Materials
Ecocem Verifies 60% Embodied Carbon Reduction for ACT Product via ASTM Certification
Structural concrete product replaces clinker in cement with supplementary cementitious materialas
Ecocem's ACT product was recently used on a Wembley Park building project in London. Officials said it helped educe embodied carbon dioxide on the project by 70%
In late October, Ecocem, an Ireland-based provider of low-carbon cement technologies announced the completion of a screening life-cycle assessment (LCA) that validated its advanced cement technology (ACT) product is able to reduce up to 60% of total CO2 emissions associated with cement manufacturing, when compared to Portland limestone cement.
Ecocem’s ACT low-carbon cement technology reduces CO2 from cement manufacturing by replacing the creation of clinker for cement with use of supplementary cementitious materials while delivering the necessary strength, durability and workability required in any concrete it is used to manufacture. ASTM C1157 certified means it can be used in concrete in high-rise construction, bridges and other uses in the U.S. where high-strength concrete is necessary.
"This certification is more than a technical achievement. It is a signal to the U.S. market that we’re ready to deliver a scalable decarbonization technology,” said Steve Bryan, managing director, Ecocem Americas, which is based in Houston. “ASTM C1157 validates that our ACT technology performs to the highest standards, allowing it to integrate easily into existing supply chains and offer a powerful pathway for the U.S. to decarbonize the cement and concrete industrial sector."
The ASTM C1157 screening LCA for ACT was conducted by Climate Earth, a provider of digital Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and business intelligence tools for the concrete industry, and in conformity with recognized industry methodologies and standards to support the credibility and comparability of the results. Specifically, the screening LCA found Ecocem’s ACT technology achieved an embodied carbon of 345 kgCO2e/metric ton, representing up to a 60% reduction compared to the Portland Cement Association's industry average of 844 kgCO2e/metric ton for Portland limestone cement.
ACT reduces cement emissions by cutting clinker content by up to 70% and replacing it with abundantly available materials, such as locally sourced supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). Clinker is the key reactive component in cement, but it is responsible for over 90% of its carbon dioxide emissions. By optimizing the interaction and performance of SCMs and engineered mineral admixtures, ACT lowers clinker content and also enables more efficient use of SCMs.
Ecocem's first production facility opened in Ireland in 2002 and is focused on using ground-granulated blast furnace slag from electric arc furnace steel production as a replacement for clinker but developed ACT in 2018 as an alternative to even that process. Investors in Ecocem's technology include the global steelmaker ArcelorMittal and multinational concrete supplier Saint Gobain.
"The first several years were making GGBFs, slag-based products, and it's the seven years or so that we expanded into more of a concrete technology company, but we've had salesmen in the field and low carbon cements out there for 25 years, so we're very familiar with what's required by commercial and industrial customers," Bryan said.
ACT was recently used in a building project in London's Wembley Park, reducing embodied carbon by 70% on the overall project. Ecocem has also moved forward with its first North American project, a proposed Terminal and Milling Operation at the Port of Los Angeles. It is still in the early stages of planning and review.
