SOURCE: Aggregate Business | July 29, 2026
Ecocem has finalised the initial industrial-scale trial of its ACT low-carbon cement technology within the precast concrete industry, representing a significant milestone in the technology’s progression toward commercial deployment.
The trial was conducted in partnership with Belgian precast concrete manufacturer C-concrete at its production facility in Temse, Belgium. According to Ecocem, the project demonstrated that ACT can be manufactured under normal production conditions while delivering lower embodied carbon without requiring changes to established manufacturing processes.
Ecocem said the successful trial builds on previous demonstrations of ACT in ready-mix concrete applications as the company continues to progress towards commercial deployment of the technology. The company says ACT can reduce the carbon footprint of cement by up to 70 per cent compared with conventional cement while maintaining performance.
Ecocem head of ACT implementation Jaouad Nadah said the successful trial demonstrated the technology could be integrated into existing manufacturing processes without disrupting production.
“We’re delighted that ACT performed at factory scale exactly as it did in the laboratory, with no surprises and no production issues,” Nadah said.
“This is another important demonstration that deep carbon reductions can be achieved without disrupting established manufacturing processes.”
As part of the trial, C-concrete produced two full-scale precast elements: a 10m by 3m fire-resistant wall and an 8m by 3m insulated sandwich wall. Unlike ready-mix concrete, precast manufacturing relies on rapid strength development to allow daily demoulding and maintain production efficiency. Ecocem said the trial confirmed ACT met these production requirements while maintaining the performance expected by precast manufacturers. The company said the trial is the first successful industrial-scale production of ACT in a precast concrete environment.
Ecocem has finalised the initial industrial-scale trial of its ACT low-carbon cement technology within the precast concrete industry, representing a significant milestone in the technology’s progression toward commercial deployment.
The trial was conducted in partnership with Belgian precast concrete manufacturer C-concrete at its production facility in Temse, Belgium. According to Ecocem, the project demonstrated that ACT can be manufactured under normal production conditions while delivering lower embodied carbon without requiring changes to established manufacturing processes.
Ecocem said the successful trial builds on previous demonstrations of ACT in ready-mix concrete applications as the company continues to progress towards commercial deployment of the technology. The company says ACT can reduce the carbon footprint of cement by up to 70 per cent compared with conventional cement while maintaining performance.
Ecocem head of ACT implementation Jaouad Nadah said the successful trial demonstrated the technology could be integrated into existing manufacturing processes without disrupting production.
“We’re delighted that ACT performed at factory scale exactly as it did in the laboratory, with no surprises and no production issues,” Nadah said.
“This is another important demonstration that deep carbon reductions can be achieved without disrupting established manufacturing processes.”
As part of the trial, C-concrete produced two full-scale precast elements: a 10m by 3m fire-resistant wall and an 8m by 3m insulated sandwich wall. Unlike ready-mix concrete, precast manufacturing relies on rapid strength development to allow daily demoulding and maintain production efficiency. Ecocem said the trial confirmed ACT met these production requirements while maintaining the performance expected by precast manufacturers. The company said the trial is the first successful industrial-scale production of ACT in a precast concrete environment.
C-concrete quality manager and concrete technologist Nikolas Schack said the trial showed ACT could be used in industrial production while maintaining familiar manufacturing practices.
“ACT performed just like conventional cement during production while delivering a significantly lower carbon footprint,” Schack said.
“For production teams, the manufacturing process remained largely unchanged, an important consideration for industrial adoption.”
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