South Africa’s biggest Cement producer PPC Ltd has set the year 2050 to achieve zero net emissions.
According to Bloomberg News, the company set a 10% emission cut target by 2025 and 27% by 2030 in its inaugural report on climate change on Monday. PPC produces 11.6 million tonnes of cement annually in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a report by the company, the cement industry in Africa’s sub-Sahara has faced an obstacle to de-carbonize. Lacking viable options to reduce emissions and consumers’ reluctance to pay higher for green products has hindered PPC’s plan.
The CEO of the company “Roland Van Wijnen, said in an interview that as much as the company would like to set higher targets, it has to be credible also.“
Many South African industrial companies, including PPC, are under pressure to reduce emissions as South Africa is known to be the 12th most significant producer of greenhouse gases. The cement industry accounts for 32% of climate-warming gases across Africa in the manufacturing sector, according to a report by Mckinsey & Co.
The biggest polluter Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd in South Africa has set 2050 as a net-zero target.
PPC Ltd is aiming to spend $41 million (664 million rands) by 2025 to cut emissions to 680 kilograms of CO2 per ton of cement products from 750 kilograms at present. By 2030 the target is to reduce it to 550 kilograms per ton, for which the cost is not yet decided.
PPC is also planning to use the waste from the production process for making renewable energy from plants in South Africa, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. According to the PPC’s international technical head Delon Perumal, the company can cut the use of coal by 30% in South Africa and by 20% in Rwanda by using waste in the production process. Perumal said in an interview that waste includes tires and biomass like rice husks.
The company’s plants have to deal with climate change due to increased temperature and rainfall in certain places, are expecting to benefit from renewable energy and the hydrogen infrastructure boom. These plants will need cement which is an opportunity for PPC.
