Engineered for a better tomorrow, new cement decreases CO2 emissions by 10 per cent
Toronto, October 5 , 2011 – What if there was an innovative cement that could reduce CO2 emissions by 900,000 tonnes every year? Now there is. Today, the Cement Association of Canada and its members are proud to introduce Contempra™ to the Canadian market.
Contempra is a new cement that decreases CO2 emissions by 10 per cent while still producing concrete with a level of strength and durability comparable to that produced with regular Portland cement. The new Contempra brand is a direct result of the industry’s commitment to proactively improve its environmental footprint with state-of-the-art, sustainable products to meet today’s building needs.
“Contempra marks a pivotal advancement in sustainable construction and we are proud to introduce it to the Canadian market here at Greenbuild,” said Michael McSweeney, President and CEO, Cement Association of Canada. “We want to be an even larger contributor to climate change solutions and Contempra makes concrete an even smarter choice to help build stronger, more sustainable communities.”
By reducing greenhouse gas emissions during the manufacturing process, Contempra will make a significant contribution to more sustainable construction and cleaner air in Canada. Once adopted for all suitable concrete applications, it is expected to reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions by up to 900,000 tonnes annually – that is equivalent to taking 172,000 cars off the road or planting 23 million trees every year.
While regular Portland cement may contain up to 5 per cent limestone, Contempra is manufactured by intergrinding regular clinker (the main ingredient in cement) with up to 15 per cent limestone. By reducing the amount of clinker used in manufacturing cement, this process naturally reduces the amount of energy and greenhouse gas emissions required to manufacture it. This is key since while cement typically represents only 11 per cent of a concrete mix, it accounts for more than 80 per cent of all energy required to produce concrete.
Contempra makes concrete — already known for its safety, sustainability, durability, resiliency, versatility, energy-efficient attributes and contribution to LEED certification — an even smarter choice for building stronger communities. Given this reduction in its environmental footprint, the cement industry is working to have Contempra recognized in the LEED building rating system as a more sustainable building practice.
While new to the Canadian market, Contempra has an extensive proven track record in Europe — where it is known as Portland-limestone cement — in a variety of commercial and residential applications for over 25 years.
Contempra is included under the name Portland-limestone cement in the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) cement and concrete standards, now referenced in the 2010 National Building Code of Canada and approved for use in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. It will be approved for use in the other provincial jurisdictions once they adopt the 2010 NBCC or update their references to the current cement and concrete standards.
For more information on Contempra, visit www.cement.ca/contempra. You can also visit the Cement Association of Canada at Greenbuild NEXT, Booth 1231N, North Building, Metro Toronto Convention Center, from October 4 – 6, 2011 .
About the Cement Association of Canada
The Cement Association of Canada (CAC) is the voice of Canada's cement manufacturing industry, a vital contributor to the country's economy and infrastructure. The industry provides a reliable, domestic supply of cement required to build Canada's critical infrastructure including our network of roads and bridges, homes and buildings, waterworks and dams. The CAC and its members are committed to the environmentally responsible manufacturing of cement and concrete products. CAC's members are CalPortland, Ciment Québec, ESSROC Italcementi Group, Federal White Cement Ltd., Holcim Canada, Lafarge Canada, Lehigh Hanson Canada and St Mary’s Cement Group — companies whose parent corporations belong to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development's Cement Sustainability Initiative. The cement and concrete industry contributes more than $8 billion in annual sales and over 27,000 direct and indirect jobs to the Canadian economy.
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For more information, please contact:
Lyse Teasdale
Director, Communications
Cement Association of Canada
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613-236-9471; ext 211
Cement and Concrete