CRC signs carbon agreement for National Cement plant near Gorman
Plans call for the 60-year-old facility east of Gorman to transition to produce a less carbon-intensive type of cement while increasing the amount of fuel it sources from local ag waste. Byproduct carbon dioxide will then be transported for permanent burial in Kern County.
Funded in part by a half billion-dollar federal matching subsidy, the project known as Lebec Net Zero is partly a response to a 2021 state law, Senate Bill 596, requiring all cement used in California be net zero by 2045.
The project is expected to create 20 to 25 new jobs when it begins operation as soon as 2031, assuming it wins required approvals.
The memo of understanding the companies signed is another achievement for CRC's subsidiary Carbon TerraVault, which continues to lead Kern's and California's push for greater investment in carbon capture and sequestration. The deal announced Monday brings CTV's carbon management total from pending projects to 9 million metric tons per year of CO2.
CRC President and CEO Francisco Leon said in a news release the agreement underscores increasing demand for innovative decarbonization solutions in California industry.
"Achieving carbon neutrality in the cement industry requires bold action, and this partnership is a critical step in developing the state's first carbon capture, transport, and storage project for this essential sector," he stated.
In the same release, National Cement's CEO, Eric Holard, called the project exciting and transformative.
"We are making a significant investment because we believe in creating a cleaner future and bringing innovation to domestic manufacturing," he stated. "CTV's leadership in safe and responsible carbon management, combined with our strategic and operational alignment, provides a clear pathway for this project being successful.'
CRC confirmed Monday the project must receive a conditional use permit from the county of Kern and undergo an environmental review.
One improvement over National Cement's existing configuration is that the new version will create what's called limestone calcined clay cement, which uses less of the carbon-intensive industrial material called clinker. The U.S. Department of Energy says L3C, as the more climate friendly form is called, will also increase the final product's performance and durability.
Additionally, the project is seen as being more environmentally sustainable because it will reduce the plant's intake of non-biomass fuels such as tires, carpets and petroleum. It will do that because of the biomass-burning capabilities of new kiln technology planned to be installed at the site.
The federal government selected the project for financial support last year along with 32 others in hard-to-decarbonize industries like cement, steel and aluminum production. The Department of Energy called the National Cement project the first carbon capture and sequestration system of its kind in the country.
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