CEN/TC 51 Business Plan
Date: 2015-04-21
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BUSINESS PLAN
CEN/TC 51
CEMENTS AND BUILDING LIME
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
European standardisation work started in 1969 on a voluntary base among experts from the six
signatories of the Treaty of Rome. The work was then transferred to CEN and CEN/TC 51 was
created in 1973. Because of existing notified national regulations containing provisions applicable to
cements and building limes, a provisional Mandate was first issued by the European Commission and
then, in 1997, Mandate M/114 Mandate to CEN and CENELEC concerning the execution of
standardisation work for harmonised standards on cement, building limes and other hydraulic
binders.
Cement and lime are concerned by European regulations, the Construction Products Regulation
(CPR), REACH and further EU Directives.
Cement and lime are constituents of products and materials, mainly concrete and mortars, which are
themselves incorporated in buildings and civil engineering constructions.
Cement and lime industries are capital-intensive and energy-intensive industries, both burning a
notable proportion of alternative fuels, including biomass.
Global production is respectively 4 billion tons for cement and 300 million tons for lime (2013).
Both industries are firmly rooted in their local environment and communities. In the EU, the cement
industry represents 45 000 direct jobs and 545 000 when considering the whole supply chain.
Benefits expected from the work of CEN/TC 51 are mainly the elimination of barriers-to-trade and
reduction of standardisation costs by application of harmonised European standards supported by
European standard test methods. CEN/TC 51 carries out the work for ISO/TC 74 (of equivalent
scope) within the framework of the Vienna Agreement. Joint meetings take place every 18 months.
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1 BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT OF THE CEN/TC
1.1 Description of the Business Environment
The following political, economic, technical, regulatory, legal, societal and/or international dynamics
describe the business environment of the industry sector, products, materials, disciplines or
practices related to the scope of CEN/TC 51, and they may significantly influence how the
relevant standards development processes are conducted and the content of the resulting standards:
Cement and lime are concerned by several European Directives and Regulations, the most relevant
ones from a product point of view perspective being the Construction Products Regulation (CPR)
Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 which repealed the Construction Products Directive (CPD)
89/106/EEC. " ), the REACH Regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Restriction,and Authorisation of
CHemicals - Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006) and the CLP Regulation (Classification, Labelling and
Packaging of substances and mixtures (Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament
and of the Council of 16 December 2008).
Cement being a constituent of concrete, cooperation in the frame of standardisation is essential. It is
also important for CEN/TC 51 to be involved in matters related to environmental performance of
products such as products in contact with drinking water, regulated dangerous substances and
environmental product declarations.
1.2 Quantitative Indicators of the Business Environment
The following list of quantitative indicators describes the business environment in order to provide
adequate information to support actions of CEN /TC 51:
1.2.1 Cement
1.2.1.1 General information about the cement industry
Cement is a finely ground, non-metallic, inorganic powder. When mixed with water, cement forms a
paste that sets and hardens. This hydraulic hardening is primarily due to the formation of calcium
silicate hydrates as a result of the reaction between mixing water and the constituents of the cement.
In the case of calcium aluminate cement, hydraulic hardening involves the formation of calcium
aluminate hydrates.
Cement is a basic material for building and civil engineering construction. In Europe the use of
cement and concrete (a mixture of cement, aggregates, sand and water) in large civil works can be
traced back to antiquity. Portland cement, the most widely used cement in concrete construction,
was patented in 1824. Output from the cement industry is directly related to the state of the
construction business in general and therefore tracks the overall economic situation closely.
1.2.1.2 Energy
The cement industry is an energy intensive industry with energy typically accounting for about 30 %
of operational costs. Each ton of cement produced requires 60 kg to 130 kg of fuel oil or its
equivalent, depending on the cement variety and the process used, and about 110 KWh of electricity.
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Table 1: Fuel Consumption by the European cement industry, 2013 (in %)
(Source: Getting the Numbers Right, GNR)
Petcoke 34,8
Coal 22,0
Fuel oil incl. HVFO 1,5
Lignite & other solid fuels 4,6
Gas 0,8
Alternative fuels (including
36,3
biomass)
The cement industry has a proven track record in the simultaneous recovery and recycling of waste
materials in what is called a “co-processing” operation. The process is unique in that both material
recycling and energy recovery take place at the same time. The mineral content of waste serves as
a raw material for the production of clinker (recycling) while the energy content provides part of the
energy needed for clinker production (energy recovery). 36,3% of energy in cement kilns comes
from alternative fuels (e.g. waste tyres), including from biomass (e.g. animal meal, sewage dust,
sawdust, waste wood) remaining fuels are petcoke and coal.
In its Low Carbon Roadmap, the cement industry aims to increase the use of alternative fuels up to
60% of fuel needs by 2050, including 40% biomass; the cement sector is on a continuous innovation
path through an increased use of by-products from the power sector (fly ash) and the steel sector
(blastfurnace slag) and has reduced 7,2 million tons of CO2 compared to 1990 levels; in terms of
product innovation, efforts in R&D focus on raising the quality of concrete in construction, improving
its properties and constantly developing new applications
1.2.1.3 Environment
a) GHG emissions
Over the past 20 years, the cement industry has reduced its CO2 emissions per ton of cement from
719 kg in 1990 to 660 kg in 2010.
In September 2013, the cement industry presented its contribution to the low carbon economy (the
CEMBUREAU “Roadmap”) proposing a reduction of its CO2 footprint by 32 % compared to 1990
levels using mostly conventional means. The application of breakthrough technologies, such as
carbon capture and storage, would increase that reduction potential to 80%
b) Emissions
Regarding the cement industry, in 2012, the Commission launched the process for transforming
relevant parts of the Cement, Lime and Magnesium Oxide (CLM) BREF into BAT Conclusions. The
revised version of the BAT conclusions and the adaptation of the CLM BREF to the provisions of the
IED were submitted for adoption by the European Commission. In 2013, the Commission
Implementing Decision 2013/163/EU establishing the BAT conclusions on industrial emissions for the
production of cement, lime and magnesium oxide was published in the Official Journal of the
European Union.
The emissions limit values for the European cement industry are given in Table 2.
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Table 2: Emissions limit values for the European cement industry
IED – Annex VI BATAELs
BAT Conclusions
Co-incineration
Total Dust mg/Nm3 30 10-20
HCl mg/Nm3 10 10
HF mg/Nm3 1 1
NOxi prehater 500 200-450
mg/Nm3
NOx Lepol and long kiln <800 until 2016 400-800
Cd+Tl mg/Nm3 0,05 0,05
Hg mg/Nm3 0,05 0,05
Sb+As+Pb+Cr+Co+Cu+Mn+Ni+V mg/Nm3 0,05 0,05
Dioxins and furans ng/Nm 3 0,1 0,1
SO2 mg/Nm3 50a 50-400
TOC mg/Nm3 50a -
a
Derogations for ELVs in case TOC and SO2 does not result from co-incineration
BATAELs are neither emission nor consumption limit values and should not be understood as such.
This is to be understood as meaning that those levels represent the environmental performance that
could be anticipated as a result of the application, in this sector, of the techniques described, bearing
in mind the balance of costs and advantages inherent within the definition of BAT. In some cases, it
may be technically possible to achieve better emission or consumption levels but due to the costs
involved or cross-media considerations, they are not considered to be appropriate as BAT for the
sector as a whole.
c) Capital intensity
The cement industry is a capital-intensive industry. Typical investment cycles are about 30 years.
The cost of a new cement plant is equivalent to around 3 years' turnover, which ranks the cement
industry among the most capital-intensive industries. The sector is no longer obtaining reasonable
returns, as average return on capital over the last four years has been between 3 % and 5 % below
the cost of capital.
d) Worldwide production and trade
Global 2013 cement production is estimated at 4 billion tons (Bt). The European cement sector
represents 3,9 % of the global cement production but is a global leader on innovation and research
and development.;
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Figure 1: World cement production 2013,
by region and main countries
Table 3 shows the distribution of cement production by geographic regions.
Table 3: World Cement Production by geographic regions in 2013.(in %)
(Source: CEMBUREAU)
China 58,6
Japan 1,5
India 7,0
Other Asia 14,4
Africa 4,8
USA 1,9
Other America 4,9
Oceania 0,3
CIS 2,6
European Union 3,9
Other Europe 0,2
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Figure 2: CEMBUREAU trade 1977-2013
Million tonnes (cement and clinker)
Land transportation costs are significant and it used to be said that cement could not be economically
hauled beyond 200 km or at most 300 km. The price of long road transportation may even be higher
than the cost price. Bulk shipping has changed that, however, and it is now cheaper to cross the
Atlantic Ocean with 35 000 t of cargo than to truck it 300 km. However, in large countries
transportation costs normally cluster the markets into regional areas, with the exception of a few long-
distance transfers (where, for example, sea terminal facilities exist).
e) Labour
With the development of modern automated machinery and continuous material handling devices,
the cement industry has become a process industry using a limited amount of skilled labour. A
modern plant is usually manned by less than 150 people. In the EU the cement industry represents
45 000 direct jobs. In CEMBUREAU countries, it represents approximately 56 000 direct jobs. The
cement and concrete sector forms the backbone of a strong supply chain in Europe which is firmly
rooted in the local communities, employing 545 000 people and adding EUR 56 billions to the local
economy.
1.2.2 Lime
1.2.2.1 General information about the Lime industry
Lime is a mineral product derived from limestone by an industrial process. Naturally occurring
limestone is composed almost exclusively of calcium carbonate. When heated, limestone transforms
into quicklime, which forms the basis of all lime products available on the market. It is a calcium
source for a multitude of industrial processes.
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Due to its particular chemical characteristics, lime is a fundamental raw material used in a large
number of industries and different economic activities, and is therefore essential to many aspects of
many people’s lives.
It is a key enabling material used in the manufacturing process of many industries (in e.g. steel,
aluminum, paper, glass) no high grade steel without lime.
Also used in environmental applications (in e.g. flue gas cleaning, waste water treatment) lime is the
most economic material able to absorb many pollutants!.
It is a soil improvement material for agriculture (calcium for soil and crop improvement) as well as for
animal food.
Used in the construction as a multifunctional binder for plasters and mortars, for building blocks such
as AAC (Aerated Autoclaved Concrete) and Silicabricks and public works (asphalt pavement and soil
stabilization), lime is an efficient component for the road constructions and building materials of
tomorrow.
It is an essential mineral product, but often unseen (in e.g. toothpaste, sugar, ceramics).
The average EU citizen indirectly uses around 150 g/day of lime products.
Lime production is carbon intensive, however it is different from many other carbon intensive
industries.
Only a third of emissions comes from burning fuels to heat the kilns, but the bulk of the emissions
come from a chemical reaction that happens during the production process.
Limestone or dolomite are heated in large kilns with temperatures above 1000°C, causing
respectively the following chemical reactions:
• CaCO3 (solid) + energy CaO, (solid) + CO2 (gaseous) (lime)
• CaMg(CO3)2 (solid) + energy CaMgO2, (solid) + CO2 (gaseous) (dolime)
Since close to two thirds of the emissions are linked to these chemical reactions, options to mitigate
these emissions are limited without capturing the carbon.
Lime (calcium oxide - CaO) is an alkali and the result of the chemical transformation of limestone.
Given its rapid reaction with water, calcium oxide, also called burnt lime, is often referred to as quick
lime.
Dolime or dolomitic lime (calcium & magnesium oxide - CaO.MgO) is the result of the chemical
transformation of double carbonate of calcium and magnesium. Like lime, dolime reacts with water.
Affinity of CaO for water is higher than that of MgO.
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Figure 3: Market segments (EuLA 2014)
Quicklime, or burnt lime, is calcium oxide (CaO) produced by decarbonation of limestone (CaCO3).
Slaked lime is produced by reacting, or "slaking", quicklime with water and consists mainly of calcium
hydroxide (Ca(OH)2). Slaked lime includes hydrated lime (dry calcium hydroxide powder), milk of
lime and lime putty (dispersions of calcium hydroxide particles in water). The term lime includes
quicklime and slaked lime and is synonymous with the term lime products. Lime is, however,
sometimes used incorrectly to describe limestone products, which is a frequent cause of confusion.
1.2.2.2 Production
W orld production of lime grew steadily from just under 60 million tons in 1960 to a peak of almost 140
million tons in 1989. Output of lime dipped in the mid-1970s and early 1980s due the general
economic recessions at the time, and the most recent world recession led to a drop in production to
120 million tons in 1995. The numbers shown do not give the complete picture, however, as a
significant portion of total lime production takes place at the point of use (i.e. captive lime production
within, among others, iron and steel, kraft pulp and sugar industries) and so does not enter the
market. The European Lime Association, EuLA, estimates the total world production of lime,
including captive lime, at 300 million tons.
W ith an annual production of around 22 million tons of lime, the EU countries produce about 15 % of
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sales-relevant world lime production. In most EU countries the lime industry is characterized by small
and medium-sized companies. There has, however, been a growing trend towards consolidations in
recent years, with a small number of large European based, international companies having gained a
considerable market share. Nevertheless, there are still more than 50 companies operating in the
European Union.
Germany, Italy and France are the largest producers of lime in the EU, together accounting for about
two thirds of the total volume.
Data of the captive lime production are not available. The estimated production of lime and dolime in
EU in 2011 is estimated according to EuLA (European Lime Association) at 22 million tons
representing 95 % of the total European non-captive production.
Different types of lime are used for wide variety of applications as shower in Table 4..
Table 4: Estimated distribution of different types of lime in the EU in 2012 (Source: EuLA)
Quicklime 88 %
Dolime 10 %
Sintered Dolime 2 %
Each specific type of lime has certain reactivity and the type of lime used is therefore governed by
the requirements of the application and the specific process. A distinction is drawn between hard
burnt, medium burnt and soft burnt limes. Soft burnt limes are those with the highest reactivity. The
properties of limes are for instance depending on the limestone feed material, the type of kiln and the
fuel used. For example, coke-fired shaft kilns generally produce quicklime with a medium to low
reactivity, whereas gas fired parallel-flow regenerative kilns usually produce a high reactivity lime.
Because of its intrinsic properties, the production of lime is a carbon intensive process. The lime
production process is based on a chemical reaction induced by heating calcium carbonate (CaCO 3)
to produce quicklime (CaO). Inevitably, this reaction also produces CO 2. These emissions of CO2,
which are inherent to the lime production process, are called process emissions. These process
emissions alone constitute 70 % of the total CO2 emissions from the lime production process.
Today, the major challenge of the lime industry is to mitigate these process emissions which cannot
be avoided. Lime industry is committed to reducing combustion and indirect CO2 emissions,
however, the only possibility lies with the deployment of reliable and competitive carbon capture
technologies, knowing that modern lime kilns are already highly energy efficient (close to the
efficiency limit).
1.2.2.3 Energy
The lime industry is also highly energy-intensive with energy accounting for up to 40% of total
production costs. Currently in 2014, the European Lime industry uses a wide variety of fuels,
including fossil fuels (natural gas, solid fossil fuels and oil), waste or biomass.
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Figure 4: Fuel mix used for lime production (EuLA 2014)
The electricity consumption in lime manufacturing is relatively low. Electricity is mainly used for
operating some of the kiln equipment and mechanically crushing the limestone. Electricity
consumption varies, but it is estimated at about 60 kWh/t.
2 BENEFITS EXPECTED FROM THE WORK OF CEN/TC 51
The expected benefits are:
- the removal of technical barriers to trade and the opening of markets throughout Europe;
- to address relevant sustainability concerns including environmental, social and economical
ones, as well as health and safety for workers of the industry, workers the construction sites
and occupants of the constructions;
- the publication of harmonised standards;
- the support of other European Standards dealing with concrete (CEN/TC 104) and mortars
(CEN TC 125);
- the support of European legislation, in particular: the Construction Product Regulation (CPR)
(EU N° 305/2011) and REACH (EC N° 1907/2006).
3 PARTICIPATION IN THE CEN/TC
All the CEN national members are entitled to nominate delegations to CEN Technical Committees
and experts to W orking Groups, ensuring a balance of all interested parties. Participation as
observers of recognized European or international organizations is also possible under certain
conditions. To participate in the activities of CEN/TC 51, please contact the national standards
organization of your country.
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4 OBJECTIVES OF THE CEN/TC AND STRATEGIES FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENT
4.1 Defined objectives of the CEN/TC
The principal objective of CEN/TC 51 is the standardisation of hydraulic binders which are
constituents for other (semi) finished products as concrete, masonry, rendering products, etc.
The use of the binders and the choice of those products have to be facilitated by standardising the
products to gain a certification giving confidence to the products.
As tools, the technical committee is developing European standards related to the terminology, the
test methods, the specifications and evaluation of conformity of the products.
CEN gives also the possibility to the industry to exchange information with all the concerned parties.
Terminology is given in different “descriptive” standards as EN 197-1, EN 413-1, EN 459-1 etc. The
standards include also general very important rules for the industry, users and public authorities, in
particular EN 197-2 and EN 459-3 dealing with evaluation of conformity.
4.2 Identified strategies to achieve the CEN/TC’s defined objectives
CEN/TC 51 carries out the standardisation work for ISO/TC74 implementing the Vienna agreement
to avoid any duplication of work.
CEN/TC 51 is using the best appropriate technical document to start any standardisation work; it can
be national standards but also technical documents developed in the frame of research projects by
international organizations such as RILEM. Normally, the initiator of the project gets already such a
document as basis of the European standardisation.
5 FACTORS AFFECTING COMPLETION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CEN/TC
WORK PROGRAMME
The main factors are:
- the enlargement of the European Union;
- the uncertainties regarding possible European or notified national regulations, which may
necessitate modifications of the content and target dates for projects in the work program;
- the lack of public funding to validate test methods (till now, all CEN/TC 51 work was financed
by the industry).
