CB Green, a division of Groupe CB focused on delivering low carbon and circular economy solutions for the concrete and construction industries, and Ecocem, Europe’s leading independent provider of low carbon cement technologies, today announced a long term cooperation agreement to establish a new joint venture which will support the scale-up of Ecocem’s low carbon ACT technology by 2025, and CB Green’s ambitions to deliver low carbon solutions to the construction industry.
The joint venture will build a grinding mill at Ecocem’s plant in Dunkirk and deliver a long-term agreement to supply and grind limestone filler, a key component in ACT, Ecocem’s low clinker cement technology. This venture will accelerate the availability of low carbon cement technologies in Western Europe. Focusing production in Northern France will allow Ecocem to supply ACT to all the concrete players located in the key markets from Paris to London and Amsterdam.
Both companies require significant increased grinding capacity to support their ambitions. The mill is expected to enter into production by mid-2025, with the ambition to reach full capacity by 2030. The joint venture is expected to gradually invest over €60M and produce 600kts of high-quality limestone filler per year by 2030.
This agreement brings together two independent family-owned businesses united in their ambition to accelerate the delivery of low carbon solutions to the cement and construction industries and signals the start of a long-term partnership.
Founder and Managing Director of Ecocem, Donal O’Riain said: “This long-term cooperation agreement with CB Green marks a major milestone in our work to scale ACT, our low carbon cement technology and deliver on our commitment to help the cement industry cost-effectively decarbonise by 50 per cent by 2030. It secures production of fillers and access to high quality limestone and is an important next step to ensuring that our ACT technology can be distributed at scale and start delivering on its potential to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 70%. Technology is no longer the issue, scale and speed are what matters now.
We know that to achieve net zero by 2050 in one of the hardest to abate industries, we must collaborate with like-minded companies who are equally dedicated to decarbonisation, and in CB Green we have that partner. We are looking forward to working together in the next decade to deliver rapid decarbonisation to the cement and construction industries.”
Commenting on this landmark agreement, Gilles Poulain, CEO of Groupe CB continued: “One of our key ambitions as a business is to be a major player in the delivery low carbon solutions, which reduce the environmental impact of the industries in which we and our customers operate. This partnership between CB Green and Ecocem signals a major step forward. We are united in our ambitions to support rapid decarbonisation and scale a range of solutions, including low carbon cements. In Ecocem we have a like-minded partner and I look forward to a long and productive partnership.”
Ecocem’s ACT technology was unveiled in late 2022. A breakthrough cement technology, it 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. The technology will be available to the cement industry under non-exclusive license agreements and partners will also have the possibility to source the necessary fillers from the partnership.
Building materials supplier Cemex, and Ecocem, both European leading-edge companies in lower carbon construction technologies, today announce a new partnership, which will see the two companies work together from June 2023 to test and implement lower carbon solutions in France.
Cemex and Ecocem have a long history of collaboration, with Ecocem supplying Cemex France with raw materials for many years. With this extension of the partnership the two companies will explore opportunities to use lower-carbon cementitious material in concrete production, in line with Cemex’s European aspiration of hitting a 55% reduction in CO2 emissions in its operations by 2030.
Initially, the partnership will trial lower carbon solutions in ten of Cemex’s French readymix production plants, with the ambition to extend in France and potentially the wider region as part of a portfolio of initiatives in the sector. Developing innovative partnerships with key industry players such as Ecocem is an important pillar of Cemex’s dedicated climate action strategy, Future in Action.
Michel Andre, Vice President Materials Western Europe at Cemex and President of Cemex France, commented: “Cemex continues to reinforce its commitment to advancing the sustainability agenda with the announcement of this extended partnership with Ecocem. We know that if we are to achieve our global ambition of operating as a net-zero business by 2050 we must prioritise exploring innovation and new technologies with like-minded companies who share our dedication to leading the industry’s transition to a lower carbon and circular economy.
“The validation of our global goal through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for alignment under their 1.5ºC scenario, the most ambitious pathway defined for the industry, further underlines our commitment to more sustainable operations, products and solutions.”
Founder and Managing Director of Ecocem, Donal O’Riain said, “Cemex has been a key partner for Ecocem since the inception of our business in France. Combining our strengths has huge potential to make considerable progress in supplying lower-carbon cementitious material for use in lower-carbon concrete. We are firmly committed to this partnership starting in France. It is only through working together we will make the progress needed to achieve decarbonisation targets.”
Contact information
For more information or to arrange an interview with an Ecocem spokesperson, contact: [email protected]