Sustainability Spotlight: Giant Cement Company

Giant Cement Company

With the productive use of discarded materials throughout the cement production process, Giant Cement Company and sister company Giant Resource Recovery (GRR!) are addressing excess waste while making significant strides in reducing carbon emissions.

PCA member Giant Cement Company is taking a twofold approach to displacing traditional fossil fuels as the main source of energy for production. The cement manufacturer’s Harleyville, South Carolina, plant is using both lower-emission fuels as well as discarded materials to power its operations. The switch positions the company to meet its carbon-reduction goals earlier than projected.

On the lower-emissions front, Giant replaced coal with natural gas to lighten the environmental impact of cement production. In 2021 alone, the company replaced approximately 25,000 metric tons of coal with natural gas and reduced CO2 emissions by an estimated 26,000 metric tons —the equivalent of powering 3,277 homes for a year.

In addition to natural gas, Giant Resource Recovery (GRR!) provides discarded materials — things that would otherwise end up in landfills or simply incinerated without any corresponding environmental or energy recovery benefit — as an energy source for Giant Cement. This has the triple effect of reducing fossil fuel usage, diverting material from landfills and incineration while conserving existing natural resources.

In mid-2022, The Giant Cement Holding Inc (GCHI) companies successfully completed air emission and operations testing, allowing the plant to operate during short-term periods on 100% alternative fuels. Previously, based on 2021 data, Giant could achieve 46% energy recovery and replacement with alternative fuels over a production cycle within any given year; today, with these short-term periods at 100%, the average annual production cycle will average 70% substitution.

"We are committed to the industry-wide goals set by PCA to reach carbon neutrality, and are doing so by investing in the technology and practices to bring us closer to this goal. We are proud of the projects we have set in place to lower our emissions at Giant. These projects are just the beginning, showing that the industry can meet climate goals and provide examples and insights for other manufacturers."

- Tim Kuebler, President and CEO GCHI- Giant Cement Holding, Inc.

Giant’s use of alternative fuels and focus on incorporating recycled, decarbonated materials to produce lower-carbon cement are necessary steps for cement producers following PCA’s Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality. By setting and achieving carbon-reduction goals, Giant is supporting efforts to meet the industry’s objectives of reaching net zero and addressing climate change.