Reducing CO₂ emissions has been a top priority at Heidelberg materials for decades by applying a combination of measures. The company continuously invests in its plants to improve their performance, in order to reduce the overall heat content needed to burn clinker which has positive impact on our CO₂ emissions.
- By using an extensive amount of alternative fuels, Heidelberg Materials reduces fossil fuels (and CO₂) in the combustion.
- Furthermore, the company limits the clinker content in its cements by inter-grinding alternative raw materials such as slag, fly ash or limestone in its cement mixes, thus further reducing the CO₂ emissions per ton of cement.
Thanks to these “conventional” measures Heidleberg Materials is already reaching the lowest levels of CO₂ emissions per ton of cement globally.
In order to further reduce the CO₂ footprint of its cements, the group is now planning to use carbon capture technology, which will ultimately lead it to achieve a net zero CO₂ cement.
Heidelberg Materials Benelux and its Antoing plant: the best in class
Heidelberg Materials Benelux's sustainability efforts are such that the results it is currently recording are already below the targets the Group wants to achieve by 2030. Cement plants in the Benelux countries already use 70% alternative materials in their kilns, including 40% biomass. The percentage of clinker in the cement mix is another achievement they can be proud of. They have succeeded in reducing this rate to 55%.
Currently, these outcomes significantly exceed the cement industry norm.
