Thailand has reduced carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions by more than 3.8 million tonnes since 2019 through the widespread adoption of low-carbon hydraulic cement that requires less clinker, according to the Thai government.
The achievement was announced at an event hosted by the Thai Cement Manufacturers Association (TCMA), where Chairman Surachai Nimla-or said clinker substitution reduced emissions by more than 300,000 tonnes in 2021.
More than one million additional tonnes were avoided between 2022 and 2023, bringing cumulative emissions reductions since 2019 to more than 3.8 million tonnes of CO2e.
The milestone marks one of Thailand’s most significant industrial decarbonisation achievements to date and was reached ahead of the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Roadmap target.
It has been driven by the widespread use of hydraulic cement, which lowers the carbon footprint of cement production by reducing the amount of clinker required.
Clinker is the most carbon-intensive component of cement manufacturing. Produced by heating limestone and other raw materials in kilns at temperatures of around 1,450°C, the process generates large volumes of carbon dioxide both from the combustion of fuels and from the chemical reaction that converts limestone into lime.
By replacing a proportion of clinker with lower-carbon supplementary cementitious materials, hydraulic cement can significantly reduce emissions while maintaining the strength and durability needed for structural applications.
According to the TCMA, hydraulic cement has become Thailand’s primary structural cement and is now widely used in infrastructure projects, public buildings, industrial facilities and residential construction.
While clinker substitution has delivered substantial emissions reductions, Thailand is also advancing carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technologies to address the remaining emissions from cement production.
Unlike fuel-related emissions, most CO2 released during clinker manufacture comes from the calcination of limestone, making it difficult to eliminate through energy efficiency or fuel switching alone.
In June, Chulalongkorn University and the TCMA signed a memorandum of understanding to develop and demonstrate pilot-scale carbon capture technology for Thailand’s cement industry.
The partnership will develop a prototype mobile carbon capture unit capable of being deployed across industrial sites and will trial the technology through pilot projects in the Saraburi Sandbox, a key industrial decarbonisation initiative.
The initiative is intended to help move carbon capture technologies from laboratory research to commercial application, providing a pathway to further reduce emissions that cannot be avoided through clinker substitution alone as Thailand continues its transition towards net-zero emissions.
The pilot is intended to help move carbon capture technologies from laboratory research to commercial application, although significant economic challenges remain.
Engineering firm Worley estimates that producing conventional cement costs around $30 to $80 per tonne, compared with $60 to $130 per tonne for decarbonised cement using CCUS.
The company argues that costs will need to fall through the development of shared CO2 transport and storage infrastructure, industrial clusters and larger-scale deployment, while advances in carbon capture technologies are expected to improve economics beyond 2030.
