Shell and CRH have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) whereby both businesses will work together to develop and deploy decarbonisation solutions and technologies to accelerate their progress towards net zero emissions.
The agreement will see Shell and CRH work together to explore decarbonisation opportunities across transport, operations, and materials. The solutions include, but are not limited to, vehicle electrification and charging infrastructure to reduce transport emissions; deploying low-carbon fuels for off-road equipment and renewable electricity to power facilities; and developing low-carbon asphalt solutions.
Shell and CRH say they believe that collaboration is key to moving at speed and scale to unlock new and innovative decarbonisation solutions. They stated: “By working together, we hope to maximise learning and knowledge sharing to accelerate the deployment of low-carbon solutions and technologies that will help both companies to reach net zero.”
Shell and CRH say they will start work together immediately to begin delivering progress on decarbonisation across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific.
Juan Pablo San Agustin – Group Executive – Strategy, Sustainability & Innovation, CRH (left) and Carlos Maurer – EVP Sectors & Decarbonisation, Shell (right)
CRH is one of the world’s largest users of quarrying equipment including haul trucks, wheel loaders and hydraulic excavators as one of the world’s largest quarry operators. As an example in the UK it owns Tarmac which operates assets including the Mountsorrel quarry in Leicestershire which produces 4.5 Mt of granite aggregates per year. It also owns Fels, a major limestone supplier to the steel industry including from the Kaltes Tal two quarry operation in Germany that produces over 1.5 Mt/y.
Other examples of its mines include limestone quarries in Asia where it owns Republic Cement in the Philippines and in Ireland via Irish Cement. Both cement companies operate multiple large limestone operations. CRH also owns operates other limestone (for cement) and aggregate quarries in Poland, Czech Republic and France.
In the US assets include New York state quarry operator and asphalt supplier Tilcon and cement major Ash Grove which operates quarries in multiple states, as well as in Canada; where CRH also owns Demix Agregats.
