[12th September 23, Dublin, Ireland] Ecocem, Europe’s leading independent provider of low-carbon cement technologies, today announced its transition to renewable fuel, at its Dublin plant as part of its sustainable action plan. All plant and non-road mobile machinery will switch from diesel to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO). This transition will then roll out across the group, with the company’s plant at Dunkirk coming on stream early in 2024.
HVO is a low-carbon biofuel which when compared to standard diesel, HVO can reduce these emissions by 90%. It works as a direct replacement for conventional diesel without the need for engine modifications. It is a renewable fuel that is typically produced from a variety of vegetable oils and fats that are treated thermo-chemically with hydrogen.
Ecocem’s sustainable action plan sets out ambitious targets to reduce its carbon footprint on its sites across Europe. In Ecocem’s Dublin plant, diesel generates 8% of their scope 1 emissions. Switching to HVO has already enabled a saving of 26.4 tonnes of CO2. In addition to carbon savings, the switch to HVO provides other benefits, it is also proven to work better in colder temperatures (down to -30 degrees Celsius), making it more reliable in the winter months. Unlike conventional biodiesel, hydrogen is used as a catalyst instead of methanol, which makes HVO a cleaner-burning fuel and gives it a shelf life of 10 years. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it can also significantly improve local air quality through the reduction of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) by 29% and particulate matter by 85%. Finally, it requires no additional infrastructural investment as all existing diesel tanks and engines can be used with HVO.
Group Sustainability Manager, Chisom Ekomaru said: “The switch to HVO marks a key milestone for Ecocem. While on our mission to decarbonise the cement industry, we are also focused on reducing our internal footprint. Achieving tangible emissions reductions requires sustained commitment and a range of initiatives, of which this switch to HVO is a significant step forward.”
As the largest builder of residential homes in Ireland, Cairn Homes is also leading the way in reducing carbon emissions. In 2024, the company announced that it was adopting the passive house standard for all new flagship developments as a way of reducing the energy demand of the homes it builds.
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.
