Anglian Water has become the first water company to trial a new environmentally friendly alternative to cement made from a by-product of the blast furnaces used in the iron industry.
The low-carbon material, called Cemfree, is expected to cut the level of embedded carbon in Anglian Water's concrete use by up to 60 per cent, based on the results of an initial trial at one of the firm's sites in Norfolk.
Cement is a key ingredient in making concrete - one of the world's most energy intensive materials. Concrete is estimated to be responsible for around five per cent of global carbon emissions and generates 913kg of CO2 for each tonne of finished product, according to data from the Mineral Products Association. In comparison, Cemfree is made using ground blast furnace slag and generates 107kg of CO2 per tonne.
Anglian Water has pledged to cut the level of embodied carbon in its building materials by 60 per cent by 2030, compared to a 2010 baseline. The company's innovation technologist Fionn Boyle said it will now "vigorously test" Cemfree as a lower-carbon alternative to cement - and if it passes it will be used to replace traditional concrete at the company's treatment sites.
"We're always looking for new ways to reduce our carbon emissions and as a company that relies on our infrastructure and physical assets it made sense to concentrate on the construction materials we use. Concrete is a big contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, but it is a vital material on all our treatment sites," he said in a statement.
"We're at the start of the testing phase for this new innovation, and if it does prove to be valuable to us we hope others in the industry will be able to learn from our experiences," he added.
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