KSA is getting its first low-carbon clinker-free cement in 2024

A push for decarbonization in KSA’s construction sector: Saudi Arabia is set to receive its first low-carbonclinker-free cement next year under an agreement between French firm Hoffmann Green Cement and Saudi conglomerate Shurfah Group, according to a statement (pdf). The planned facility is part of a 22-year exclusive licensing agreement signed with the Saudi company to build several Hoffmann Green units in the country under efforts to decarbonize the construction sector.

What we know: The plant will be a replica of the French firm’s H2, which is the world's first vertical cement plant, according to the statement. The engineering and production process of the facility will be implemented by German contractor IBAU Hamburg. Per the agreement, Hoffmann Green will be given the green light to market the carbon free elements exclusively throughout the Gulf country.

A plus for Hoffmann: Hoffmann Green said it will receive an entry fee and fixed and variable annual royalties based on sales generated from the marketing of its cements in Saudi Arabia. Such payments will be made in return for the industrial and technological transfer and the exclusivity of the agreement.

More to come? The contract allows for the duplication of several H2 plants throughout Saudi Arabia, the statement said, without providing further details.

About Hoffmann Green: Founded in 2014, Hoffmann Green Cement is focused on the design, production, and distribution of cement with a carbon footprint that is five times lower than that of traditional cement, according to the statement. It currently has two production units powered by solar trackers in western France’s Bournezeau. A third plant is planned at the port of Dunkirk in 2024-2025, bringing total production capacity to 550k tons a year, or a 3% share of the market in France. It recently signed contracts in the UK, Belgium, and Switzerland under a global expansion push.