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INNOVATION ACCELERATING DECARBONIZATION

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FORMULATIONS
 

�鶹��ý is developing innovative cement and concrete formulations with a lower clinker content and increasing our use of alternative raw materials and binders.

Based on our current roadmap, we expect formulation improvements – driven by clinker substitution and use of decarbonized alternative materials – to contribute around 40-50% of the required emissions reductions by 2030.

Our low-carbon ECOPact and ECOPlanet ranges lead the industry, offering CO₂ reductions of at least 30% compared to standard CEM I/OPC concrete and cement.

With demand for our sustainable offering growing, ECOPact grew to 31% of ready-mix concrete net sales in 2025 (+5pp versus 2024), and ECOPlanet to 36% of cement net sales (+2pp).

Alternative raw materials
 

Calcination of limestone into clinker for cement production accounts for around 36% of our total CO₂ emissions. By replacing natural raw materials with recycled materials in clinker production, we’re significantly reducing our emissions.

Using decarbonized materials in clinker production emits less CO₂, while less heat is required than with the use of conventional materials. Beyond their positive environmental impact, our innovative formulations help optimize production costs, contributing to operating profitability.

Using a higher proportion of alternative raw materials, �鶹��ý plants including Retznei and Mannersdorf in Austria, Beli Izvor in Bulgaria and Alesd in Romania are now achieving CO₂ intensities of less than 400 net kg CO₂ per ton of cementitious materials.

Mineral components
 

In addition to reducing CO₂ levels in clinker, �鶹��ý is reducing clinker levels in our cements. We intend to decrease our clinker factor from 70% in 2025 to 65% by 2030, with a further reduction by 2050.

To achieve this we’re reducing the clinker factor by partially replacing the clinker in our cement with mineral components, significantly lowering the carbon intensity of the final product.

�鶹��ý uses four major categories of mineral components to reduce the carbon intensity of our cement and concrete mixes: 

• Recycled cement paste from construction demolition materials (CDM) Innovative mineral components such as calcined clay,
pozzolana, and reclaimed ashes 
• Waste and byproducts from other industries, including
slag and fly ash 
• Traditional mineral components such as limestone and
gypsum

We expect CDM and innovative mineral components to gradually replace slag and fly ash in the decades to come. As a result, we are investing in advanced crushing and processing technology to fully recycle CDM.

�鶹��ý is also accelerating the use of other innovative mineral components like calcined clay, with operations advancing in Europe and Latin America.

Here’s our Vice President of Sustainability, Antonio Carrillo, on our innovative formulations.

Scaling calcined-clay based cement
 

Calcined clay is a mineral powder produced by calcinating natural clays at relatively low temperatures, and is an excellent replacement for limestone-based clinker.

Because of these lower temperatures, this technology helps us to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 50% compared to standard cement in selected products.

Calcined clay is an abundant natural resource across the world, and is often locally available. As such, it is a highly scalable solution for formulations, significantly reducing our dependence on conventional materials such as slag and fly ash, which are increasingly scarce.

�鶹��ý is building new calcined clay-based production lines and retrofitting existing clinker kilns to produce calcined clay. 

• We launched Europe’s first dedicated calcined clay production line at our plant in Saint-Pierre-la-Cour, France in 2023. 
• A new calcined clay production line at our site in Cížkovice in the Czech Republic is due to be completed in 2026.
• �鶹��ý is retrofitting existing clinker kilns to produce calcined clay, from Mexico and Ecuador to Spain and Egypt.
• Our plant in Guayaquil, Ecuador, was commissioned in H1 2025 and is set to produce up to 2 million tons of calcined clay-based cement per year.
   

ENERGY
 

Energy-related measures including alternative fuels, fuel switching and efficiency gains, are projected to deliver around 35-45% of ��DZ�������’s required emissions reductions by 2050.

�鶹��ý is increasing use of alternative fuels through our Geocycle business, investing in renewable energy sources, and improving the energy efficiency of our operations.

Alternative fuels
 

Shifting to alternative fuels reduces ��DZ�������’s Scope 1 emissions. By 2030 we intend to increase our thermal substitution rate to 50% up from 39% in 2025, by further investing in waste and coprocessing facilities. 

��DZ�������’s provides crucial waste management solutions to industries and municipalities, transforming non-recyclable materials into alternative fuels or raw materials. 

In 2025, the business supported ��DZ�������’s decarbonization by safely recycling 12.6 million tons of waste and byproducts for use as energy or raw materials, addressing the growing challenge of landfilling and contributing to a circular economy. 

We then convert these materials into alternative fuels, including low-carbon alternatives such as biomass, for our cement plants worldwide. This reduces our emissions, reduces the need for traditional fossil fuels, and saves energy costs. 

In Europe as of 2025, 14 of our cement plants already use alternative fuels for more than 80% of their thermal energy. 

As �鶹��ý progresses toward net zero, advanced technologies such as electrification and use of hydrogen in kilns will likely account for an increased share of our decarbonization efforts.

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
 

CCUS
 

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Advanced technologies, particularly carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) represent a key decarbonization lever that complements our innovative formulations and better energy mix.

CCUS enables us to capture CO₂ emissions before they are released into the atmosphere. The CO₂ can then be stored safely underground or used in various applications – including the production of low-carbon fuels or materials.

�鶹��ý has 19 full-scale CCUS projects: eight projects in Europe have been selected for EU Innovation Fund grants, while an additional 11 projects in Europe and AMEA are in development.

We aim to complete the construction and commissioning of state-of-the-art, large-scale CO₂ capture technologies at leading sites, ready for storage and supply of downstream utilization pathways. Our unique carbon capture testing platform in Martres, France, enables us to optimize leading technologies for specific applications.

�鶹��ý remains steadfast in our ambition to decarbonize our operations through CCUS, and to bring near-zero cement and concrete to market at scale from 2030 – when and where the requisite infrastructure is available.
 

Hydrogen
 

Low-carbon hydrogen, produced using clean energy, is a potential alternative to the fossil fuels powering our transportation and cement kilns. 

�鶹��ý is piloting oxyhydrogen boosting to enhance the combustion of biogenic fuels – which often have a lower calorific value or are harder to ignite – enabling us to increase the amount of alternative fuels we use. 

After successful trials in Europe, �鶹��ý Mexico piloted oxyhydrogen boosting at our Ramos Arizpe plant in 2025. Working with a local partner Knergy, we’ve installed two electrolyzers at the plant for controlled oxyhydrogen injection. 

Through this project we aim to create technical knowledge in Latin America that can be replicated and scaled across the region.

Electrification
 

�鶹��ý is examining and testing innovative cutting-edge technologies to electrify cement production and decrease our dependence on emissions-intensive fossil fuels.

In 2025, �鶹��ý invested in SaltX Technology, a listed Swedish company specializing in the electrification of industrial processes.

Using renewable electricity, SaltX’s unique electric plasma technology produces clinker while concentrating carbon emissions from primary materials, enabling more efficient carbon capture. 

��DZ�������’s collaboration with SaltX aims to establish the world’s first plant for all-electric, near-zero cement production.