Clinker-free cement: calcined clay paves a path to cement decarbonization

Key messages

• Calcined clay kiln projects, which use a millennia-old technology, are now the subject of renewed interest as a potential cement decarbonization solution.

• New commercial scale calcined clay projects have gone online recently, particularly in emerging markets.

• Calcined clay has the potential to become a strategically important technology in the construction sector especially for regions rich in kaolinitic clay and lacking limestone for clinker production, in addition to providing an emissions reduction pathway.

• Government capital co-investment is less important to the success of many calcined clay projects, unlike for carbon capture, use and sequestration (CCUS), where government funding is critical.