Ecocem, one of Europe’s leaders in low carbon cement technologies, has today announced a major step in enabling the global cement industry to decarbonise on a trajectory compliant with the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
ACT, a breakthrough cement 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 deployed globally. It can be produced within existing cement plants without significant investment or modifications and can be deployed rapidly and cost effectively.
ACT is the culmination of a decade of innovation in the scaling of sustainable, low-carbon, competitive cement technologies. It has been subject to extensive technical validation and been successfully demonstrated in industrial trials. A CE mark is expected in 2023, first commercial applications will follow with full market access by 2025 in the European markets where Ecocem is present (France, UK, Benelux, Ireland).
Founder and Managing Director of Ecocem, Donal O’Riain said, “ACT is a step-change in low-carbon cement technology. It is cost effective, globally scalable, and significantly decarbonising. The cement industry faces a huge immediate challenge if we are to deliver meaningful reductions in CO2 in the next decade. Technology is no longer a barrier to decarbonisation and for everyone to benefit fully and rapidly from the potential of ACT, the industry and policymakers need to work together. There has rarely been a more exciting time to be part of the industry.
“But the stakes are high,” continued Mr. O’Riain. “We are eager to work closely with the cement industry and with policymakers to support the scaling and development of a new generation of low-carbon cements. Current policy priorities on decarbonising cement have now been overtaken by technology. Fully effective deployment of ACT requires policymakers to provide effective support well beyond their traditional emphasis on CCUS as the core cement decarbonisation technology.”
To facilitate the rapid decarbonisation of the global cement industry, Ecocem will work closely with cement producers and make the technology as widely available as possible on an economically advantageous basis. We see the broad adoption of ACT as being essential to achieving 1.5°C compliance and look forward to working with the cement industry to make this a reality. Discussions in response to initial interest are already well advanced and we expect to make significant announcements in the near future.
“The rapid reduction of CO2 emissions from cement is a core challenge of any decarbonization strategy and COP 27 has reinforced how urgently we need scalable solutions,” said Carmichael Roberts, Co-Lead of the Investment Committee at Breakthrough Energy Ventures. “ACT arrives at a crucial moment and will rapidly accelerate our progress in reaching zero carbon cement.”
The launch of ACT coincides with a new report released today that shows the urgency of finding short-term solutions to decarbonising cement. Cement: raising ambitions, reducing emissions, commissioned by Ecocem, highlights that cement is currently responsible for over 7% of global carbon emissions – more than aviation, shipping and long-haul trucking combined. The report explores how a range of solutions to the industry’s CO2 problem can drive and accelerate innovation. However, it also points out that without industry cooperation and the deployment of new scalable solutions at speed, reaching the goal of a 50% cut in emissions by 2030 is impossible.
Read the full Cement: raising ambitions, reducing emissions report and find out more about Ecocem’s ground-breaking ACT technology here https://www.ecocemglobal.com/ACT
