HR Cement’s truck wash in action on its recently sealed yard.
Locally owned and operated, HR Cement is one of only two Portland Cement manufacturers in New Zealand and the sole producer of both General Purpose Cement and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS), a low-carbon alternative to traditional cement. Based in Mount Maunganui, the company specialises in high-quality cement and low-carbon cement substitutes, which are utilised to produce concrete that is both sustainable and high-performing.
Globally, the cement industry accounts for 8% of the world’s CO2 emissions, due to the chemical process and fuel combustion, so decarbonising the industry is a key focus. “We recognised that the industry needed to reduce its carbon footprint, and after years of testing and innovation, we are the first in New Zealand to make and supply a Blast Furnace Slag (BFS) cement called Eco-Cem, enabling production of truly low-carbon concrete,” says Gary Byrom, General Manager.
HR Cement recently signed onto the Priority One’s Mount Maunganui Industry Environmental Accord, along with 30 other businesses, thereby committing to taking three to five voluntary actions to improve environmental outcomes in the next three years.
Environmental improvements for improved air quality
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council identified unsealed yards as an unmanaged source of fine dust in the Mount Maunganui Airshed. To tackle this issue, HR Cement, together with its transport partner Dibbles, sealed its 3000m² truck yard, home for 16 dedicated bulk cement tankers. The project included new office space, storm water interceptor tanks and a truck wash bay that captures wash water, diverting it to trade waste (therefore avoiding the stormwater system).
HR Cement utilised its low-carbon concrete called Eco-MAX to seal the yard. “We did this by substituting clinker-based general-purpose cement with 35% Eco-Cem, reducing CO² emissions by nearly 40%, with no impact on concrete performance,” explains Gary.
HR Cement has also reported back on several other Accord initiatives, including rapid closing store doors, a ride-on dust sweeper for the outdoor yards, and extraction equipment for store doors (meaning open dust is extracted instead of leaving the store).
“Together our investment in these projects is close to $1m dollars, clearly demonstrating as a company we take our responsibility to the environment seriously with the aim to minimise off-site emissions, conserve energy and utilise the best cement technology to reduce our concrete carbon footprint.”
