Lafarge and Geocycle Canada Inaugurate First Company-owned Low-carbon Fuel Plant in the Country

Lafarge Canada and Geocycle Canada, members of Holcim Group, and the Department of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Office of Energy Research and Development (OERD), today announced the opening of Geocycle’s first low-carbon¹ fuel plant in Canada – a more than $10-million facility located at the Lafarge Canada Brookfield Cement Plant (NS). The investment represents one of the most transformative initiatives in the 50-year history of the cement plant. The project received $3.53 million from the federal government’s Energy Innovation Program (EIP), created to advance clean energy technologies to support Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

“Cement is a vital component of infrastructure projects that contribute to economic growth. By implementing sustainable and innovative solutions to reduce our environmental impact, we’re serving the needs of our customers and the communities in which we operate both now and in the future,” says David Redfern, president and CEO, Lafarge Canada (East). “Our continued collaboration with Geocycle Canada reinforces our commitment to invest and advance circular construction in Canada.”

When in full production, the new plant will divert approximately 14,000 tonnes of waste away from landfills annually to be pre-processed into low-carbon fuel, minimizing the Brookfield Cement Plant’s reliance on traditional fossil fuels. It is expected that this will reduce carbon emissions at the plant by more than 12,000 tonnes per year² equivalent to taking 13,480 passenger vehicles off the road³.

As Geocycle’s first-of-its-kind in the country, the low-carbon fuel plant will take waste products like nonrecyclable plastics, and soon, construction and demolition waste materials, from local sources, turning it into low carbon fuels to make cement, and ultimately the concrete used in construction projects in the area and beyond. The new facility is also expected to create jobs in the local Nova Scotia community.

“At Geocycle, our solutions are circular by design,” says Sophie Wu, Head of Geocycle North America. “We are happy to take another significant step in our ongoing partnership with Lafarge Canada. This is a great example of our work toward the decarbonization of the construction industry in Canada.”

“The construction industry is playing a pivotal role in advancing the growth of Canada’s sustainable economy. Through the project announced today, Lafarge Canada and Geocycle North America are supporting the Canadian economy and the Canadian environment by diverting a significant amount of waste from landfills and turning them into low-carbon fuel for cement production. This federal government is pleased to support this project, which is boosting the construction industry in Nova Scotia, leading to economic benefits and a lower-carbon future.” says The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.

The Plant commissioning started in June 2024 when the Lafarge and Geocycle teams initiated their work with local manufacturers and materials recovery facilities (MRFs) to collect their waste to be pre-processed at the new facility. Together, both organizations are working toward finding solutions to decarbonize the construction industry. In May, the companies announced the completion of a pilot project to produce high-quality clinker made of recycled materials recovered from waste sources. Clinker is the main ingredient in cement – the active ingredient in concrete.