Vicat Group, the inventor of artificial cement, recently launched a trial industrial production run of Alpenat, its new low-carbon cement that reduces CO2 emissions during its manufacture by around 30 per cent, at its Créchy plant in central France. After several years of research, the group is now validating the development of new high-performance cement with a reduced carbon footprint. Vicat has already tested the performance of Alpenat® on an access ramp trafficked by heavy quarry plant at its Montalieu site.
The trial industrial production runs at the Créchy plant will take place over a period of ten days and are expected to produce 10,000 metric tonnes of cement. This trial is the last step before full industrial production of Alpenat®.
The Vicat Group has for years, been committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and has been implementing an ambitious energy policy of investment in less-energy-intensive equipment and greater use of substitute fuels in its plants.
The development of this new cement, Alpenat®, is a further component in this unswervingly innovative drive which now boasts a product whose manufacture generates fewer CO2 emissions than a conventional cement. This is largely due to firing at a lower temperature and reduced use of limestone, which therefore reduces CO2 emissions during the decarbonation process.
Alpenat® will allow faster construction as it acquires the same strength in seven days as an ordinary Portland cement of the same class (42.5 or 52.5) acquires in 28, and it features improved durability. The development of the high performance of Alpenat® cement was achieved through the mobilisation of the Vicat Group’s substantial R&D resources.
Most of the research was carried out in the L’Isle d’Abeau laboratory where Vicat has installed some of the finest, most highly advanced technological equipment, to the greatest satisfaction of its partners.
Alpenat®, the new low-carbon cement, has been tested for close to two years in the form of an access ramp that 100-tonne quarry haulers drive up to reach a crusher at the Vicat plant in Montalieu, in the French Alps. This test has confirmed the performance of Alpenat® in terms of placement, strength, and durability.