Cem'In'EU's Rhône cement plant, in Portes-lès-Valence, has launched FusioVrac cement with a CO2 footprint 18 per cent less than conventional cement.
FusioVrac is a low-carbon cement that contains less clinker, which is partly replaced by pozzolan, a natural substitute from volcanic rocks in the nearby region.
The new cement offers "the same performance, respecting the same standards as the other products currently on the market," indicates Fabien Charbonnel, general manager of Cem'In'Eu. The company has invested EUR1.6m in investment on the Portes-lès-Valence site, for scientific research to develop the right recipe and to purchase manufacturing equipment.
FusioVrac will be produced in bulk, which currently represents almost 80 per cent of cement consumption in France. One of Rhône Ciments' customers, 3 Bétons, a company specialising in concrete with a low ecological footprint, has already tested FusioVrac and validated its performance. For the director, Emmanuel Garcia, the demand for this type of cement will increase, because measuring its carbon footprint will now be in the law. “Gradually we will switch to building permits which will have to respect the RE2020, new regulations, so this product will be sought after,” he said.
Incidentally, the production of Fusiovrac will gradually increase at Rhône Ciments: 15,000t will be produced in 2023, then 45,000t in 2024 (from an overall cement production of around 240,000t). Therefore, the site will be recruiting: "Currently we have 26 employees, we will be at 33 when the factory is at full production capacity," indicates Magalie Laurenço, director of the site.
