Approaches to Global Environmental Issues
Actions towards carbon neutrality
Our medium-term management strategy, Infinity with Will 2025 — MUCC Sustainable Plan 1st Step, positions measures against global warming as one of the top-priority issues for the MUCC Group. We have set 2030 interim targets and developed a business strategy for achieving carbon neutrality.
We have advantages in terms of having our major sites situated mainly in coastal areas of western Japan where there are large ports, together with technology and supply chains that we developed as a conglomerate company. By making full use of these advantages, the MUCC Group aims to work as one to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050 through the achievement of a feasible decarbonization scheme that is unique to cement manufacturer.
The following explains the major goals and measures.
1. Target
2030 : 40% reduction in CO2 emissions (vs. 2013)
2050 : Carbon neutrality
2. Business Strategy
- ⅠEarly Realization of Energy Conversion
- Fuel conversion in cement production
- -Waste derived fuel ratio : 50% （by 2030）
- -Carbon free fuel ratio (Ammonia, Hydrogen, Synthetic Methane, etc.) : 50% (by 2050)
- Decarbonization of electricity
- -Emission reduction by 2030
- -Full decarbonization by 2050
- Fuel conversion in cement production
- ⅡEarly Commercialization of CCU Business
- Recognize low-cost and high-concentration CO2 captured
from cement production process as useful resource - Establishment of CCU business model (by 2030)
- Recognize low-cost and high-concentration CO2 captured
3. Technology Roadmap
Status of technology development
In pursuit of carbon neutrality, we are actively committed to the development of technologies and processes for the reduction and utilization of CO2 emissions.
(For details, see the page on research and development.)
1. Technology development and demonstration of energy conversion and CCU (under demonstration)
A demonstration test of methanation technology is in progress. CO2 is captured from cement kiln flue gas, and then reacted with hydrogen to synthesize methane.
Mineralization technology and its usage are under development. Calcium is extracted from concrete waste and others, and then artificial calcium carbonate is generated by sequestering CO2. (Japanese government’s Green innovation fund project)
2. Demonstration test of ammonia co-combustion in cement kiln
| Fiscal Year | R&D Activity for Ammonia Combustion |
|---|---|
| 2014 to 2018 | Laboratory test performed (by former company, Ube Industries) |
| 2021 to 2022 | Small scale co-combustion test completed at Ube Cement Plant |
| at some point after 2023 | Large scale co-combustion test planned at cement plant (target : 30%) |
Early establishment of combustion technology by implementing large scale co-combustion test