From Vitruvius to decarbonization

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rom the Pantheon in Rome to the skyscrapers of New York, concrete is found in every man-made environment. It is the most widely used building material, has enabled impressive architecture to last from antiquity to the present day. Concrete remains one of the pillars of our economy and way of life. In “De Architectura,” Vitruvius pioneered building science through the use of pozzolana (pulvis puteolana), a volcanic ash mined at Pozzuoli, which became the best binder in antiquity, and the predecessor of cement.

 

The production of cement (the main ingredient in concrete) generates about 8 percent of global CO2 emissions. If it was a country, cement would rank third after China and the United States for greenhouse gas emissions. Completely decarbonizing its production is almost impossible. As part of the energy transition and the fight against climate change, hard-to-abate sectors such as cement, steel, chemicals and aviation pose some of the biggest challenges. Steel and cement production require huge amounts of energy and emit carbon dioxide as part of their industrial cycles. In the case of aviation, the use of high-carbon fossil fuels remains unavoidable for long-distance flights. These sectors, pillars of the modern world, cannot be eliminated or completely electrified without significant economic and social consequences. Decarbonization takes technology, not ideology: reducing emissions at source is not enough.

 

 

 

The International Energy Agency (IEA) report “Net Zero by 2050 – A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector” identifies CO2 capture, storage and reuse as a crucial tool for achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) enables the capture of up to 90 percent of CO2 emissions, preventing them from reaching the atmosphere. Instead, the CO2 can then be stored in deep geological formations, or used in industrial applications such as the production of synthetics or construction materials. Paradoxically, the transition will come through the same oil and gas industry that has been using and developing CCS technologies for decades.

 

Several pilot projects are already operational thanks to collaboration between industry and governments, such as Gorgon in Australia and Sleipner in Norway. According to the Global CCS Institute, there are 41 active plants worldwide, 171 plants under construction in Europe and over 265 in North America, mainly in the United States. The “Industrial Carbon Management Strategy” approved last February by the European Commission emphasizes the strategic importance of CCS, with a set of ambitious targets for infrastructure, storage sites and transportation networks.

 

CS is a must if we’re to achieve global decarbonization goals in hard-to-abate sectors. It is one of the few immediately available solutions. The Oil & Gas Sector is well positioned to lead the development of these technologies. However, strong political and financial support (incentives, regulations, scientific research) is essential to scale these solutions and to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come. We need a map and a route. As Seneca said, “there is no favorable wind for the sailor who does not know where he is going.”