Sustainability Progress Spotlight: Ash Grove South’s Total Shift to Lower-Carbon Cement

By Monica Manolas ?

Region President, Ash Grove South, Suwannee American Cement Company?

PCA Board of Directors?

In October 2021, the Portland Cement Association launched its Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality. One year later, Ash Grove South announced a 100% shift of all production of Type I/II cement to production of portland-limestone cement Type IL (13) cement in support of this initiative. This switch is essential to supporting the industry in meeting its commitment to achieving carbon neutrality.?

Portland-limestone cement is a more sustainable, lower-carbon cement that reduces CO2 emissions by up to 10%. This material has been used globally for more than 20 years and is recognized by state DOTs, AASHTO, FWHA, FAA, ASTM, and ACI regulatory agencies and is equivalent to ordinary Portland cement in performance. Type IL can replace Type I/II on a 1:1 basis without jeopardizing strength or consistency. Ash Grove South’s switch has a yearly carbon impact that is equivalent to:?

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• the carbon sequestered by 182,511 acres of U.S. forests in one year.?
• CO2 emissions from 30,008 homes’ electricity use for one year.?
• greenhouse gas emissions from 33,230 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles for one year.?

Ash Grove, a CRH Company, is the second largest cement supplier in the state of Florida with two world-class cement plants, located in Sumterville and Branford, as well as an import facility in Port Manatee. The Sumterville plant was innovatively designed in 2006 to be cost-efficient and able to produce up to 1.2 million short tons of cement per year, which is distributed throughout Florida.??

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The Branford plant has been manufacturing high-quality cement for the Florida and southern Georgia construction market since 2003. Ash Grove is recognized as an industry leader in producing high-quality cement, adopting sustainable practices, and reducing the environmental impact of the cement production process.??

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Our achievement in lowering the carbon footprint of all our products begins and ends with our customers. We are truly grateful for all they have done to make this Type IL conversion a great success. The feedback and collaboration of our customers to make a more sustainable product has enabled us to reach this important milestone. We hope to continue the journey together to deliver strong and lasting sustainable solutions for our customers and their customers.?

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