Sunrise Resources PLC (AIM:SRES), which is developing a CS natural pozzolan-perlite project in the US, outlined the growing importance of natural pozzolan in achieving net zero emission targets in the cement and concrete industries.
In a recent visit to the US, Sunrise chairman Patrick Cheetham met with multiple parties, including two cement & ready-mix companies, one major fly-ash distributor, a large building materials company, and a new cement clean-tech company amid a fundamental change in the cement and concrete industries driven by climate change targets.
READ: Sunrise Resources holds talks with potential partners during chairman's recent visit to US
"From my recent discussions with cement companies, it is becoming increasingly clear that a range of net-zero CO2 strategies in the cement and concrete industries, the requirements for sustainability, and the long-term decline in fly ash supply are driving cement and concrete companies towards the use of natural pozzolan,” said Cheetham.
“The manufacture of pozzolan blended cements is a win-win for the cement and concrete companies as not only does it allow them to reduce the embodied carbon in their products, it also increases their cement production per ton of cement clinker capacity at a time when they are already operating at full capacity and sold out of cement.”
Natural pozzolan can partially replace cement in cement and concrete mixes, improving the long-term strength and resistance of concrete, versus concrete made using only Portland cement, and has strong environmental credentials.
About 14 billion cubic metres of concrete were poured worldwide in 2020, accounting for 8% of the world's man-made emissions, the company said, adding that production is forecast to increase to 20 billion cubic metres annually by 2050.
AIM-traded Sunrise said it will benefit from recent California State legislation and implementation priorities under US President Biden's US$1.2 trillion infrastructure bill.
“Given these drivers impacting on the US cement and concrete industries, our CS and Hazen pozzolan projects are well placed to help industry in pursuit of these goals," said Cheetham.