EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra visited Ecocem’s flagship production facility in Dunkirk, France, to highlight the role of low-carbon cement technologies in European industrial strategy. The site is expanding with a EUR50m investment to produce ACT technology, which aims to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 70 per cent and will produce 300,000t of low-carbon cement annually by late 2026. Commissioner Hoekstra praised the facility as a tangible example of industrial decarbonisation, reinforcing the EU's commitment to clean technology. Ecocem CEO Donal O’Riain noted that this project is part of a broader EUR220m investment to scale up low-carbon production across Europe by 2030.
Commenting on the visit, Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said: “Following on from the Cement Dialogue earlier this month, it is important to get out of our offices in the Berlaymont and see real industrial decarbonisation on the ground. Here in Dunkirk, Ecocem is building a first-of-a-kind plant for its low-carbon ACT technology, demonstrating what is already possible today.
“This visit highlights the progress being made towards decarbonising one of Europe’s most emissions-intensive sectors. It also underlines the clear opportunity for the EU to take a leading position in the decarbonisation of the global cement sector, delivering our climate objectives and strengthening industrial competitiveness and achieving more independence. What I have seen here at Ecocem is exactly the type of solution Europe should be supporting as we accelerate industrial decarbonisation.”
Donal O’Riain, Founder and CEO of Ecocem added, “To unlock this potential at scale, Europe must get behind cleantech innovations such as ACT, by creating lead markets for low-carbon cement solutions and ensuring scale-up funding for these technologies. This will enable the maximum possible impact this decade.”
