Charles Guyard, edited by Corentin Alloune / Photo credit: YANN AVRIL / BIOSGARDEN / BIOSPHOTO VIA AFP 09:40, May 16, 2023

At a time when climate issues have become a priority, cement is inevitably singled out. However, there are processes that can reduce its carbon footprint. An example is Bournezeau, in the Vendée, where the Hoffmann group has just inaugurated a new kind of manufacturing unit.

One of the most polluting sectors in France, construction, is responsible for nearly a quarter of CO2 emissions. Construction is precisely the target of the green industry bill. The text is presented this Tuesday in the Council of Ministers. The Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, wants to facilitate the installation of companies committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This is the case of this Vendée company which has just inaugurated a carbon-free concrete manufacturing unit.

A cement that generates three times less CO2

This is a world first and to discover it, you have to take an elevator. At 70 meters high, breathtaking view of the Vendée plain, this is the first step in the manufacture of Hoffman cement. "All the raw materials are propelled and will start the gravitational process, that is to say downwards," explains Delphine Barbeau.

A vertical factory, we had to think about it. Not only is the footprint divided by four, but this process also saves energy. Julien Blanchard, co-founder of Hoffmann: "When you have a gravity system, you need less conveyor. So it's a lot of power consumption."

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But for the most important savings, you have to go back to the bowels of the tower. "There is no oven at home, everything is done cold. We do not consume gas, we do not bake at high temperatures, like traditional cement, which must be fired at 1,450 degrees for 18 hours," explains the co-founder.

The sum of all these processes allows the sixth largest French producer, which arrived on the market in 2018, to offer a greener cement that generates three times less CO2 than its competitors.