Lafarge Canada and Geocycle Canada, with support from the Department of Natural Resources Canada and the Office of Energy Research and Development, have opened Geocycle’s first low-carbon fuel plant in Canada. The $10 million facility is located at the Lafarge Canada Brookfield Cement Plant in Nova Scotia. The project received $3.53 million from the federal government’s Energy Innovation Program, created to advance clean energy technologies to support Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
“Cement is a vital component of infrastructure projects that contribute to economic growth. By implementing sustainable and innovative solutions to reduce our environmental impact, we’re serving the needs of our customers and the communities in which we operate both now and in the future,” says David Redfern, president and CEO of Lafarge Canada (East). “Our continued collaboration with Geocycle Canada reinforces our commitment to invest and advance circular construction in Canada.”
Diverting waste while making cement
When in full production, the new plant will divert approximately 14,000 tons of waste away from landfills annually to be pre-processed into low-carbon fuel, minimizing the Brookfield Cement Plant’s reliance on traditional fossil fuels. It is expected that this will reduce carbon emissions at the plant by more than 12,000 tons per year, equivalent to taking 13,480 passenger vehicles off the road.
“At Geocycle, our solutions are circular by design,” says Sophie Wu, head of Geocycle North America. “We are happy to take another significant step in our ongoing partnership with Lafarge Canada. This is a great example of our work toward the decarbonization of the construction industry in Canada.”
Low-carbon concrete to be used in regional construction projects
Geocycle’s low-carbon fuel plant will initially take waste products like nonrecyclable plastics, and will soon take construction and demolition waste materials from local sources, and will turn them into low carbon fuels to make cement. Ultimately the concrete will be used in construction projects in the region. The new facility is also expected to create jobs in the local Nova Scotia community.
“By taking waste from the local community and turning it into low-carbon energy, Lafarge Canada and Geocycle Canada are reducing Canada’s reliance on traditional fossil fuels, and paving the way for additional lower carbon energy projects in the construction industry,” says the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.
In June 2024 the Lafarge and Geocycle teams initiated their work with local manufacturers and materials recovery facilities, collecting waste to be pre-processed at the new facility. Together, both organizations are working toward finding solutions to decarbonize the construction industry. In May, the companies announced the completion of a pilot project to produce high-quality clinker made of recycled materials recovered from waste sources.
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