LafargeHolcim secures contract for low-CO2 cement

A joint venture of LafargeHolcim and Solidia Technologies has secured its first commercial deal in the US for the supply of a reduced-CO2 cement that it has been developing for six years.

The team will supply EP Henry’s paver and block plant in Wrightstown, New Jersey, with the material. The two companies have developed a technology designed to reduce the environmental footprint of precast concrete and validate the product, Solidia Cement, at a commercial scale.

In 2013, the companies launched a pilot programme to develop low-carbon precast concrete pavers with EP Henry, a concrete products manufacturer. The material is based on Solidia Cement produced at the Lafarge Whitehall plant. A proprietary concrete mix design and a specialised curing process utilizing CO2 have enabled the two companies to develop a concrete that is claimed to be stronger, more durable, and higher performing than traditional versions.

“LafargeHolcim has long been committed to bringing innovative solutions to market, and this commercial agreement with EP Henry is an important step in showing that reducing our CO2 footprint through carbon captured products is feasible,” said Jamie Gentoso, LafargeHolcim’s CEO for US cement. “It has been incredibly rewarding to see how together, we have collaborated to move this technology from the experimental phase and into the US market as a viable product.”

Solidia president and CEO Tom Schuler added: “By offering their technical expertise and market intelligence, LafargeHolcim helped us eliminate barriers to adoption, leading us to this first commercial traction in the US, to expand our range of offerings, making sustainability business as usual across the global US$1 trillion concrete and US$300 billion cement markets.”

Solidia has developed a new binder made from raw materials similar to those in Portland cement and produced in a traditional rotary kiln. Solidia is produced at lower temperatures and through a different chemical reaction that generates less CO2. The Solidia Cement product is then used in the manufacture of precast concrete, where it hardens through the addition and absorption of CO2 (carbonation) in a patented curing process that reduces the overall carbon footprint by up to 70%.