Sustainability Progress Spotlight: Roanoke Cement Company Diverts Waste and Reduces Energy Consumption to Advance Clean Manufacturing?

Cement is a vital part of the built environment, and the U.S. cement industry is working to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. To support this crucial goal, companies like Roanoke Cement Co., a Titan America Company, are making carbon-reduction progress across clean manufacturing practices. Between 2016 and 2021, the company reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 7.5%, cut energy demand by 12%, and diverted nearly 95% of its solid waste from landfills.??

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To minimize its carbon footprint and impact on the environment, Roanoke Cement Company (RCC) has worked to prioritize energy savings and waste minimization. The company is working to meet the environmental benchmarks developed through the PCA Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality and leveraging partnerships with organizations such as EPA Energy Star, ISO 50001 Energy Management, and Green Business Certifications Inc. (GBCI) True Zero Waste.??

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RCC’s energy-efficiency commitments have earned the company 16 consecutive EPA ENERGY STAR? certifications. Additionally, the Roanoke plant is one of only two cement plants in the country to meet the ISO 50001 Energy Management standard— the other being its sister plant— which requires a rigorous process of developing data-informed energy efficiency policies and targets for continual energy management improvement. These efforts have reduced plant energy demand by 12%, not only improving the plant’s energy efficiency but easing pressure on Virginia’s electrical grid.??

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In addition to high energy savings, RCC is recognized for its waste management practices, earning a Gold Zero Waste standard in GBCI’s Total Resource Use and Efficiency (TRUE) rating system. By recycling on-site waste like kiln dust and pallets, RCC diverts approximately 94.7% of generated solid waste from landfills. RCC is also committed to reducing its carbon footprint throughout the cement production process. The Roanoke plant has completely transitioned from the production of standard portland cement to Type IL portland-limestone cement (PLC), which has a lower carbon footprint than standard cement. Through diligent energy management and conversion to lower-carbon Type IL blends, RCC saw a 7.5% reduction in gross kilograms of CO2 per metric ton of cementitious product.??

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By prioritizing electrical energy savings and greenhouse gas emissions reduction through PLC production, RCC remains dedicated to spearheading sustainability solutions throughout the cement production process. We are exemplifying the commitment needed to address climate change and meet the industry’s goal of carbon neutrality.??

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