Ecocem, Europe’s leading independent provider of low carbon cement technology solutions for the cement and construction industries, has partnered with the UK’s largest and busiest airport to trial the applicability of novel lower carbon concretes at the airport, aiming to reduce embodied carbon compared to conventional mixes. In 2019, Heathrow
Ecocem, Europe’s leading provider of low carbon solutions for the cement and construction industries, and Taylor Woodrow, a leading player in the delivery of complex UK infrastructure projects, have conducted their first pour of Exegy® ultra-low carbon concrete in the UK. Developed over four years by Ecocem and VINCI Construction,
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Ecocem, Europe’s leading independent provider of low carbon cement technology solutions for the cement and construction industries, has partnered with the UK’s largest and busiest airport to trial the applicability of novel lower carbon concretes at the airport, aiming to reduce embodied carbon compared to conventional mixes. In 2019, Heathrow commissioned the Building Research Establishment[1] to review construction materials to reduce emissions and as such Ecocem and global building materials supplier Cemex were selected as viable partners to supply a lower-carbon binder. Initially two low carbon solutions will be tested: a Pavement Quality Concrete (PQC) equivalent mix containing 50% Ecocem GGBS, and Ecocem Ultra – a lower carbon binder. Following extensive laboratory testing of the resulting concrete, led by Cemex, this week the partners conducted the first on site trial pour under the watch tower. This is part of a phased process to test its strength and durability in the field. Ecocem Ultra will be assessed for use in main airport areas, groundworks and auxiliary purposes with a common goal of both companies to provide viability of low carbon products for everyday concrete applications. Combined, the cement industry (6%) and the aviation industry (2%) produce 8% of the world’s total carbon dioxide emissions. With this project Ecocem, Heathrow and Cemex, aim to demonstrate the viability of low carbon products, and tangibly reduce carbon emissions from construction at airports. In order to reach its net zero aviation by targets by 2050, Heathrow is looking to cut at least 45% of on the ground carbon emissions by 2030. Working with Ecocem and Cemex on this project enables Heathrow to continue to lead the charge in advocacy and change on reducing carbon emissions in the aviation sector. Demonstrating that its products and technologies can be applied to large scale infrastructure projects isn’t new to Ecocem. At present it is providing low carbon binder for use in concrete on the HS2 project in the UK and for the Metro extension project in Paris, connecting the city to its neighbouring areas. Mark Till, UK National Sales Manager at Ecocem said: “Our technical solutions have long helped large scale infrastructure projects to reduce carbon emissions across Europe. Having the opportunity to partner with Heathrow airport on a project with huge potential in the UK and for the aviation sector, is a testament to the innovation of our products and team. We look forward to working with Heathrow and our other partners on these important trials.” Nigel Milton, Chief of Staff and Carbon at Heathrow said: “Heathrow is once again serving as a testbed for ground-breaking technologies, demonstrating global leadership with regards to sustainable travel. We’re committed to cutting carbon emissions on the ground as well as in the air and we’re delighted to be hosting one of the first airport trials in the world to test lower carbon alternatives. I hope that this trial will help radically transform the built environment at Heathrow in the years to come.” Richard Kershaw, Technical Manager at Cemex said: “Cemex is renowned across the construction industry for its commitment to providing customers with more sustainable concrete solutions. We were the first supplier in the UK to launch a net-zero concrete product, making us ideally situated to support Heathrow with their low carbon concrete trial. We hope this trial will prove successful and demonstrate to the aviation sector the opportunities available to cut emissions during their development projects.”
Ecocem, Europe’s leading provider of low carbon solutions for the cement and construction industries, and Taylor Woodrow, a leading player in the delivery of complex UK infrastructure projects, have conducted their first pour of Exegy® ultra-low carbon concrete in the UK. Developed over four years by Ecocem and VINCI Construction, a world leader in buildings, civil works and infrastructure, the technology – Ecocem Ultra – forms part of VINCI Construction’s Exegy® ultra-low carbon concrete range, and is already being used on a pilot site of the Grand Paris Express and in the construction of the Athletes’ Village in Paris for summer 2024. Significantly reducing the CO2 footprint of any project on which it is used, Ecocem Ultra provides an alternative to the traditional cement manufacturing process. The pour took place on EcoPark South, the first phase in North London Waste Authority’s plans to create a £1.2 billion sustainable waste management hub and Energy Recovery Facility at the existing Edmonton EcoPark. The mix used on the project reduces the carbon footprint by up to 70 per cent when compared to traditional concrete. Taylor Woodrow is building a new flagship Resource Recovery Facility, public Reuse and Recycling Centre, temporary bulky waste facility and new visitor, community, and education facility as part of the project. Ecocem has always been a first mover. For more than 20 years, the company has led the development of technology that reduces the carbon footprint of the traditional cement manufacturing process by half. Its pipeline of technology continues to be industry leading, and the company was recently backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a coalition of private investors led by Bill Gates, supporting innovations that will lead the world to net zero emissions. VINCI Construction launched the global Exegy® brand in 2020 to position itself as a pioneer in the development, use, and deployment of low carbon concrete solutions worldwide. VINCI Construction has developed, jointly with Ecocem, the Exegy® ultra-low carbon concrete solutions, bringing its construction know-how and innovative mindset to support the Ecocem Ultra’s European Technical Evaluation granted on October 2021. Exegy® and Ecocem rely on a network of partner plants, such as the global building materials supplier, CEMEX, which produced the Exegy® Ultra-Low Carbon concrete for the pour. Micheál McKittrick, Managing Director, Northern Europe, Ecocem, said: “Our Ecocem Ultra technology is already being used at scale in France, and we’re excited to now see it being adopted in the UK. “The cement and construction industries are developing and deploying a range of emission reduction technologies to help the UK Government reduce emissions by 78 per cent by 2035, and reach net zero by 2050, and Ecocem will add a further dimension to these efforts.” Nerissa Patel and Alex Mitchell, Project Managers for Taylor Woodrow, said: “We are proud to have led the first use of Exegy® ultra-low carbon concrete in the UK. Ultra-low carbon concrete is a key factor in our journey towards carbon neutrality and this marks an exciting step towards achieving it.” Steve Crompton, Director of Quality and Product Technology for Materials West Europe, CEMEX, said: “CEMEX is committed to reducing the embodied carbon in our range of cementitious products and we have ambitious targets to lower CO2 levels in concrete, including a global commitment to produce net zero concrete for all our customers by 2050. “We have been working with VINCI and Ecocem in France to investigate how alternative cement technologies can accelerate the reduction in CO2 in readymix concrete and are delighted to be involved with the project at Edmonton EcoPark to demonstrate how this new technology can contribute to ultra-low carbon emissions in concrete.”
