Transportation

Irish Cement employs the use of transportation in three main areas of our business activities:

1. Supply of externally sourced raw materials.
2. Supply of fuels for use in the cement kilns.
3. Delivery of our products to our customers.

In each of these areas, Irish Cement seeks to minimise the social and environmental impacts of transport under our direct control. To this end we have established objectives for improving our performance in each of these areas:

Raw Materials Supply:

The cement manufacturing process requires a mixture of elements and minerals to ensure that the cement products perform to the expected standards of our customers in their end-use applications. To achieve this mixture, some off-site raw materials are required which in some cases are only available from long distances. Irish Cement seeks to maximise the percentage of raw materials sourced on-site or in close proximity to our operating locations resulting in a reduction in the amount of long distance off-site transportation of raw materials.

However, this objective of on-site raw material maximisation must be balanced against the benefits of using externally sourced Alternative Raw Materials where these are available. Alternative raw materials are often by-products from other industries which compliment cement product quality and optimise circularity.  There is a considerable circularity benefit in diverting alternative raw materials away from landfill while also displacing a portion of our local natural resources. In addition to this, our cement factories employ waste management strategies to optimise material consumption and circularity.  For example in Limerick Works, Pulverised Fly Ash (PFA) has been sourced from ESB Moneypoint power station in Co. Clare and has been used to substitute for quarried shale rock in the cement process.

Kiln Fuel Supply:

The traditional fossil fuel supplies for cement kilns are coal and petcoke which have been historically sourced overseas and require long distance transportation. In recent years, Irish Cement has been replacing fossil fuels with Alternative Fuels. The benefits include a reduction in green house gases, improved circularity and a reduction in fossil-fuel based transport.

Product Delivery to Customers:

Approximately 30% of the cement supplied to our customers is delivered by Irish Cement contracted transportation with the remainder being collected by our customers at our facilities in Platin and Limerick. As Irish Cement is committed to best practice in all aspects of our operations, a code of practice for haulers and drivers has been developed for our transportation contractors in association with other CRH companies in Ireland. This code of practice has been developed in recognition of the role that contracted transportation plays in ensuring a safe and efficient transport operation on company locations, customer sites and on the public roads.

Targets:

Targets for the reduction of environmental and social impacts associated with the transport of materials, goods and people involved in its operations are monitored using the following key parameters:

1. Where appropriate, maximising the percentage of on-site raw materials whilst maintaining appropriate product quality standards
2. Use of Alternative Raw Materials where available, to optimise circularity through optimising resource use and minimising waste
3. Use of Alternative Fuels to displace fossil fuels which are sourced overseas
4. Sustainable transportation and mobile equipment upgrades
5. Regular auditing of contracted transport suppliers for compliance with Irish Cement standards

Enabling Initiatives:

1. Highest levels of quality control so as to reduce the requirements for externally sourced raw materials
2. Investment in Alternative Fuels technology to maximise the substitution of fossil fuels with sustainable fuel sources
3. Auditing and verifying compliance of contracted transportation suppliers

Performance:

Limerick Works:

• In 2024 8.2% Alternative raw materials were used in the manufacture of cement clinker.
• This consisted primarily of Clay Overburden from the Limestone quarry.

Platin Works:

• In 2024 16.5% Alternative raw materials were used in the manufacture of cement clinker.
• This consisted of Clay Overburden from the Limestone quarry.