Berrima Cement Works starts carbon-reducing technology

Boral officially opened it upgraded carbon-reducing technology at its Berrima Cement Works this week. The company says the opening is a significant step in its move to net zero. Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen was onsite to officially open the upgraded facility.

Located in the Southern Highlands region of New South Wales, Boral’s Berrima Cement Works is responsible for supplying 40% of cement in NSW and the ACT.

A key part of the upgraded facility, the Chlorine Bypass (which reduces the build-up of chlorides and other alternative fuel by-products), will enable alternative fuel usage to reach 60% over the next three years at the site. To date, Boral has already achieved 30% coal substitution.

As part of Boral’s integrated operations in the Southern Highlands, Berrima Cement Works is strategically significant for the company and to Australia’s manufacturing capability. It is also an important regional employer, with a workforce of around 115 people in operational and administrative roles, contributing to the approximately 350 people employed across integrated sites in the Southern Highlands.

“From our federal highways to the Sydney Opera House and Parliament House in Canberra, for almost a century, the Berrima Cement Works have helped to build and shape Australia,” said Vik Bansal, CEO of Boral. “We all understand that though cement is vital to construction and building our nation, it is carbon-intensive. Boral takes its responsibility to decarbonise our operations and comply with the Safeguard Mechanism obligations seriously.

“The Chlorine Bypass Facility reaffirms this commitment and moves our vital cement manufacturing infrastructure and Southern Highlands operations into a new era: one with less impact on the planet. We thank both the federal government and NSW Government for their respective investment in this facility and remain committed to decarbonising our operations, in line with our net zero commitment.”