Holcim supplies ECOPact low carbon concrete for Digbeth Smithfield Lofts saving 429 tonnes CO2

Holcim UK won a tender to supply ECOPact low carbon ready mix concrete for the Smithfield Lofts residential development in Digbeth, Birmingham. The project is part of the wider 1.9 billion pound Smithfield regeneration scheme. Holcim delivered a 160 cubic metre pour in November 2025 for foundations and columns up to the first floor. The concrete mix was switched from a standard CEM I baseline after Velcol Groundworks and structural engineers O'Connor Sutton Cronin reviewed the original specification. Holcim's ECOPact mixes, including a watertight variant, saved 429 tonnes of CO2 equivalent compared to the original design. The savings come from replacing a portion of cement with supplementary materials, a common method to lower embodied carbon in construction. For anyone tracking embodied carbon in buildings, this is a concrete example of how specification changes at the design stage can deliver measurable reductions. The 429 tonne figure is specific to this pour and does not cover the whole development, but it shows what is possible when contractors push for lower carbon alternatives.