4
CURRENT STATE AND PROGRESS
OF CEMENT INDUSTRY
DECARBONIZATION INITIATIVES IN
THE UNITED STATES
There have been efforts by both the government and pri-
vate companies or startups to decarbonize the cement
industry in the country. Federal incentives, state-level poli-
cies, a growing number of startups, and established cement
manufacturing companies in the sector are offering a trans-
formative pathway to decarbonization of the sector. These
pathways (Figure 2) can be broadly categorized into three
main areas: (1) CO2 abatement intervention developed to
prevent or minimize CO2 emissions during cement produc-
tion (2) Those deployed to capture and treat the emissions
at the point of release and (3) Systems that incorporate
(1) and (2). What remains challenging, however, is how
such emission abatement intervention or pathways can be
deployed at scale, with most promising strategies still in
research and development phases (R&D) (pilot or demon-
stration phases). The deployability and scalability of these
decarbonization efforts hinges on overcoming significant
challenges, including economic viability, industry stan-
dard conformance, among others (Duah and Awuah-Offei,
2024). Despite these challenges, the convergence of fed-
eral and state policy support, technological advancement,
and pressure for low-carbon construction products sug-
gests a trajectory toward significant emissions reduction in
the U.S. cement sector in both the short and long term.
The goal of this section is to present an overview of these
pathways with emphasis on technological innovation, state
and federal support within the cement industry in the
United States.
Federal and State Support for Cement Industry
Decarbonization
In recent years federal support for cement industry decar-
bonization in the U.S. has significantly expanded. The
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Inflation
Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, and the 45Q (Congressional
Research Services, 2022 Infrastructure Investment and
Jobs Act,2021 Congressional Research Service, 2021) are
promising industrial decarbonization legislations, establish-
ing comprehensive actions and roadmaps for technologi-
cal innovation and deployment in hard-to-abate industrial
sectors, including cement manufacturing. The IRA, in
particular, provides substantial financial incentive through
enhanced 45Q tax credits for carbon sequestration and uti-
lization. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
includes provisions for utilizing clean energy alternatives,
such as clean hydrogen in cement manufacturing, which
is particularly significant because the cement industry cur-
rently relies heavily on fossil fuels for combustion, account-
ing for 40% of total CO2 emissions during production.
The public sector is among the largest consumers of
construction materials in the United States. Recent research
highlights that government agencies account for 35% of
total cement market demand (Hasanbeigi &Sibal, 2024).
This evidence indicates that the federal government is well
positioned to lead the transition toward low-carbon cement
products through programs such as the buy clean initia-
tive (The White House, 2021) and targeted investments.
Regarding federal investments, the Department of Energy’s
Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations has recently com-
mitted $1.6 billion to five projects aimed at reducing annual
CO2 emissions by 4 million metric tons, further emphasiz-
ing the federal government’s influence in driving sustain-
able innovations in the cement industry (U.S. Department
of Energy, 2024). Some states are increasingly adopting and
proposing legislation and initiatives geared toward clean
cement products. A review of some legislations and propos-
als (Table 1) shows a strong emphasis on Environmental
Product Declarations (EPDs) for construction materials
and Global Warming Potential (GWP) limits. For exam-
ple, the State of California has articulated a roadmap to
Figure 2. Possible decarbonization pathways of the U.S cement industry
CURRENT STATE AND PROGRESS
OF CEMENT INDUSTRY
DECARBONIZATION INITIATIVES IN
THE UNITED STATES
There have been efforts by both the government and pri-
vate companies or startups to decarbonize the cement
industry in the country. Federal incentives, state-level poli-
cies, a growing number of startups, and established cement
manufacturing companies in the sector are offering a trans-
formative pathway to decarbonization of the sector. These
pathways (Figure 2) can be broadly categorized into three
main areas: (1) CO2 abatement intervention developed to
prevent or minimize CO2 emissions during cement produc-
tion (2) Those deployed to capture and treat the emissions
at the point of release and (3) Systems that incorporate
(1) and (2). What remains challenging, however, is how
such emission abatement intervention or pathways can be
deployed at scale, with most promising strategies still in
research and development phases (R&D) (pilot or demon-
stration phases). The deployability and scalability of these
decarbonization efforts hinges on overcoming significant
challenges, including economic viability, industry stan-
dard conformance, among others (Duah and Awuah-Offei,
2024). Despite these challenges, the convergence of fed-
eral and state policy support, technological advancement,
and pressure for low-carbon construction products sug-
gests a trajectory toward significant emissions reduction in
the U.S. cement sector in both the short and long term.
The goal of this section is to present an overview of these
pathways with emphasis on technological innovation, state
and federal support within the cement industry in the
United States.
Federal and State Support for Cement Industry
Decarbonization
In recent years federal support for cement industry decar-
bonization in the U.S. has significantly expanded. The
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Inflation
Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, and the 45Q (Congressional
Research Services, 2022 Infrastructure Investment and
Jobs Act,2021 Congressional Research Service, 2021) are
promising industrial decarbonization legislations, establish-
ing comprehensive actions and roadmaps for technologi-
cal innovation and deployment in hard-to-abate industrial
sectors, including cement manufacturing. The IRA, in
particular, provides substantial financial incentive through
enhanced 45Q tax credits for carbon sequestration and uti-
lization. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
includes provisions for utilizing clean energy alternatives,
such as clean hydrogen in cement manufacturing, which
is particularly significant because the cement industry cur-
rently relies heavily on fossil fuels for combustion, account-
ing for 40% of total CO2 emissions during production.
The public sector is among the largest consumers of
construction materials in the United States. Recent research
highlights that government agencies account for 35% of
total cement market demand (Hasanbeigi &Sibal, 2024).
This evidence indicates that the federal government is well
positioned to lead the transition toward low-carbon cement
products through programs such as the buy clean initia-
tive (The White House, 2021) and targeted investments.
Regarding federal investments, the Department of Energy’s
Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations has recently com-
mitted $1.6 billion to five projects aimed at reducing annual
CO2 emissions by 4 million metric tons, further emphasiz-
ing the federal government’s influence in driving sustain-
able innovations in the cement industry (U.S. Department
of Energy, 2024). Some states are increasingly adopting and
proposing legislation and initiatives geared toward clean
cement products. A review of some legislations and propos-
als (Table 1) shows a strong emphasis on Environmental
Product Declarations (EPDs) for construction materials
and Global Warming Potential (GWP) limits. For exam-
ple, the State of California has articulated a roadmap to
Figure 2. Possible decarbonization pathways of the U.S cement industry