Sampyo to Invest 200 Billion KRW Over 5 Years for Carbon Emission Zero

Announcement of the '2050 Carbon Zero Roadmap'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] Sampyo Group announced on the 23rd that it has established a '2050 Carbon Zero Roadmap' with the goal of reducing carbon emissions by 100% across all business areas by 2050.

The roadmap includes phased reduction targets for achieving carbon zero, detailed plans for each business sector, and investment plans. By specifying carbon reduction measures and achievement timelines, the company expressed a strong commitment to action rather than a declarative statement. According to the company, this reflects the top management's philosophy that pursuing the values of coexistence and symbiosis creates greater corporate value and sustainability.

The roadmap sets a phased goal to reduce carbon emissions directly and indirectly generated during the cement manufacturing and transportation process by 35% by 2030 and to achieve 100% carbon zero before 2050.

In the first phase, carbon emissions will be reduced through eco-friendly fuel conversion, energy efficiency improvements, introduction of low-carbon raw materials, and development of eco-friendly products.

As a specific implementation plan, the coal used as fuel for cement production will be 100% replaced with circular resources such as waste plastics. The inside of the cement kiln is evaluated as eco-friendly because waste is completely combusted at an ultra-high temperature of about 2000℃.

Recycling circular resources reduces carbon emissions by not using fossil fuels and also solves environmental problems caused by landfill and incineration of waste. To this end, the company plans to complete the ongoing related investments early and secure a 100% replacement base through additional investments.

Plans also include expanding waste heat power generation and the introduction of high-efficiency equipment to reduce carbon emissions. Sampyo Cement introduced the industry's first waste heat power plant in 2004, recovering waste heat from cement kilns to produce about 130,000 MW of electricity annually. Additionally, the company will expand the use of decarbonized raw materials such as fly ash and increase the proportion of eco-friendly products including eco-friendly cement, concrete, and recycled aggregates.

In the second phase, eco-friendly process improvements and low-carbon transitions will continue throughout the entire business, from raw materials to transportation.

The company will actively engage in the development of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technology, introduced by the government as a core technology for carbon neutrality, and plans to use eco-friendly transportation means in the transportation and power generation sectors once the hydrogen ecosystem, a fossil fuel alternative, matures.

Sampyo plans to invest about 200 billion KRW over the next five years to achieve the phase 1 and 2 reduction targets early. This year, approximately 70 billion KRW is being invested to build eco-friendly facilities for carbon reduction and raw material substitution.

Furthermore, the company will continuously strengthen investments and research to secure technological competitiveness in the environmental field, as well as promote industry-academia cooperation and benchmarking of overseas cases.

A Sampyo Group official said, "This roadmap is the result of considerations for sustainable survival and growth amid changes in the management environment centered on eco-friendliness," adding, "We will strive to produce tangible results in carbon reduction through the establishment and execution of a roadmap at the level of an industry-leading company."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.