Business models for symbiosis between the alumina and cement industries

Global alumina production generates approximately 150–170 million tonnes of bauxite residue (BR), predominately landfilled. The cement industry is looking for new supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) to replace additional clinker volumes and reduce their carbon footprint. Symbiosis between the alumina and cement industries presents an opportunity to conserve resources and produce low-carbon cements by thermally modifying BR into novel SCMs. This research uses the Horizon 2020 ReActiv project as a case study to evaluate the suitability of different modified BRs for use as SCMs using evidence from project documentation and participant observations from progress meetings. It also explores symbiotic business model configurations between alumina and cement industries through semi-structured interviews with ReActiv project participants. Results indicate that thermal modification of BR significantly increases its cementitious value, and should optimally be carried out in alumina plants, with the cement industry then grinding and mixing the resulting SCM with other cement components.