As a global cement and concrete producer, Cimsa’s main goal for 2050 is to become net zero carbon. As part of this ambition, we have focused on 3 main issues;
- Clinker optimisation and creating sustainable product portfolio
- Alternative raw material and fuel usage
- Energy efficiency and renewable energy usage
First of all, we focused on the production of clinker, which is the process that releases the most CO₂ during our production, and we designed the Carbon Light project. We have optimised the clinker ratios in our products. In 2021, we used 170,000 tons less clinker compared to the previous year, and on the other hand, we released 135,000 tons less CO₂. 135,000 tons of CO₂ can only be neutralised by 45,000 hectares of forest area. At the same time, we have become a solution partner for environmental problems that may arise by using the wastes and by-products of other sectors. For example, we managed to use 14% less clinker by using 103,000 tons of Iron and Steel industry waste and by-products only in our ready-mixed concrete business line.
In addition, we have implemented the From Grey to Green project, in which we aim to reduce the use of fossil fuels and natural resources for a sustainable future. Instead of using fossil fuels and natural resources in our clinker and cement production processes, we started to use different products such as waste-derived fuels, end-of-life tires, production wastes from other industries and process wastes. We have commissioned our alternative fuel supply lines in our 5 cement plants in 2021 so that the products deemed suitable can be fed into our systems in a sustainable and continuous manner. 3 main outputs of this project; to be a solution partner for the wastes of other sectors, to reduce our production costs on the basis of both raw materials and fuel, and to contribute to the management of climate change by reducing carbon emissions. With From Grey to Green, we reduced our carbon emissions by 160,000 tons in 2021. 160,000 tons of CO₂ is the amount that 110 million trees can neutralise in a year.
While many energy efficiency projects are on-going, at Afyon Plant we started to invest 52 million TL to establish one of the largest solar power plants in the Turkish cement industry with 3.3 MW planning to save 2000 tons of CO₂ annually. I-REC certified electricity usage is also supporting our strategy with 50% of 2022 electricity consumption.