Industrial, Sourcing Renewables  -  October 23, 2023

Summit Materials' Continental Cement Signs MOU to Lower Emissions

Summit Materials, Inc., a vertically integrated construction materials solutions provider, in partnership with its subsidiary Continental Cement Company, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to lower emissions.

The MOU was signed with PCC Hydrogen, Inc. (PCCH2), a producer of negative carbon intensity hydrogen, and establishes a formal strategic alliance between Summit and PCCH2 to develop a fuel replacement strategy to lower carbon emissions from its cement manufacturing process. 

The project aims to deploy negative carbon intensity hydrogen derived from ethanol as a replacement fuel for the existing hydrocarbon fuels used as a source of heat in the cement manufacturing process. 

Continental Cement will provide its expertise related to the use of alternative fuels in the cement production process while PCCH2 will develop a plan for the construction of one of its hydrogen production facilities to support the hydrogen needs resulting from the collaboration. 

"Continental Cement has a longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship, seeking out opportunities to develop innovative practices and differentiated solutions to build a better tomorrow," said David Loomes, President at Continental Cement, in a statement. "Our company has signed on to the Portland Cement Association's (PCA) Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality, a goal of achieving carbon neutrality across the value chain by 2050. By coupling PCCH2's hydrogen production process with our cement manufacturing know-how, we are taking a bold stride towards achieving that goal while continuing the push to cost-effective decarbonization of cement manufacturing."

By using ethanol as a feed source and capturing the pure CO2 byproduct of the hydrogen manufacturing process, PCCH2 can deliver high-purity, negative-carbon green hydrogen to fuel Continental Cement's manufacturing process, resulting in optimal efficiency and thermal stability.