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Partner Profile

St. Lawrence Cement
LocationMount-Royal, Quebec
GoalSt. Lawrence Cement pledges to reduce global GHG emissions by 20 percent per ton of cementitious product from 2000 to 2012. St. Lawrence Cement achieved its initial goal by reducing global GHG emissions by 16 percent per ton of cementitious product from 2000 to 2006.
Environmental Web Site exit EPA
Company Description
Founded in 1951, St. Lawrence Cement is a leading producer and supplier of products and services for the construction industry in Canada and the eastern seaboard of the United States. St. Lawrence Cement is a member of Holcim Ltd, one of the world's leading suppliers of cement, concrete and aggregates with a presence in over 70 countries on all continents. With sales of CAN 1.3 billion dollars and 3,200 employees, St. Lawrence Cement is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (ST.A) and headquartered in Mount Royal, Quebec.
Reasons for Joining Climate Leaders
Cement manufacturing is an important source of global man-made emissions of CO2. While seeking to reduce the environmental footprint of its operations, St. Lawrence Cement is committed to significant decreases in its CO2 intensity. The Company joined Climate Leaders in 2003 and set a target of decreasing net CO2 emissions by an additional 15 percent per ton of cementitious product manufactured between 2000 and 2010, with 2000 as the base. Partnering with the EPA Climate Leaders Program provides St. Lawrence Cement with another excellent opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to continuously improving its environmental performance.
GHG Reductions Before Joining Climate Leaders
Between 1990 and 2000, St. Lawrence Cement has reduced CO2 emissions by 9 percent per ton of cementitious product. This was achieved mainly through energy efficiency initiatives that resulted in decreased consumption of non-renewable fossil fuels in the Company's kilns. Fossil fuels are substituted in cement kilns with alternative fuel sources which are wastes that otherwise would have been incinerated or landfilled, avoiding CO2 emissions associated with the disposal of these wastes.

Alternative fuel sources include used tires, waste oils, granular waste from sewage treatment plants, shredded wood, sawdust and other by-product. Alternative fuels are totally integrated into the clinker, leaving no solid residues and providing an effective waste diversion solution for society.

The company has also committed to reduce fossil fuel consumption per ton of cementitious product by 15 percent between 2000 and 2007. In 2004, heat consumption of the company's kilns was reduced 21 percent from 4.23 Gj/t to 3.33 Gj/t and electrical consumption reduced nearly 3 percent from 144 kwh/t to 140 kwh/t.
Approach to GHG Management
St. Lawrence Cement reports its CO2 emissions from its four cement plants and grinding facility according to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBSCD) Cement CO2 Protocol. As of 2004, CO2 monitoring and reporting is fully embedded in the Company internal reporting and business processes. Emissions are reported annually to regulatory authorities as part of the mandatory Canadian greenhouse gas reporting program.

St. Lawrence Cement reiterated its commitment to Sustainable Development in 2002 when it embarked on its program to meet the targets and objectives of the WBCSD Cement Sustainability Initiative's Agenda for Action (www.wbcsdcement.org). Under this program, St. Lawrence Cement is committed to measure and publicly report CO2 emissions using the industry-wide WBCSD protocol for the cement industry.

Approximately 60 percent of St. Lawrence Cement CO2 emissions result from the chemical process that converts the calcium carbonate in limestone to calcium oxide during the production of clinker. St. Lawrence Cement is achieving CO2 reductions by improving energy efficiency and using mineral components such as GranCem®, fly ash, and silica fume as cement and clinker substitutes which reduce the amount of limestone to be heated and therefore reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions.

Further CO2 emission reductions are also achieved through the increased use of alternative fuels such as used tires, municipal sewage sludge and treated wood to replace coal usage. About 40 percent of St. Lawrence Cement CO2 emissions are generated from the burning of fossil fuel — mainly coal — in its kilns. The substitution of virgin fossil fuels with waste-derived fuels contributes to lower greenhouse gas emissions and is an important component of the Company CO2 reduction strategy.
Progress Towards Goal Completion
On track to surpass its original Climate Leaders target, St Lawrence Cement will define a new objective once the details of the Canadian federal greenhouse gas reduction program are announced in late 2006.

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