Ozinga breaks ground on North America's largest low-carbon cement mill

Strategically located with direct access to rail, truck, and water (via the Great Lakes and the inland waterways of the US), the facility will serve customers across the United States and Canada, reinforcing Ozinga's commitment to sustainable infrastructure, supply chain resilience, and American manufacturing.

"Ozinga has always believed that true innovation isn't just about progress, it's about purpose," said Marty Ozinga, CEO of Ozinga. "This facility is more than a plant. It's a commitment to the future of American manufacturing, to sustainable building, and to strengthening American communities for generations to come."

Investing in communities and American manufacturing

The East Chicago facility and its related operations are projected to create approximately 150 construction and long-term full-time jobs, fuelling regional economic growth. Operations are expected to begin in 2026.

"This is the kind of investment that strengthens communities and provides real opportunity for local families," said Anthony Copeland, Mayor of East Chicago.

With over 2500 employees nationwide, Ozinga continues to prioritise sustainability, community development, and innovation. The East Chicago facility marks a major milestone in Ozinga's mission to deliver net zero concrete by 2030.

Reducing emissions, strengthening supply chains

Concrete is the backbone of modern infrastructure essential to homes, schools, hospitals, roads, and bridges. Yet traditional Portland cement, its core ingredient, accounts for nearly 7% of global CO2 emissions. In 2024, the United States imported nearly 30 million t of cement, leaving infrastructure projects vulnerable to supply chain instability and trade volatility.

Ozinga's East Chicago facility directly addresses this challenge. By producing domestic low-carbon cements, it will reduce dependence on imports and dramatically lower embodied carbon in construction materials, supporting both environmental goals and economic resilience.

Powered by North America's largest low-carbon vertical roller mill

At the heart of the facility is the MVR5300-C6 vertical roller mill from Gebr. Pfeiffer, the largest of its kind in North America. With six independent rollers and unmatched throughput capacity, the mill maximises energy efficiency while minimising carbon emissions.

"This isn't just a plant – it's a technological milestone," said Timothy Burden, President of Gebr. Pfeiffer Americas. "The MVR5300-C6 sets a new benchmark for sustainable cement production."

The facility will produce ASTM C989-compliant low-carbon slag cement, as well as proprietary blends under Ozinga's CarbonSense™ brand, meeting ASTM C1157 performance standards and delivering up to 80% reductions in embodied carbon. Once fully operational, the plant is projected to offset more than 700 000 tpy of CO2 emissions, a significant reduction in the carbon footprint of US construction.

Driving innovation through collaboration

Ozinga's leadership in sustainable building materials has been strengthened by partnerships with Meta, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and other industry leaders. These collaborations have yielded AI-optimised low-carbon concrete, used in Meta's DeKalb, IL data centre, and enabled a 64% reduction in embodied carbon at the award-winning Amazon Web Services New Carlisle, IN data centre, setting a new industry benchmark.

The new East Chicago facility is a timely response to the growing demand for low-carbon concrete in data centre construction and other mission-critical infrastructure projects across North America.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/the-americas/13062025/ozinga-breaks-ground-on-north-americas-largest-low-carbon-cement-mill/