Making climate-friendly cement is hard. Federal grant to do so in Indiana could be axed

The Trump administration is considering cutting a federal grant program that aims to decarbonize heavy industry. That includes more than $700 million for three projects in Indiana.

Advocates worry axing the Industrial Demonstrations Program would make U.S. industries less competitive globally.

It's hard to avoid the carbon emissions from cement because they're largely in the rock itself. The carbon inside limestone gets released when it's heated in a cement kiln. Scientists have estimated cement production makes up to 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Experts say the only way to make net-zero cement right now is by storing some of that carbon underground. That's what Heidelberg Materials plans to do at its plant in Lawrence County with the help of a $500 million grant.

But after significant staff cuts at the U.S. Department of Energy, it's unclear if that money is still on the table.

David Perkins is the senior vice president of sustainability and public affairs for Heidelberg Materials North America.

"Our ongoing coordination and communications, you know, cadence changed. And so I think we recognize that there's certainly — certainly some uncertainty," he said.

Perkins said, without the grant, it may take Heidelberg a while to find new funding. He said the company is still continuing to send reports for the grant to the DOE and looking at the feasibility of storing its carbon through another grant.

Ash Lauth is with Industrious Labs — a nonprofit that advocates to reduce industrial carbon pollution. She said it's not clear what the Trump administration will decide, but that pulling this funding from innovative cement and concrete companies would be anti-business.

"And I think what we may see is companies based in other geographies and other nations start to pull ahead. And I think that's like a real missed opportunity," Lauth said.

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Lionel Lemay is the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association's executive vice president of structures and sustainability.

He said the fact that the federal government is thinking of pulling these incentives will likely have a chilling effect on carbon reductions in all building materials — not just concrete.

But Lemay said while that might slow the popularity of low-carbon concrete in the public sector overall, the private sector still makes up most of the demand — and that demand isn't slowing.

"Plus there are several states and municipalities or metropolitan areas that are also adopting either incentives or regulations that would require building materials to have lower carbon footprint," he said.

Lemay said the concrete industry also has a goal of net zero by 2050.

Rebecca is our energy and environment reporter. Contact her at rthiele@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @beckythiele.