Page 56 - 2022 Sustainability Report

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Our Investments in Reducing our Carbon Intensity

While awaiting further development of carbon capture percentages permitted in the EU. Therefore, we use the
technology, we have worked hard and invested heavily in term “cement” to differentiate the products. The above
our sustainability practices and improved carbon intensity considerations are discussed in greater detail below in
in our heritage cement manufacturing operations, “Understanding Blending and the Impact of Fuel Choice”.
including employing and improving on patented
production processes, upgrading equipment, improving
fuel efficiency and increasing our use of lower-carbon “As a result of these efforts, we
alternative fuels, and reducing total air emissions. In fact, have successfully reduced the
since 2008, we have invested more than $1 billion to
carbon intensity of our cement
upgrade kilns and equipment at both Texas cement plants,
including replacing “wet process” cement production with business to 0.725 net metric
modern pre-calciner technology and installing state-of-the-
tonnes of CO e/metric tonnes of
art emissions control equipment at our Midlothian Cement 2
Plant. We believe our two heritage cement plants are now cement as of 2022 over the 2010
among the most modern in the United States.
intensity of 0.836.”

Not surprisingly, in 2015, the Company’s Midlothian
Cement Plant was recognized by the USEPA as a high
performing, energy efficient facility following investments While our carbon intensity is reported in terms of CO e
2
in innovative air pollution control technologies and usage emissions including emissions from biogenic sources, our
of alternative fuels. emissions from our operations if we excluded 24% of the
biogenic component (the potential average % proposed by
Understanding Carbon Intensity USEPA) would be 0.706, a modest 2.6% decrease. This is
Calculations due to the fact that the use of alternative fuels is
significantly less incentivized in the U.S. (where we
As a result of these efforts, we have successfully operate) than in the European Union, including that
reduced the carbon intensity of our cement business biogenic sources are only partially credited in calculating
to 0.725 net metric tonnes of CO e/metric tonnes of emissions required to be reported to the USEPA.
2
cement as of 2022 over the 2010 intensity of 0.836.
This also places us below the 2021 (the most recent year
for which data is available from the USEPA) U.S. cement “This also places us below the 2021
industry average intensity of 0.74 metric tonnes of CO e/ (the most recent year for whichdata
2
metric tonnes of cement (inclusive of biogenic GHG) and
is available from the USEPA) U.S.
makes us one of the more carbon efficient cement
producers in the United States. 2022 saw a 6.7% decrease cement industry average intensity
in our intensity due to changes in our fuel mix, various
of 0.74 metric tonnes of CO e/metric
efficiency projects and the ramp-up of Portland Limestone 2
Cement production. tonnes of domesticcement and

makes us one of the more carbon
We report our cement business’ carbon intensity in terms
of metric tonnes of “cement” we produce (which is efficient cement producers in the
comprised of clinker and certain blend materials) rather
United States.”
than “cementitious material” typically used by EU cement
companies. Although our cement includes some blending
with non-clinker materials, like other U.S. operators, we
are not permitted to substitute clinker at the higher

54 2022 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT