CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In support of worldwide commitments to advance the use of low-carbon building materials, LafargeHolcim in the US has announced that its Ste. Genevieve and Alpena cement plants, located in Bloomsdale, Missouri, and Alpena, Michigan, have transitioned to OneCem® Portland limestone cement (PLC) production. The facilities’ transition to OneCem® PLC—a lower CO2-intensive product—follows the successful transition of the company’s cement plant in Midlothian, Texas last year.
“As demands on the industry to reduce its carbon footprint intensify, we find ourselves with an unparalleled opportunity to build a more sustainable future,” said Patrick Cleary, senior vice president of sales, LafargeHolcim US Cement. “The materials used in building need to have the lowest embodied carbon possible without sacrificing performance—and this is where our low-carbon OneCem can make an immediate impact in helping customers achieve their sustainable construction goals.”
A high-performance blended cement, OneCem has been rigorously tested and proven to serve as an effective alternative for ordinary Portland cement. The engineered material is manufactured with 10 percent finely ground high-quality limestone, resulting in a 10 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of Portland cement. The performance of OneCem allows it to be used in virtually any cement-based application from residential construction to large-scale infrastructure projects.
The Holcim Ste. Genevieve plant in Missouri—the largest cement-producing facility in North America and one of the most technologically advanced and environmentally efficient cement plants in the world—operates the largest single-kiln line in the Americas with a capacity to produce 4.5 million metric tons of cement annually for markets throughout the Mississippi River Basin. The Lafarge Alpena plant in Michigan—one of the longest-operating cement-production facilities in North America—has the capacity to produce 2.4 metric million tons of cement annually for markets throughout the Great Lakes, the US Upper Midwest and Ontario, Canada.
“LafargeHolcim is fully engaged in making carbon reduction an urgent priority and 100 percent dedicated to leading the market transformation needed for climate stability,” said Michael Nixon, Vice President, Manufacturing North at LafargeHolcim US Cement. “To achieve net-zero commitments by midcentury, we must start now in accelerating the adoption of low-carbon building solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change.”
By converting their operations to the low-carbon OneCem product, the Ste. Genevieve and Alpena cement plants will collectively reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 300,000 metric tons each year, which is equivalent to taking over 70,000 cars off our nation’s roadways for an entire year. In 2021, LafargeHolcim sold over 2 million tons of OneCem, resulting in a CO2 reduction of 100,000 metric tons.
About LafargeHolcim
In the United States, LafargeHolcim, part of the Holcim Group, includes close to 350 sites in 43 states and employs 7,000 people. Our customers rely on us to help them design and build better communities with innovative solutions that deliver structural integrity and eco-efficiency.
Holcim builds progress for people and the planet. As a global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions, Holcim is enabling greener cities, smarter infrastructure and improving living standards around the world. With sustainability at the core of its strategy Holcim is becoming a net zero company, with its people and communities at the heart of its success. The company is driving the circular economy as a world leader in recycling to build more with less. Holcim is the company behind some of the world’s most trusted brands in the building sector including ACC, Aggregate Industries, Ambuja Cement, Disensa, Firestone Building Products, Geocycle, Holcim and Lafarge. Holcim is 70,000 people around the world who are passionate about building progress for people and the planet through four business segments: Cement, Ready-Mix Concrete, Aggregates and Solutions & Products.