Cement maker Holcim Philippines, Inc. has launched a better alternative to ordinary portland cement (OPC) that ensures concrete strength and durability while lowering impact on the climate.
The company said it has developed Holcim Optimo as part of efforts to decarbonize construction in the country as more Filipino builders shift towards sustainable construction and demand greener alternatives.
Holcim Philippines said its latest product is blended with limestone additives to reduce its carbon emissions by up to 10 percent while delivering similar concrete performance as OPC.
It is designed as a seamless substitute to OPC, the conventional material used for massive infrastructures and building projects but has a significant environmental footprint.
Holcim Optimo delivers the same strength, workability and durability as OPC and remains compatible with other cement additives such as slag and fly ash. The new product is best used in large building projects and available in bulk.
“Holcim Optimo is part of our commitment to expand our line of innovative and sustainable products for building essential structures for progress without compromising the environment,” said Holcim Philippines President and CEO Horia Adrian.
He added that, “It is a timely product for the Philippines as infrastructure building accelerates and green demand grows. We are excited to work with our partners in making this the cement of choice in building important structures for Philippine development.”
Holcim Optimo further strengthens the company’s portfolio of blended cement products that reduce its environmental footprint while delivering equal to superior building performance.
Since 2018, Holcim Philippines has cut its carbon footprint by more than 20 percent by producing more blended cements, replacing coal with qualified wastes as alternative fuels and raw materials, and improving efficiency of operations.
The company has accelerated innovations to produce a wider variety of high-performance blended cement for specific applications such as Solido for roads, Aqua-X for water protection, and WallRight Prime for masonry.
Holcim Philippines also relaunched in April its flagship general purpose cement into Excel ECOPlanet following successful efforts to slash the carbon footprint of the product by at least 30 percent compared with OPC.