Life cycle assessment of embodied carbon transfer pathways and characteristics in cement clinker manufacturing

The cement sector significantly contributes to global human-induced carbon emissions, however Chinese regional accounting methods frequently overlook indirect carbon emissions. This research is to methodically evaluate the transmission paths and attributes of embodied carbon in the production of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) clinker in Sichuan Province, China. Employing a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework in accordance with ISO 14040/44 standards, SimaPro, and the Ecoinvent database, we assessed a typical large-scale organization utilizing the Environmental Footprint 2.0 technique, bolstered by a 5000-iteration Monte Carlo simulation. The findings indicate a cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of 819.15 kg CO 2 equivalent per ton of OPC, primarily attributed to clinker production (72.9%), road transportation (13.1%), and electricity consumption (12.3%). Embodied carbon accounts for 15% of overall emissions, significantly driven by upstream mining and the processing of raw materials. A difference of 122 kg CO 2 equivalent arose between life cycle assessment outcomes and regional compliance standards because upstream supply chain impacts and non-CO 2 greenhouse gases were excluded. These results indicate that conventional accounting techniques undervalue industrial carbon emissions, highlighting the necessity for decarbonization approaches to focus on supply-chain transitions in addition to kiln performance.