Holcim Croatia’s Koromacno plant to produce low carbon cement

Under the European Union's legislative framework, which encourages the decarbonisation of Europe by 2050, investment in a number of technologies to reduce CO2 emissions will need to be encouraged in the next few years. In addition, the Green Plan of the European Union seeks better management according to the hierarchy of waste management, which encourages the use of waste or by-products of an industrial process in the creation and production of a new product. This is made possible by the European standard for cement production, which is also applied in Croatia.

"Currently, our factory in Koromacno has a technological limitation in the dosing of mineral additives, and that is why we have envisaged the improvement of that technology with this project. The new conditions, after we implement this project, will allow us to make greater use of mineral supplements. Otherwise, mineral admixtures in cement have a threefold benefit: on the one hand, different characteristics are created in the cement to meet the requirements of different types of construction. On the other hand, the useful use of already existing resources increases and the use of natural resources decreases. As a result, the third benefit is that in this way the share of clinker in the cement, ie the carbon footprint, is reduced," said Nikola Kovacevic, Director of Holcim's cement factory.

The goal of the project is to increase competitiveness while reducing CO emissions, lower electricity consumption and lower dust emissions. During the Holcim project, a closed storage of mineral additives and a new transport system for their dosing should be built, and the production of two new types of low-carbon cement should begin.

The entire project is worth around HRK 9.6 million, of which 35% or around HRK 3.3 million will be supported by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014 – 2021, within the Business Development and Innovation Croatia Programme, provided that Holcim proves that the entire project led according to the rules of that financial mechanism. The project starts on 01 October this year, and will end on 31 July 2023.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/01102021/holcim-croatias-koromano-plant-to-produce-low-carbon-cement/