Holcim in the US Announces the Transition of Two Additional Cement Plants to Low-Carbon Portland Limestone Cement

Chicago, Ill. January 12, 2022 – In support of worldwide commitments to advance the use of low-carbon building materials, Holcim 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, Holcim 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 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.

“Holcim 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 Holcim 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, Holcim sold over 2 million tons of OneCem, resulting in a CO2 reduction of 100,000 metric tons.
 

About Holcim

Holcim is the leading global building materials and solutions company. It has four businesses: cement, aggregates and ready-mix concrete as well as advanced solutions and products that include precast concrete, asphalt and mortar. With its broad portfolio Holcim solves the toughest challenges facing masons, builders, architects and engineers, bringing industry-leading innovations and services to customers challenged by urbanization, population growth and the demand for sustainability. Headquartered in Switzerland and with leading positions in all regions, Holcim employs approximately 80,000 employees in around 80 countries and has a portfolio that is equally balanced between developing and mature markets.

In the United States, Holcim companies include close to 350 sites in 43 states and employ 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.
 

Contact
 

Jocelyn Gerst
Holcim US
Jocelyn.Gerst@Holcim.com