industry as well their issues of implementation.
But achieving carbon neutral construction applies the integration of the whole value chain into the sustainability path.