Paris, 8 July – Ecocem has reached a major milestone in the commercialisation of its breakthrough ACT cement, with the world’s first full-scale residential development built entirely using concrete made with ACT demonstrating that breakthrough low-carbon cement technology is now ready for commercial deployment at scale.
The Parker & Baker residential development in Chessy, near Paris, is the first project anywhere in the world to deploy Ecocem’s ACT cement across every concrete element of a major construction project under real construction conditions. Comprising 147 apartments and four houses, the development uses approximately 9,000m³ of concrete made with Ecocem ACT cement, produced from a dedicated on-site mobile batching plant.
Developed over more than 10 years of research and innovation, Ecocem ACT cement is a breakthrough, commercially available low-carbon technology. Its breakthrough lies not only in its ability to reduce cement-related CO₂ emissions by up to 70%, but in its ability to do so using existing manufacturing infrastructure, supply chains and construction practices. By replacing up to 70% of clinker—the most carbon-intensive component of cement—with abundant low-carbon supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and limestone filler, ACT combines deep emissions reductions with the strength, durability, workability and affordability needed for widespread adoption.
The cement industry is responsible for around 8% of global CO₂ emissions, making scalable, commercially available low-carbon cement technologies essential to decarbonising construction.
Unlike many emerging low-carbon cement technologies, ACT has been developed for rapid, large-scale deployment. Designed as a true drop-in technology, it requires no changes to existing manufacturing processes, batching operations or construction methods, enabling the construction industry to significantly reduce emissions using today’s infrastructure as of now.
Ahead of construction, Ecocem developed four ACT cement based concrete formulations to meet the project’s structural, durability and operational requirements. Throughout construction, regular quality testing confirmed that Ecocem ACT cement delivered the required technical performance without affecting concrete quality, construction sequencing or site operations. The successful operation of the on-site mobile batching plant using a single cement silo further confirmed the technology’s compatibility with existing construction practices. Compared with the original conventional concrete specification, the use of Ecocem ACT cement reduced the project’s embodied carbon by approximately 55%.
Olivier Guise, Executive Director for Strategy, Technology and Development at Ecocem, said: “With this world first, Ecocem has demonstrated the effectiveness of ACT technology. Concrete produced using ACT has delivered excellent technical and environmental performance, while requiring no changes to the way the construction site operates.
He continued: “Large-scale deployment of ACT is now a tangible reality. Ecocem would like to recognise Legendre for exploring new approaches in support of ambitious innovation for the construction sector. The large-scale decarbonisation of construction is now more achievable than ever.”
Vincent Legendre, President of Legendre, said: “This project demonstrates how technical innovation achieves its full value when it is brought to life on site through partnerships such as the one between Legendre and Ecocem. True to our culture of innovation, this project marks the first milestone in a broader deployment that will see ACT technology incorporated into new projects in the months ahead.”
The Parker & Baker development marks the transition of ACT from successful pilot projects to commercial deployment. Building on more than 40 pilot projects across Europe, this milestone demonstrates that ACT is not only technically proven, but that its breakthrough proposition—combining deep carbon reductions with commercial scalability—has now been validated under real construction conditions.
To support growing customer demand, Ecocem is constructing its first dedicated ACT production facility in Dunkirk, France. The facility remains on track to commence commercial operations later this year and will provide an annual production capacity of more than 300,000 tonnes, supporting the wider deployment of ACT across Europe. Together with the successful delivery of the Parker & Baker development, it marks another significant step in bringing breakthrough low-carbon cement technology to commercial scale.
Parker & Baker project at a glance
About Ecocem ACT cement
Developed over more than 10 years of research and innovation, ACT is Ecocem’s breakthrough low-carbon cement technology, combining deep emissions reductions with the scalability needed to help decarbonise an industry responsible for around 8% of global CO₂ emissions.
ACT reduces cement-related CO₂ emissions by replacing up to 70% of clinker—the most carbon-intensive component of cement—with a carefully engineered combination of abundant lower-carbon materials, including limestone filler. The use of widely available materials is fundamental to ACT’s scalability, enabling deep emissions reductions to be deployed at the scale needed to decarbonise the global cement industry.
Designed as a drop-in solution, ACT can be used as a direct replacement for conventional cement. It delivers the strength, durability, workability and cost competitiveness of conventional cement while significantly reducing its carbon footprint, without changing existing concrete production or construction practices.
Validated through more than 40 pilot projects across Europe, ACT has now been successfully demonstrated on the world’s first full-scale residential development constructed entirely using ACT concrete.
Ecocem’s first dedicated ACT production facility, currently under construction in Dunkirk, France, remains on track to commence commercial operations later this year. With an annual production capacity of more than 300,000 tonnes, the facility will support the wider commercial deployment of ACT across Europe.
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