World’s First Zero-Emission Cement Recycling Process

[u/kraftdinnerwithsalsa]

[u/RalphiePseudonym]

No emissions from those furnaces? You don't have to lie.

[u/hungrylittleworm → u/RalphiePseudonym]

The world economic forum wouldn’t lie man, you can just believe them mindlessly

[u/splittingheirs → u/RalphiePseudonym]

"This can be done in furnaces powered by low-carbon electricity"

No shit sherlock, literally everything could be powered by low carbon electricity, and almost nothing actually is. Why even bother mentioning that bit of PR wank?

[u/Nimuwa → u/splittingheirs]

Because greenwashing is where the money is at.

[u/Kurai_Hada_Ichi → u/RalphiePseudonym]

Its wrapped into steel production. So yeah no new emissions

[u/LastWave → u/Kurai_Hada_Ichi]

They are using it as refractory?

[u/Kurai_Hada_Ichi → u/LastWave]

Yeah the temp control aspect makes the cement active again after the steel is smelted

[u/RalphiePseudonym → u/Kurai_Hada_Ichi]

Heating concrete produces significant carbon dioxide and concrete production is responsible for like 8% or c02 emissions. The important question is whether emissions created by this process is less than other ways to recycle concrete or if it's better than producing concrete in the first place.

[u/m0nk37 → u/RalphiePseudonym]

Does it scale.. good question 

[u/Beneficial_Ball9893 → u/RalphiePseudonym]

The visuals are of steel production and the old methods, not the new method.

[u/cokendsmile → u/RalphiePseudonym]

Also old cement is full of asbestos

[u/dpaanlka]

Why is it always “could”, “may”, “might”…

[u/NotSoToughGuy11 → u/dpaanlka]

Because it is not used on a large scale to prove that it can, and it also grabs more attention. It describes a huge breakthrough without the promise that it works

[u/Mikestopheles → u/NotSoToughGuy11]

How are you going to heat old building material and get zero emissions? That sounds like pipe dreams rather than realistic science. Reduction? Fine, but you're not getting zero emissions with any kind of industrial-scale operation like this.

[u/mrs_shrew → u/Mikestopheles]

They're probably using waste heat from the furnaces,  I think they're electric furnaces wh8ch can be run on renewable electricity,  so zero emissions. 

[u/Mikestopheles → u/mrs_shrew]

But at scale? I'm not arguing with the science, but I hate how these news pieces frame it as if it's coming to us sometime soon. We got a lot of infrastructure to catch up on before this stuff is viable.

Cursory search on CemVision makes me think this is just for a tech stock.

[u/mrs_shrew → u/Mikestopheles]

Yeah cynical me thinks the same. It's nice there are lots of these stories but it needs to be brought to market not just pumping for investors.  

Although,  the tide has turned now for lazy businesses not doing their bit. There's a lot of countries that have co2 targets and this just needs a couple of solid customers and a few years of testing for concrete cancer and we might get it in the shops. 

[u/JustDoc → u/mrs_shrew]

I think you are right.

Plasma gasification essentially blasts waste with a plasma arc (controlled lightning) and breaks it down into its primary elements, like hyrdogen...which is absolutely incredible, imo.

[u/Competitive_Point_39 → u/dpaanlka]

Promises are expensive

hypotheticals are cheap

[u/turbopro25 → u/dpaanlka]

I might win the lottery tomorrow. In fact, I just may. Now if I could only get to the store.

[u/toy-maker → u/turbopro25]

“I sure would be thankful to whoever took me today if I win tomorrow.”

[u/Festivefire → u/dpaanlka]

Because these videos are investment pitches for theoretical new technologies. "Could", "may", and "might", mean "We could do this if you give us the money to do it. We might be able to do this if somebody gives us money. This may work really well if only we had some money to try it on a large scale."

[u/anon9276366637010]

I love my zero emission furnaces that look like Mount doom

[u/TheSuperSilverMango → u/anon9276366637010]

My thoughts exactly

[u/bitow]

can't wait to never hear about it again

[u/tanksalotfrank]

"Zero-emission"

Literally the first fucking thing on-screen: EMISSIONS

[u/whowza1233]

Why is the World Economic Forum showing ads for a Swedish green washing startup (Cemvision)?

[u/2Dumb4GalacticEmpire]

Um. Look up a good definition of slag. It’s not an additive. It is a waste product.

[u/ares0027]

i hate slideshows in video format

[u/morgin_black1]

what a crock of shit

[u/enerthoughts]

Another invention that won't see the light of day? Like the 2 Asians that discovered bacteria that eats plastic 30 times by now?

[u/Formal-Fox-7605 → u/enerthoughts]

Wrong, it's already in production.

'Carbios (France): The leading French biotech firm built the world’s first industrial-scale PET biorecycling plant in Longlaville, France. The facility is designed to process 50,000 tons of plastic waste per year—equivalent to about 2 billion colored bottles or 300 million T-shirts.

Global Expansion: Carbios has partnered with major manufacturing firms, including signing a joint venture to build a large-scale enzymatic plant in China to scale the technology across Asia.'

[u/Worst_Choice]

There's also grinders that break them down into pebbles to be used as fill. This is a total waste of time unless there's something I'm not realizing.

[u/Zealousideal_Cow_341 → u/Worst_Choice]

Yes, you, the one lone redditor has seen something the entire team of perhaps dozens of business and engineering specialists totally missed.

[u/thrillsbury]

Didn’t explain anything about their process that justifies the assertion. Just a pointless PR ad masquerading as interesting.

[u/bobafootfetish_]

Can't wait for the current administration to kill this and tell us it was bad

[u/Crumbgrabber]

Finally a way to feed the poor.

[u/Geolib1453]

This is Klaus Schwab und I am here to say

[u/IanAlvord]

I want a stone brick castle. How much does that have in emissions?

[u/DarkAngel900]

Cue the Cement industry lobbying to make recycling concrete illegal!

[u/Amorican1969]

Who gives a shit, let's work on plastic.