DECD0000088

The Roanoke Cement Company, LLC. (RCC) plant project in Troutville, Virginia aims to construct and operate a first-of-a-kind in the United States calcined clay production line for limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) using a flash calciner (or equivalent technology) and moderate purity clay to replace a significant portion of clinker in cement.

With lower operating costs and higher material performance, this project plans to enable annual production capacity of 300,000 short tons/year of calcined clay with an anticipated carbon intensity that is 83% lower compared to the clinker it replaces.

The calcined clay will be used in the existing RCC cement grinding mills to produce LC3 with anticipated 40% lower carbon intensity than ordinary Portland cement (OPC).

The data generated and shared with the Department of Energy and the public will support private-sector investments in this highly relevant decarbonization technology across the United States.

The project contributes to the development of the workforce to manufacture and use next-generation, low carbon cement and concrete and will act as a role model demonstrating labor and community benefits when decarbonizing the industry.

Roanoke Cement Company

PROJECT OBJECTIVES: 1. DEMONSTRATE A FIRST-OF-A-KIND IN THE UNITED STATES CALCINED CLAY PRODUCTION LINE UTILIZING MODERATE PURITY CLAY AND A FLASH CALCINER (OR EQUIVALENT TECHNOLOGY) MANUFACTURING APPROXIMATELY 300,000 SHORT TONS/YEAR OF CALCINED CLAY AT THE RCC PLANT IN TROUTVILLE, VIRGINIA, RESULTING IN AN ANTICIPATED APPROXIMATE 83% REDUCTION IN CARBON INTENSITY COMPARED TO THE CLINKER IT REPLACES. 2. DEMONSTRATE THE FIRST USE IN THE UNITED STATES OF CALCINED CLAY IN LC3 AT THE RCC PLANT IN TROUTVILLE, VIRGINIA. THIS WILL RESULT IN A PRODUCT WITH AN APPROXIMATELY 40% LOWER CARBON INTENSITY COMPARED TO OPC. 3. OPTIMIZE THE PRODUCT FORMULATION OF LC3, AS WELL AS CONCRETE MIX DESIGNS, AT THE RCC PLANT IN TROUTVILLE, VIRGINIA, INCORPORATING LC3 ACROSS ALL APPLICATIONS. ADDITIONALLY, THE PROJECT SEEKS TO OPTIMIZE THE USE OF MULTIPLE RAW CLAYS OF VARYING PURITY (LOWER-PURITY KAOLIN WITH ILLITE (<50% KAOLIN)), INCLUDING REACTIVITY AND THEIR BEHAVIOR WITHIN THE CLAY CALCINER PROCESS, THROUGH TESTING AND PERFORMANCE VALIDATION. 4. SHARE OPERATIONAL DATA, VALIDATION OF TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT DATA FROM THE RCC PLANT IN TROUTVILLE, VIRGINIA WITH THE INDUSTRY TO INCREASE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS TECHNOLOGY AND PROCESS LINE IN CEMENT PLANTS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, AND POTENTIALLY FACILITIES WORLDWIDE. 5. PRODUCE QUALITY CONCRETE AND CEMENT PRODUCTS WITH A LOWER CARBON INTENSITY, WHILE MAINTAINING CONFORMANCE TO PERFORMANCE STANDARDS (ASTM C595 AND AASHTO M240) AND REGULATIONS THEREBY IMPROVING MARKET ACCEPTANCE OF LC3 AND PRODUCT OFFTAKE. 6. PROMOTE SUCCESSFUL MODELS OF TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION, COMMUNITY AND LABOR ENGAGEMENT, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND BEST PRACTICES TO ENCOURAGE WIDESPREAD ADOPTION OF LC3 ACROSS THE INDUSTRY AND THE REGION.

81.255 - Clean Energy Demonstrations

Department of Energy (DOE)

Troutville, Virginia 24175-4101 United States

Single Zip Code

Industrial Decarbonization and Emissions Reduction Demonstration-to-Deployment Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0002936)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 5244% from $1,154,637 to $61,700,000.