Dublin, 18 May 2026: The consortium of Cairn, UCD, Kilsaran, and Ecocem has secured €50,000 in funding from Construct Innovate, Ireland’s national Construction Technology Centre, to validate an innovative low-carbon cement capable of significantly cutting Ireland’s CO2 emissions from the construction sector.
From Left to Right: Keith Goodwin (Kilsaran), Daniel McCrumm (UCD & Construct Innovate), Thomas Lowry (Cairn), John Reddy (Ecocem), Mehran Kahn (UCD)
The project, titled “Evidence and Demonstration for the Adoption of New Low-Carbon Cement Technologies in the Irish Market,” will validate Ecocem’s new ACT technology, which contains up to 70% less CO2 than traditional cement. Cement is responsible for about 8% of CO2 emissions globally and this initiative represents a significant step toward cutting Ireland’s emissions rapidly and cost-effectively.
The project involves a full-scale demonstration project using ACT technology, alongside an independent technical assessment at UCD. The demonstrator will showcase an ultra-low carbon binder in an Irish context at scale for the first time. The outcomes will provide Cairn with proof of buildability and carbon reduction, Ecocem with validation of ACT technology, and Kilsaran with a new low-carbon product stream—helping to position Ireland as a leader in sustainable construction.
ACT is Ecocem’s breakthrough low-carbon cement technology developed from over more than a decade of research, with demonstrated CO₂ reductions of up to 70%, on a globally scalable basis, compared to traditional cements. The Company is currently constructing the first production line for ACT at its new €50 million facility in Dunkirk, France planned to begin commercial operation in late 2026. This is part of a wider €220 million investment programme to significantly expand the Company’s low-carbon cement production facilities by 2030.
Commenting on the funding, Keith Goodwin, Associate Director at Kilsaran said: “This project represents an exciting time in the Irish Construction industry. While there are a variety of low carbon concrete technologies in various stages of development, the introduction of ACT technology on the ground in Ireland in the short term is a significant progression towards the carbon reduction goals of the sector.”
John Reddy, Director of Concrete Technology Deployment at Ecocem said: “ACT has the potential to be a true game changer for the Irish construction market; delivering up to 70% lower CO₂ emissions compared to traditional cement, without compromising on performance or cost.
Having already been successfully deployed in markets such as the UK and France, we are delighted to bring this innovation to Ireland and to see it independently validated in a real-world setting. This milestone reinforces our confidence in ACT as a scalable solution to support a rapid and cost-effective transition to low-carbon construction.”
Thomas Lowry, Senior Technical Manager at Cairn said: “Low carbon, scalable cement replacements are a vital piece of the decarbonisation journey that every stakeholder involved in the Built Environment must embark on, and embrace. At Cairn, we’re always looking at sustainable innovations and so, are delighted to be part of this industry-leading group further investigating the viability and potential of ACT. This research further strengthens our pipeline of Carbon reduction initiatives under review – initiatives that are essential for us to meet our Sustainability goals to 2030 and beyond.”
Cairn – Ireland’s leading residential construction company, committed to sustainable building and modern methods of construction.
UCD – Principal scientific partner, providing research expertise in material durability and performance testing.
Ecocem – Europe’s leading provider of low-carbon cement technologies, providing innovative solutions for reducing embodied carbon in cement.
Kilsaran – Ireland’s leading independent manufacturer of construction materials, supporting innovation in sustainable concrete solutions.
Construct Innovate – Ireland’s national Construction Technology Centre, coordinated by University of Galway and supported by Enterprise Ireland.
Ends
Ecocem is a pioneer of high-performance technology that cuts CO₂ emissions in the cement and construction industries. Its low-carbon cement technology, ACT, can reduce the global carbon footprint of traditional cement production by more than half.
For 25 years, Ecocem has developed and supplied low-carbon cement solutions across Europe. It operates from two plants in France, as well as sites in the Netherlands and Ireland, producing over two million tonnes of low-carbon cement each year.
Ecocem’s technology has supported major infrastructure projects including Le Grand Paris Express, Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, the Paris 2024 Athletes’ Village, and the UK’s HS2. To date, it has helped avoid 18 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions, equivalent to the annual absorption of over 800 million trees.
Investors include Saint-Gobain Group, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and ArcelorMittal. In 2025, Ecocem announced more than €220 million of investment in new production capacity and R&I facilities to accelerate the commercialisation of ACT and support its Beyond Clinker strategy.
This includes €50 million for its first production facility at Dunkirk, increasing ACT capacity to over 1 million tonnes per year by 2026, and €170 million to build four new production lines in France.
An independent company with a world-class innovation centre, Ecocem technology and services can help the cement sector cut emissions by 50% by 2030 and build a more sustainable future.
Ecocem welcomed the EU Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth – Wopke Hoekstra to its flagship production facility in Dunkirk, France.
Following ASTM C1157 certification, screening life cycle assessment validates Ecocem’s pathway to delivering high-performance, low-carbon cement at scale in the U.S. market.
