Ecocem’s ACT low-carbon cement technology takes a major step forward

cement technology, Ecocem, sustainability, technology,

March 5, 2024

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Europe’s leader in low carbon cement technologies, Ecocem has announced that its ACT technology has obtained an European Technical Assessment (ETA) for new eco-efficient cement.

Ecocem, Europe’s leader in low carbon cement technologies, has today announced that its groundbreaking ACT technology has obtained an ETA (European Technical Assessment) from EOTA (European Organisation for Technical Assessment) for a revolutionary, new eco-efficient cement. This independent assessment is a critical step towards CE marking and will enable the introduction of this new low carbon cement throughout Europe.

The ETA provides Ecocem with a route to full commercialisation for its ACT technology by 2026 and creates the opportunity for the cement and concrete industries to do the same. There is also the potential to scale globally since ETAs are recognised and highly respected internationally.

The path is now clear for the global cement industry to become the first major industrial sector to decarbonise on a trajectory compliant with the Paris Agreement to achieve a 1.5°C trajectory, without major changes to current working practices or excessive cost.

After water concrete is the most used substance on earth. Cement, its critical ingredient is responsible for almost 8% of global CO2 emissions – more than shipping, aviation and long-haul trucking combined.

ACT technology is the culmination of a decade of research and innovation to develop scalable, sustainable, low-carbon, competitive cement technologies by Ecocem. The technology is currently undergoing rigorous trials which are already demonstrating the carbon reduction possible using ACT – in effect, a 70% reduction in CO2 compared with the average European cement blend.

The trials have also demonstrated strong performance on key criteria, including strength, durability and concrete workability. Ecocem plans to supply the first ACT cement to customers in its European markets in the course of 2024, with full commercialisation by 2026.

The cement industry now enjoys a range of available low carbon technologies sufficient to reach the EU’s newly proposed target of a 90% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. The challenge now to policy makers, investors and the industry is to accelerate the adoption of this groundbreaking technology.

These technological advances are crucial in the context of the Industrial Carbon Management Strategy published by the European Commission on 6 February. By adopting readily available alternatives such as ACT clinker reduction technology, the cement industry can deliver the full benefits of decarbonisation faster and at a lower cost, and reduce reliance on high cost long term carbon capture solutions.

“Historically the cement industry has struggled to achieve deep decarbonisation, due to absence of low carbon technologies capable of reducing the high CO2 emissions inherent in the cement manufacturing process.

ACT technology provides the cement industry with a unique opportunity to halve emissions within the decade and become the first industrial sector to achieve a 1.5C decarbonisation trajectory,” says Ecocem Founder and Managing Director Donal O’Riain.

This technical assessment is a game changer for the industry. It delivers the independent technical evaluation necessary to take ACT technology to European markets, directly and via licencing, to the cement, concrete and construction industries. The industry’s carbon transition just got easier, cheaper and faster. It is no longer possible to say we lack the technology or that costs are prohibitive.”

“The technology to decarbonise the cement industry in line with the Paris Agreement exists. Thanks to the ETA, we now have the assessment that proves ACT’s safety and its performance. It is no longer theoretical, but a real, existing technology that can now start having an impact,” says Ecocem European Standards Manager Christian Clergue.

Ecocem is partnering with key organisations in the cement and construction industry, including Groupe CB, Point P and Cemex France, to trial and develop the technology and ensure a continuous supply of materials.  

To accelerate ACT’s delivery, Ecocem is scaling up activity at established production facilities in the Netherlands, Ireland, and France, where it will build a new mill to grind limestone at its Dunkirk plant in partnership with CB Green. In the US, the company is in the later stages of permitting for the construction of a plant on the West Coast.

Ecocem’s ACT low carbon cement technology selected for the groundbreaking UN global forum on Buildings and Climate in Paris

ACT, Ecocem’s groundbreaking low carbon cement technology, has been selected to showcase at The Buildings and Climate Global Forum – a first-of-its-kind event that will build on the progress made at the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28). Ecocem will be the only international  cement technology company exhibiting at the event and will be joining Ministers from national and sub-national governments, fellow industry stakeholders and international organisations.

The Forum, co-organised by the French Government the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with the support of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (Global ABC) will take place on 7-8th March 2024 in Paris, France.

 It follows the successful launch of the Buildings Breakthrough at COP28 at the end of 2023. That initiative supported by 28 governments and the European Commission, among others, aspires to make near-zero-emission and resilient buildings the new normal by 2030.

The two-day Buildings and Climate Global Forum will be a unique opportunity for senior government officials and leaders in the construction sector, along with other stakeholders, to transform the way buildings are constructed. The construction sector will be crucial in achieving a 1.5°C decarbonisation trajectory as per the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Governments will be invited to endorse a common declaration outlining shared principles and a cooperation framework for global efforts to achieve decarbonisation and climate change resilience in the buildings sector. All stakeholders of the buildings sector will be invited to make specific commitments to support the Forum’s ambition.

Ecocem’s ground-breaking technology ACT has received a European Technical Assessment. This confirms ACT as a safe, high performance, scalable, low carbon, and energy efficient alternative to traditional cement. It opens a route to full commercialisation for the technology by 2026 and provides the opportunity for the cement and concrete industries to do likewise.

ACT is a scalable breakthrough cement technology that combines a range of technical innovations with the use of widely available low-carbon materials for rapid and competitive decarbonisation of cement production by as a much as 70%. ACT is fully aligned with the Forum’s ambition.

“The Buildings and Climate Global Forum is happening at a crucial moment for the planet. Urgent and deep decarbonisation of construction materials is essential to achieving the 2015 Paris Agreement targets. Cement production is responsible for almost 8% of global CO2 emissions.

Ecocem’s ACT low carbon technology can decarbonise the cement sector on a trajectory consistent with 1.5°C of global warming, the first major industry sector to achieve this feat. But we must now mobilise resolutely, rapidly, and globally to deploy this technology. The first ambition should be a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions from cement by 2030. Technology is no longer the barrier,” says Ecocem Founder and Managing Director Donal O’Riain.

Source (1): © Ecocem 2024

Source (2): © Ecocem 2024

Image Source (1): © Ecocem 2024

Image Source (2): © Ecocem 2024

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