Fighting climate change
At Clayson Ecomineral, we believe in a construction industry that respects the environment and supports global efforts to combat climate change. Our calcined clay cement is designed to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete, offering a sustainable alternative that actively contributes to reducingCO2 emissions. By choosing innovative materials, we are building a greener future for generations to come.
Towards alternative binders to reduce concrete's carbon footprint
Most binding materials used in concrete are based on Portland cement, the hydraulic binder produced through an energy-intensive process. The process emits large amounts of greenhouse gases, an estimated 8% of the world’s anthropogenic CO2.
This trend is expected to increase as the countries grow their concrete demand in the coming decades. Cement production is predicted to represent 10% to 15% of global CO2 emissions by 2050.
The negative environmental impacts of Portland cement as a binder in the construction industry have created a growing impetus to develop sustainable alternative binders.
It is well known that one of the most applicable products for cement replacement is calcined kaolinite (Al2Si2O5(OH)4), the metakaolin as an anhydrous alumino-silicate (Al2Si2O7). The calcination of clay releases only water instead of CO2 for Portland cement.
Plusieurs technologies sont en cours de développements mais elles sont loin d’avoir la maturité pour être appliqué immédiatement. L’utilisation d’argile calciné, cependant, est bien connu et utilisé dans plusieurs pays depuis des décennies. Elle permet un impact important et immédiat pour une réduction substantiel des émissions de gaz à effet de serre.
The industry’s primary challenge until now is that the Kaolinite deposits are small and present in only a few locations around the equator.
Clayson deposit
It is one of the largest clay deposits in the world (over 1 billion tons). It is ideally located and close to end markets.
It contains a large portion of kaolinite, showing excellent properties as a concrete binder (it can replace around 30 to 50% of the actual Portland cement in concrete and improve properties).
Its production would have a close to zero CO2 impact. Clayson production plant of 500kt/year of Calcined Clay cement will save close to 500kt/year of CO2. This represents the equivalent of the removal of over 110,000 passenger cars on the road in the future.
Clayson plans to increase its overall production to 1 million tons/year before 2030, being one of the minimum CO2-saving projects to help Canada and Quebec meet their reduction objective.
“Clayson Ecomineral: an ambitious project with an impact equivalent to taking 110,000 cars off the road every year.”
“Bas-Saint-Laurent combines tradition and innovation to build a sustainable future, where every major project is an opportunity for growth and environmental preservation. “
Bas-Saint-Laurent: committed to a sustainable future
The Bas-Saint-Laurent region, bordered by the majestic St. Lawrence River, is distinguished by its natural wealth and economic dynamism.
Considered Quebec’s maritime technopole, the region is diversifying its economy, notably through the added value of its natural resources (marine sciences and products, wind energy, bio-food, sphagnum peat moss, etc.).
Faced with socio-economic challenges such as the exodus of young people to major centers and market fluctuations, the Bas-Saint-Laurent region is now focusing on innovation and sustainable development to ensure stable economic growth.
Clayson Ecomineral contributes to this transformation by offering ecological solutions that support the local economy while preserving the environment. Through partnerships with regional players and the responsible exploitation of natural resources such as calcined clay, the company strengthens the socio-economic fabric of the region.
