Climate Protection

Irish Cement recognises that climate change is a major global challenge and is committed to playing its part by implementing practical improvements in its manufacturing processes and products.

In the cement manufacturing process, approximately 60% of the CO2 arises from the high temperature chemical de-carbonation of the limestone raw material, with the remaining 40% resulting from fuel combustion. To ensure that all practical CO2 reduction opportunities are identified and addressed, a carbon reduction strategy has been developed which is based on investing in significant process changes based on three sustainable initiatives:

The actions taken at each of our operating locations to achieve our goals are summarised in the Investing in Our Future strategy booklets for Platin Works and Limerick Works.

To ensure that these carbon improvement initiatives deliver real results, Irish Cement has taken a proactive stance by targeting a 15% reduction on 1990 levels in specific carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2015. This Sustainability Target in the area of Climate Protection allows us to focus on making every tonne of Irish cement more eco-efficient even in times of market demand variability.

Our current performance against the 2015 target is shown in the graph below. The baseline year (1990) is represented by 0% on the graph and the target is to be -15% by 2015 thereby achieving our goal to make every tonne of Irish cement more eco-efficient.

With the successful introduction to the market of CEM II Eco-efficient cement products, ongoing specific energy improvements within both facilities, and the commencement in 2011 of the substitution of our current fossil fuels with permitted Alternative Fuels we have achieved in 2011 a -14% level of specific CO2 reduction; just short of our -15% target for 2015.

During 2012 we will ramp-up the substitution of our permitted Alternative Fuels usage thereby providing further CO2 improvements towards our goal.

As a participating company in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, Irish Cement rigourously measures its process and fuel related CO2 emissions using EPA approved monitoring and reporting procedures. On an annual basis, the CO2 emissions for each facility are audited and verified by the National Standards Authority of Ireland and reported to the EPA.

More details on CEM II, Alternative Fuels and Energy Efficiency are available on the weblinks on the left hand side of this page.