U.S. Cement Sector Brings Big Potential Spending

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Written by Eric Funderburk for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Industrial Info Resources is tracking US$5.9 billion worth of U.S. cement projects in various stages of development, including US$1.28 billion worth that are under construction.

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A Critical Material

Cement is used in everything from highways and bridges to nuclear containment buildings to residential and commercial construction. There always seems to be a demand for the material, and according to Industrial Info Resources data, cement producers in the U.S. are underway with or gearing up for more than US$5.9 billion of project activity from 248 capital and maintenance projects.

One trend Industrial Info Resources is seeing is plans for multiple carbon capture and storage (CCS) units to be retrofitted at existing plants. Industrial Info Resources is tracking 13 CCS projects at U.S. cement plants, although all of these are in various stages of planning and engineering, rather than active construction.

Low-Carbon Cement

What is under construction or expected to kick off this year are low-carbon cement plants that reduce their carbon footprints in the production process, primarily by employing alternative feedstocks. The limestone used in traditional cement manufacturing contains embodied carbon that is released in the manufacturing process, making cement production a high-carbon endeavor. Industrial info Resources is tracking six U.S. low-carbon cement projects, valued at US$245 million, that are either underway or expected to begin construction this year.

One of those projects underway comes from Ozinga Brothers, which aims to deliver net-zero cement by 2030 and broke ground on a low-carbon cement mill in Indiana last year that employs alternative feedstock materials and a new vertical rolling technology. The US$25 million mill is expected to begin ramping up to 1 million tons of low-carbon cementitious materials production in the coming months using a process to offset an expected 700,000 metric tons of carbon emissions annually. Subscribers to the Industrial Info Resources Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.

Industrial Info is tracking other low-carbon cement projects planned to kick off this year. These include:

• Terra CO2 Technology's 240,000-ton-per-year low-carbon cement plant in Joshua, Texas, which will use alternative feedstocks including igneous rock, such as granite, and unconsolidated sediments, such as sands and gravels.


• A 50,000-ton-per-year mini-cement mill in Florida, valued at US$20 million, that will use waste concrete as feedstock. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.


• Orcem Americas' low-carbon cement mill at a brownfield site in Los Angeles. Initial production is expected to begin by late 2027, although the plant won't reach its full 750,000-ton-per-year capacity until 2029, coming at a total estimated cost of US$60 million. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the related project reports.

Other Active Construction

Another project that is presently underway, while not marketing low-carbon cement per se, involves making upgrades to a plant in Wyoming that will decrease both carbon emissions and production costs.

Eagle Materials is putting the finishing touches on a project at its mill Laramie, Wyoming, by introducing a new kiln line and finishing mill that will burn natural gas and other alternative fuels. When the kiln is up and running, Eagle will begin the process of closing and removing kilns 1 and 2 from the plant. The changes are expected to boost the mill's production by 50% to 1.2 million tons per year, lower the plant's CO2-intensity by 20% and reduce manufacturing costs by 20%. The projects are valued at more than $430 million. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project reports on the new kiln line and old kiln removal.

Carbon Reduction Planned

Of the more than US$4 billion of planned and engineered U.S. cement projects that Industrial Info Resources is tracking, a significant number are for carbon-capture retrofits, carrying an impressive $2.7 billion worth of the planned projects' total value.

Key Takeaways

• Industrial Info Resources is tracking US$5.9 billion worth of U.S. cement projects in various stages of development.
• One of the largest U.S. cement projects presently underway is Eagle Materials' expansion and modernization of its plant in Laramie, Wyoming.
• Several planned projects in the U.S. involve retrofitting carbon capture and storage technology to existing cement mills.

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About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD).