As part of GCC’s commitment to net zero carbon emissions, GCC will fully convert the Minnesota market to portland limestone cement (PLC), a high-quality cement that lowers the carbon footprint of concrete. The transition will be complete in July 2022; the cement comes from GCC’s Rapid City, South Dakota, plant.
“We believe that our industry must continue to provide the homes, roads and infrastructure that shape our world while, simultaneously, addressing the challenge of climate change and sustainability,” said Ron Henley, president of GCC’s U.S. division.
“GCC modeled the impact of converting the Minnesota market to ensure our PLC product fulfilled the needs of our customers,” Henley added. “This gave our customers additional time to fully test and incorporate PLC into their operations.”
PLC differs from portland cement by increasing the amount of limestone in the formula. PLC is a proven product that performs similarly to portland cement with almost identical strength, workability, and durability.
The Minnesota transition to PLC represents approximately 300,000 stons of cement per year reaching this market. GCC estimates that this transition will reduce CO2 by almost 20,000 stons per year. That’s like removing about 4,000 cars from the road each year or the equivalent of carbon sequestration by more than 20,000 acres of forest. GCC plans to expand production of PLC to more of its plants in the near future.
About GCC
GCC believes that by growing and strengthening partnerships, together we can build a better future. GCC is a leading supplier and producer of cement, concrete, aggregates and construction‐related services in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Annual cement production capacity is 5.8 million metric tons. The company employs approximately 3,000 employees in the U.S. and Mexico. Founded in 1941, the Company’s shares are listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GCC.
