LafargeHolcim US plants transition to low-carbon Portland Limestone Cement

“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% finely ground high-quality limestone, resulting in a 10% 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 t 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 t 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% 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 t each year, which is equivalent to taking over 70 000 cars off roadways for an entire year. In 2021, LafargeHolcim sold over 2 million t of OneCem, resulting in a CO₂ reduction of 100 000 metric t.