Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) – a revolutionary low CO2 building material

09:00 – 10:00 (EET)

The aim of the event is to make policy makers and the industry aware of a new, sustainable, low-carbon type of cement developed by Swiss, Cuban and Indian universities with funds from the Swiss government. Concrete is key to build tomorrow green cities and the needed infrastructure in the Global South. The development of limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) represents a saving of around 40% in CO2 emissions compared with the traditional ordinary Portland cement based mainly on clinker. LC3 uses a coupled substitution of limestone together with calcined clay to produce cement with excellent properties even at high levels of clinker substitution. This cement also differs from “niche green” building materials due to the fact that suitable clay is abundant worldwide, especially in the Global South where the biggest demand for buildings will be in the coming decades. Several countries have adapted their standards to include this low-clinker cement type, or are in the process of doing so. The research results on this cement type are freely accessible and available to all cement manufacturers. Concrete as a building material cannot be completely avoided in the construction sector, but a low-carbon cement is a step towards decarbonizing the building and construction sector.