Process information
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| Location | GB | ||
| Reference year | 2024 | ||
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| Use advice for data set | Scope: Heidelberg Materials Portland Limestone Cement (CEM II/A-LL 52.5N) results represented in this EPD are the weighted average results based on production data from the three Heidelberg Materials UK cement production sites; Ketton Works in Lincolnshire, Ribblesdale Works in Lancashire and Padeswood Works in Flintshire. System boundary: Type of the EPD: cradle to gate, A1-A3 The applied system boundaries cover the production of the cement including extraction of raw materials up to the finished product at the factory gate. The product stage includes: Module A1:Extraction and processing of raw materials. The raw materials are predominantly limestone, sand and clay for clinker production and additionally limestone, gypsum and ferrous sulphate for cement production. Module A2:Transport of raw materials to the factory gate. Module A3:Clinker and cement production. In clinker production raw materials are mixed in the required quanitites and ground together to form a raw meal. This raw meal is heated to around 900°C in a preheater/calciner and then fed in to a rotary kiln. A range of fossil and waste derived fuels are used to heat the clinker to around 1450°C. The clinker is then cooled. In cement production the required quantities of clinker, limestone, gypsum and ferrous sulphate are milled to a fine powder to produce the declared cement. One site has onsite electricity generation from a solar farm. This solar energy represents 5% of the total electricity demand in the production of the declared cement. The remaining electricity is supplied via a contract backed by nuclear generation. For the modelling of cement, both specific production data from Heidelberg Materials and background data (especially for upstream processes) have been used. For life cycle modelling of the considered product, the verified Global Cement and Concrete Association GCCA Industry EPD Tool for Cement and Concrete, version 4.2, LCA Model, International version, was used. The GCCA tool uses the ecoinvent database version 3.5 together with GCCA custom emission factors for processes not included in the ecoinvent database. The tool was developed by Quantis and is owned by the Global Cement and Concrete Association. The LCA model and database have been implemented in accordance with the requirements of EN 15804:2012+A2:2019 and the latest cement PCR, cPCR001 Cement and building limes (EN 16908) registered as a complementary PCR of PCR 2019:14 Construction products (EN 15804+A2). | ||
| Technical purpose of product or process | Portand Limestone Cement is often used for general construction purposes, including infrastructure and residential buildings. It is one of the most versatile types of cement and can be used in the manufacture of precast elements, ready-mixed concrete, and more. | ||
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| General comment on data set | Heidelberg Materials Portland Limestone Cement (CEM II/A-LL) is a BS EN 197 cement made from cement clinker, gypsum (both natural and recycled) and limestone. It is used for general construction needs, from concretes and mortars to renders, screed and grouts, and is compatible with all concrete admixtures and lime. | ||
| Copyright | Yes | ||
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| Data set valid until | 2029 | ||
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| Technology description including background system | Manufacturing Process Quarrying raw materials The primary raw material used in the manufacture of cement is either limestone or chalk, which contain high proportions of calcium carbonate. A secondary raw material (usually clay) contains oxides of silica, alumina and iron. Materials are often quarried in locations close to the cement production line. Quarried material is crushed to pieces with diameter less than 90 mm and transported by conveyor belt to the raw material preparation and milling stage. Waste derived raw materials can often replace some of the quarried raw material needs. Raw material preparation/milling Each of the raw materials is transported separately to silos. Material from the silos is then selected in specific amounts to form the right 'recipe' for the raw mix. This material is ground together in a raw mill until evenly mixed. The raw mill grinds the raw mix to a powder whilst drying the material with exhaustgases from the preheater. The material is then transported to a blending silo where the raw mix is prepared for feeding the preheater. Preheating and calcination The raw mix is fed to a preheater tower where it is heated to around 900°C in a number of cyclone stages using heat exiting the kiln. On modern cement manufacturing sites, fuel is added at the bottom of the preheater in a calciner to better prepare the material for the kiln. Clinker formation in the kiln From the preheater/calciner, the material, now at a temperature of around 900°C, enters a large horizontal rotary kiln. A range of primary fossil, waste derived fuels and waste biomass fuels are fed through a burner nozzle in the kiln to produce a flame which reaches temperatures of 2000°C. This heats the material to around 1450°C which produces marble sized dark grey nodules called clinker (the primary active ingredient of cement) that resemble volcanic rock. Clinker cooling and storage In the cooler, air is blown through a bed of clinker to cool the clinker from 1450°C to around 150°C. The heated air is recovered into the kiln to improve efficiency. The cooled clinker is then conveyed either to the clinker store or directly to the cement mill. Milling and blending Clinker is ground with gypsum and often mixed with other materials such as PFA, GGBS and limestone to produce cement, in either ball mills (as shown), or in a vertical spindle mill similar to that used to mill the raw mix. These mills grind the clinker and other materials into a fine well mixed powder. A number of different types of cement are made on site by varying the material proportions and their fineness which can alter the cement properties. Cement despatch Cement is stored in silos then despatched in bulk tankers by road or rail Technical data: The declared cement corresponds to the 52.5 standard compressive strength class with ordinary early strength development (N) in accordance with BS EN 197-1. Declared unit: The declared unit is 1 metric tonne of Portland Limestone Cement (CEM II/A-LL 52.5N) | ||
Modelling and validation
| Subtype | average dataset | ||||
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| Compliance |
Compliance system name
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Approval of overall compliance
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Nomenclature compliance
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Methodological compliance
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Review compliance
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Documentation compliance
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Quality compliance
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Administrative information
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| Time stamp (last saved) | 2024-07-19T00:00:00 |
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| UUID | b1d367c3-0a25-42b7-9360-1db9f6e831c6 |
| Data set version | 00.04.000 |
| Registration authority | |
| Registration number | EPD-HEI-20240152-CAD2-EN |
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| Copyright | Yes |
| License type | Free of charge for all users and uses |
| Access and use restrictions | None |
Environmental indicators
Indicators of life cycle