Ecocem, a leading European provider of low carbon cement technologies, has agreed a deal with Overslagbedrijf Moerdijk (OBM) to expand production and storage capacity in The Netherlands.
The deal is part of Ecocem’s plans to accelerate bringing its ACT technology – which can decarbonise the cement industry by as much as 70% – to market as a commercially available solution by 2026.
Expanding Ecocem’s capacity at Moerdijk will enable Ecocem to produce and store ACT. This new site will enhance the plant’s capacity in The Netherlands and quadruple the storage capacity for key materials up to 40,000t/40KT.
Ecocem has signed a long-term agreement to lease the site from OBM, who will manage the site, including handling and storing materials on Ecocem’s behalf.
This expansion of the Moerdijk site is part of Ecocem’s plans to expand its manufacturing and storage capacity to support the commercialisation of ACT across all its plants. It follows the expansion of its Dunkirk plant announced last June. These expansion plans will be supported by licencing and partnership strategies to accelerate availability and adoption of scalable low clinker cement at speed.
Conor O’Riain, managing director (Europe),at Ecocem, said: “We are increasing our capacity at all of our locations, and our deal with OBM is a hugely important aspect of our expansion strategy. It will accelerate our ability to manufacture ACT our low clinker cement technology and make it available commercially by 2026. At the same time, we are actively pursuing licensing and partnership agreements in the construction industry to ensure the benefits of this technology are shared widely and we accelerate progress to Net Zero.
“Now is a crucial time for Ecocem and our cement industry peers if we are to achieve net-zero by 2050. The European Commission has targeted reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90% compared to 1990 by 2040. With a combination of ACT technology to reduce CO2 emissions and Carbon Capture for the remaining emissions, a ‘net zero’ ambition for the cement industry is within reach.”
The deal comes after February’s announcement that Ecocem’s ACT technology received an ETA (European Technical Assessment), which provides the technology with a route to full commercialisation by 2026. ACT technology combines a range of technical innovations with the use of widely available low-carbon materials to decarbonise the production of cement by as much as 70% while enhancing the strength and durability of the concrete it is used to manufacture. ACT is fully scalable and can be produced within existing cement plants without significant additional investment or modifications.
