Green energy

Prioritizing ECOFuels

Part of our commitment to green operations is prioritizing green energy. At Holcim, we power our plants with ECOFuels using materials at the end of their lifecycle, from biomass to municipal waste. We strive to use renewable energy where possible, such as solar, hydro and wind power.

Reinventing energy storage

In collaboration with our partners INSA Lyon and ENGIE, Holcim is developing a breakthrough energy storage technology made of local, safe, affordable and recyclable materials. Designed as an alternative to batteries, the solution uses cement hydration to store heat as energy and release it when needed in an infinitely repeatable cycle.

Green energy across our operations

At Holcim, we are working to increase the share of green energy across all aspects of our business. This is part of our goal to reduce our scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.

We are harnessing wind power in our plants. In the US, at our Paulding plant we have installed three wind turbines to supply clean wind power to meet electricity needs. This eliminates the equivalent of 9,000 metric tons of CO₂ per year, and is just one of our plants using renewable energy sources.

Our plant in Retznei, Austria is leading the way in alternative fuels. Using a technique called co-processing, we recover energy and recycle minerals from waste treatment during the manufacturing of cement. This means no traditional fuels are used to heat the kiln, leading to negative fuel costs and an increased thermal substitution rate.

We also have waste heat recovery programs in place designed to use excess heat from cement kilns to generate electricity. We currently operate eight waste heat recovery units in four countries, with a clear plan to triple the number by 2030.

Climate actions

Our goal is to become a net-zero company. To achieve this, we partnered with the SBTi to develop the first science-based framework aligned with the 1.5°C degree scenario for our industry.

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