LAFARGE Committed to the Circular Economy

LAFARGE Cement Hungary Ltd., as one of the leading manufacturers of building materials in the Hungarian construction industry, has already introduced a number of measures and programs to implement a circular economy and reduce its carbon footprint. As a result, it has now achieved 100% alternative fuel operation.

In a press release, LAFARGE Cement Hungary Ltd. says it is able to reduce its dependence on natural resources and fossil fuels by using materials that are treated as waste for other industries as a resource in cement production. In doing so, it creates value for society and the environment by offering an alternative way to recover waste (replacing incineration or landfilling). The firm introduced the recovery of alternative fuels under the Geocycle brand in 2014 and today replaces more than 80% of fossil fuels with waste for co-incineration.

"Since the start-up of Királyegyház Cement Factory, we have implemented more than HUF 4.5 billion worth of environmental, circular economy-related investments, which have resulted in a reduction of CO₂ emissions per ton of cement by more than 25%. We are particularly proud that in our cement plant, which is just over ten years old, we have been able to operate the kiln fully, i.e. 100%, with co-incineration waste for several shifts this year. And our goal is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050," Managing Director Tamás Hoffmann says, reporting on their environmental achievements so far.

On the road to a carbon neutral future, LAFARGE plans to recycle construction and demolition waste in cement production, as well as to invest in the use of new material streams as alternative fuels or raw materials.