Ecocem Ireland, the specialist producer of GGBS (Ground Granulated Blastfurnace Slag) cements, has officially opened its new facility at Dublin Port and announced plans to create 61 jobs as part of a new three year, €19 million investment programme. The new plant will be used to bag Ecocem’s eco-friendly cement, which among other things reduces the carbon footprint of traditional cement by over 50%. It will be the highest quality, lowest carbon cement product produced in Ireland.
The new plant will lead to the creation of 25 direct jobs and 36 indirect jobs in other, directly-associated and Irish-based suppliers. On top of this, the programme will see investment reach €19 million over the next three years, with a €5 million investment in machinery and infrastructure already made, and will lead to expanded development of export markets (bulk, bagged and special products) in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France and the UK.
Conor O’Riain, Head of New Markets and Products at Ecocem Materials, says: “Ecocem Ireland’s investment programme in its Ringsend and Dublin Port facilities over the next three years will enable us to enhance our manufacturing capacity and expand our exports of green cement to Northern Europe. We are proud to be able to make this investment in green technology focussed on export markets at a difficult time for the construction industry in Ireland.”
He adds: “The new plant will give Ecocem Ireland the capacity to respond to the Irish government’s upcoming Green Public Procurement (GPP) policy in a meaningful way.”
Ecocem cement also underpins 450 jobs in the precast concrete sector in Ireland, where it is an essential requirement in meeting the demand for low-carbon concrete in the UK– an export market valued at €40 million to the economy.
Brian Hayes, Minister of State who officially opened the new plant, comments: “Ecocem’s initiative demonstratesIreland’s leadership in Green technology and pioneering environmental solutions. We also welcome the contribution it can make to achieving the government’s green public procurement objectives.”