• SIGNIFICANT CARBON REDUCTION OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE CLIMATE ACTION BILL (ECOCEM

Significant carbon reduction objectives have been incorporated into the Climate Action Bill

Significant carbon reduction objectives have been incorporated into the Climate Action Bill which has been recently enacted into legislation. This will demand a significant re-think of our approach to construction. We will be required to actively seek new low carbon solutions, technologies and materials in order to meet legislatively set reduction targets in the built environment sector.

Founded in 2003, Ecocem is an Irish owned company and Europeʼs largest independent producer of Ground Granulated Blastfurnace Slag (GGBS). GGBS is a recycled by-product of the steel industry that contributes to the circular economy by replacing up to 70% of the cement required in concrete. With production facilities in Ireland, France, and Holland, and import terminals in Sweden and the UK, Ecocem has been leading the way with regards to the adoption of cement replacements and the production of low carbon cements. This includes ready mix concrete, traditional blocks, precast concrete, mortars, and soil stabilisation.

Ecocem GGBS carries its own Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), an independently verified and registered document that communicates comparable information about the life-cycle environmental impact of products. With a CO2 value of 32kgs per tonne compared to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) at 802kgs per tonne, Ecocem GGBS has been shown to significantly reduce the embodied carbon of concrete while delivering numerous technical benefits. GGBS increases strength, durability, and the chemical resistance of concrete, to name but a few and can be utilised across all traditional cement applications.

“When Ecocem GGBS is used at high cement replacement rates, the savings are notable (up to 67% in some applications) and as cement accounts for around 90% of the embodied carbon of concrete, it is clear why many specifiers have already switched and are demanding the change”, adds Susan McGarry, Managing Director of Ecocem Ireland.

The introduction of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) will provide transparency enabling a clear assessment of all products and materials used in construction. The LCA is the calculation of the total amount of carbon created in the construction of a building based on the carbon sum of the individual components and will be an integral part of planning applications when considering new buildings.

We have now entered a new world of low carbon building and living, and the changes required are urgent and immediate and are part of Irelandʼs commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050. Through the Climate Action plan and county development plans, the embodied carbon of materials will need to be addressed and Ecocem has a major role to play in achieving carbon reduction in the built environment.

The Ecocem Ireland technical team are available to discuss improving your mix designs and overall carbon reduction through the specification of Ecocem GGBS on your next project. Talk to our technical team today about specifying Ecocem GGBS,

For more information, please contact Don Davern, 086 2509015, email ddavern@ecocem.ie or visit the Ecocem website www.ecocem.ie.