October 11, 2024 – As the final day of CarbonZero 2024 draws to a close, participants from across the cement and construction industries can look back on two days filled with knowledge-sharing, networking, and innovative solutions for a sustainable future.
The day began with a keynote from Grant Quasha, Chairman of Eco Material Technologies, who set the tone with an overview of the North American SCM market and emerging trends. From there, attendees dove into a global perspective on alternative cement constituents, with Miguel Ángel Sanjuán presenting on the potential of coal bottom ash, and Abdulhamit Akçay offering a historical and forward-looking analysis of Turkey’s cement industry.
The standout of the day was the CCUS panel discussion, moderated by Pedro Mora (PTECO2 President), which brought together experts from across Europe to explore cutting-edge carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies. Leaders from Repsol, Enagas, and VC Europe shared their insights into storage, transportation, and capture technologies shaping the sector.
The afternoon highlighted the challenges of hard-to-abate sectors, with Thomas Schroeder (EDF Trading) and Sebastian Manhart (Carbonfuture) addressing opportunities and market trends for Carbon Dioxide Removal.
Attendees also benefited from critical policy updates, with discussions on clay calcination trends, the EU ETS 2024 review, and the CBAM impact on the cement industry. These sessions, led by Joe Harder, Marta Diez, and Luyue Tan, gave a clear view of the regulatory landscape driving green transformation in construction.
The event concluded with a panel discussion on financing green cement initiatives, featuring industry leaders such as Isabel Garro (Votorantim Cimentos) and Femi Akinrebiyo (IFC). The conversation sparked ideas on how to accelerate decarbonization in emerging markets through innovative financing mechanisms.
In her closing remarks, Beatrice Ene (Managing Director, Industry Link) emphasized the diverse exchange of knowledge and contacts made over the past two days. Producers, suppliers, academia, consultants and experts left energized by the collaborations and eager to implement new ideas in the push toward carbon neutrality.
With two days of invaluable content, CarbonZero 2024 proved to be a significant step forward in building a more sustainable, low-carbon future for the cement and construction sectors. For information regarding future editions of the event please email us at contact@industrylink.eu.
