Step change in efficiency and decarbonisation: Heidelberg Materials opens state-of-the-art kiln line at its Airvault cement plant in France

Heidelberg Materials France has commissioned a state-of-the-art kiln line at its Airvault cement plant in the French New Aquitaine Region. It replaces two semi‑dry process clinker lines with a new dry kiln line that features a modern pre‑calciner system. The new clinker production line has a capacity of 1.25 million tonnes per year.     
    
“The latest milestone in modernising our Airvault site sets new benchmarks in operational efficiency and decarbonisation,” says Dr Dominik von Achten, Chairman of the Managing Board of Heidelberg Materials. “Our customers will benefit from a strong low carbon product offering, delivered from one of the most modern and efficient cement plants in Europe.” 

This milestone is part of the company’s modernisation project at its Airvault site that will enable almost 90% of the plant’s energy demand to be covered by alternative fuels. It will reduce electricity consumption per tonne of cement by around 10%. In addition, the proportion of clinker in the cement will be lowered. Together, these measures will reduce the carbon footprint of cement produced at the plant by almost 30% compared with previous production.

The modernisation project involves an investment of more than €350 million and is partly funded by the French government. It is a key milestone on the site’s decarbonisation roadmap. In addition, the company plans to use calcined clay in its production at Airvault. Since CO₂ emissions from clay calcination are significantly lower than those from clinker production, substituting clinker with calcined clays will substantially reduce the company’s CO₂ footprint. The launch of its new “Q cement” product range from the modernised plant will represent a further step change in low-carbon production.

These measures also pave the way for AirvaultGOCO₂, a carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) project at the site. With a planned capture capacity of around 1 million tonnes of CO₂ per year, AirvaultGOCO₂ is part of the broader GOCO₂ initiative to decarbonise western France. Heidelberg Materials recently secured a funding grant for the CCUS project from the EU Innovation Fund.  

The transformation of the Airvault site marks an important milestone in Heidelberg Materials’ decarbonisation roadmap, which aims to substantially reduce net specific Scope 1 CO₂ emissions by 2030 to below 400 kg of CO₂ per tonne of cementitious material. The Group aims to generate over 50% of its revenue from sustainable products that are either low-carbon or circular by 2030. By 2050 at the latest, Heidelberg Materials plans to achieve Net Zero.  

• About Heidelberg Materials
• Heidelberg Materials is one of the world's largest integrated manufacturers of heavy building materials and solutions with leading market positions in cement, aggregates, and ready-mixed concrete. Around 49,000 employees in almost 50 countries shape our growth path. Drawing on our global advantage, we create synergies in the areas of sustainability, digitalisation, and technical excellence. As the industry’s front runner on the path to Net Zero, we enable our customers to lead the way towards a more sustainable future through our growing offering of low-carbon and circular building materials.