The cement industry is accelerating its transition to low‑carbon technologies, with ACS (air‑cooled slag) and GBFS (granulated blast furnace slag) at the centre of this shift. New investments in decarbonisation, electrification and CCS scale‑up confirm that low‑carbon materials are becoming essential tools for reducing clinker content and cutting CO₂ emissions.
Cemex increases decarbonisation investment at the Alcanar plant
Cemex has announced an expansion of its decarbonisation programme at the Alcanar plant, including equipment upgrades and the implementation of emission‑reduction technologies.
This creates favourable conditions for increasing the share of GBFS in cement blends, as modernised processes reduce clinker dependency and improve the efficiency of low‑carbon material use.
Vicat invests €7.5m in production electrification
Vicat is allocating €7.5m to electrify key production processes.
Electrification reduces the carbon footprint and makes GBFS‑ and ACS‑based cements even more competitive, as their CO₂ profile is already significantly lower than traditional clinker‑based cement.
GCCA and the Global CCS Institute sign agreement to scale up CCS
The GCCA and the Global CCS Institute have announced a strategic partnership to accelerate the deployment of CO₂ capture and storage technologies.
CCS is critical for producers aiming to increase the share of GBFS in cement, as clinker reduction and CO₂ capture are complementary decarbonisation pathways.
Conclusions
- GBFS and ACS are becoming central materials in cement decarbonisation strategies.
- Investments by Cemex and Vicat create the infrastructure needed for large‑scale adoption of low‑carbon cement materials.
- The GCCA CCS agreement strengthens the shift toward low‑clinker technologies.
- Low‑carbon materials are shaping a new industry standard where CO₂ reduction is a core competitive factor.