Tata Steel IJmuiden (TSIJ) and Ecocem Materials Ltd. (Ecocem) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their collaboration on the development and potential use of two next-generation steelmaking slags in low-carbon cement, mortar, and concrete applications across Europe.
The MoU builds on an existing joint research program and sets out a shared intention to explore new technical, commercial, and regulatory pathways for the valorization of steelmaking slags produced at Tata Steel IJmuiden. Alongside the existing commercial relationship between TSIJ and Ecocem for the valorization of Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GBS) in cement & concrete, this new collaboration focuses on Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) slag as an alternative cementitious material, alongside the continued development of Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) slag as a supplementary cementitious material.
By replacing clinker — the most carbon-intensive ingredient in cement — with alternative materials such as slag, the cement industry can significantly cut CO2 emissions while giving industrial by-products a more valuable and circular use.
The aim of the BOF and EAF slags project is to transform these steel industry by-products into cementitious binders or constituents that can support the decarbonisation of cement and concrete production, while advancing circular economy principles. By developing new pathways for the beneficial use of these materials, the collaboration also aims to increase the availability of low-carbon concrete solutions in the market, providing designers, concrete producers, and contractors with a broader range of sustainable material options.
“This Memorandum of Understanding reflects a shared ambition to support the transition to more sustainable construction materials,” said Pieter Roelofsen, Director Strategy, M&A and Partnerships at Tata Steel Nederland. “By exploring innovative applications of steel slag, a condition for the successful delivery of our Green Steel Project, we aim to contribute to circular value chains while supporting the decarbonization of both the steel and cement industries.”
Olivier Guise, Executive Director of Strategy, Technology and Business Development at Ecocem, added: “This type of collaboration has the potential to be transformative for the global cement industry. Together, we are investigating how two underutilised by-products from steel manufacturing could become next-generation alternative cementitious materials, helping reduce emissions while creating value from materials that would otherwise go unused. This is exactly the kind of cross-industry innovation needed to accelerate the transition to a circular, low carbon economy and reshape the future of sustainable construction.”
The signing of this MoU underscores Tata Steel IJmuiden’s and Ecocem’s shared commitment to innovation, circularity, and the development of low-carbon solutions for the building industry.
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