Holcim is launching what it says is Europe’s first calcined clay cement operation at its Saint-Pierre-la-Cour plant in France.
The building materials giant adds that the new operation will deliver ECOPlanet green cement with a 50% lower CO2 footprint compared to standard cement (CEM I).
This advanced production line, running on Holcim’s proprietary technology proximA Tech, will produce up to 500,000 tons of low-carbon cement per year. Its sustainable operations are powered with 100% biomass-based alternative fuels and waste heat recovery systems, making the manufacturing of calcined clay nearly carbon free and ultra-efficient.
Miljan Gutovic, Holcim region head Europe, commented: “The opening of the first calcined clay cement production line in Europe is another milestone in our mission to decarbonise building. We are scaling up our calcined clay cements across all regions by 2025, to advance our ECOPlanet range of low-carbon cement, making low-carbon construction possible at scale.”
The project is part of Holcim’s European roadmap to decarbonise construction with a broad range of low-emission materials, from calcined clay to construction and demolition waste. It received financial support from the French government, as part of the “France Relance” scheme investing in large-scale decarbonisation and energy efficiency initiatives in France.
