Eco-friendly cement deal with Ecocem

LISHEEN Mines, the Tipperary-based mining subsidiary of Anglo American, has signed a deal for Ireland’s largest supply contract of environmentally-friendly cement.  It is to use 120,000 tonnes of cement which will be supplied by Ecocem over four years to build underground supports to increase safety and protect the integrity of the mine.  Normally the production of a tonne of cement results in the creation of one tonne of carbon dioxide.  However, the agreement to buy pollution-free cement will reduce emissions by 120,000 tonnes.

Ecocem operates a €10m pollution-free cement manufacturing plant in Dublin Port. The company makes ground granulated blast-furnace slag, which has no quarrying impact. Lisheen employs over 300 people, producing in excess of 300,000 tonnes of zinc and lead concentrates a year.  Cyril Boucher, general manager of Lisheen, said: "This contract with Ecocem provides us with the added bonus of knowing that we are playing a major part in reducing the emission of harmful gases to the atmosphere."