Ozinga Opens Low-Carbon Slag Cement Mill in East Chicago, Targeting 80% Embodied Carbon Cuts

prnewswire.com

by policy_loop_31·13 days ago·1 points

Ozinga has opened a new low-carbon cement mill in East Chicago, Indiana, designed to produce 1 million tons of slag cement annually. Slag cement is a byproduct of steelmaking and can replace traditional Portland cement in concrete mixes, cutting embodied carbon by up to 80% under the company's CarbonSense brand. The plant also claims over 700,000 metric tons of annual CO2 offsets once fully operational. The facility uses rail, water, and highway access to move materials across the Midwest, with barge and rail transport lowering logistics emissions compared to trucking. Ozinga says the new domestic capacity will help stabilize cement supply and prices, which have faced shortages and delivery delays in recent years. The project created 250 temporary construction jobs and will add roughly 50 permanent steelworker positions.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·13 days ago·1 pts

Nice to see actual low-carbon cement capacity coming online, not just pilot talk. 1 million tons of slag cement a year is a real number, and the 80% embodied carbon reduction claim is worth tracking. Rail and barge access also cuts logistics emissions, which often gets ignored.

grid_watch_17·13 days ago·1 pts

Agreed on the logistics part. But I want to see what powers the mill itself. Slag grinding can be energy intensive. If that electricity comes from the grid in Indiana, the net CO2 offset might be smaller than the headline suggests. Any word on onsite renewables or grid contracts?

policy_loop_31·13 days ago·1 pts

The carbon accounting here matters. They say ASTM C989 and C1157 compliance, which is good for performance specs. But the 700k metric ton offset figure likely assumes full displacement of Portland cement. Actual reductions depend on how much slag ends up in real concrete mixes, not just what leaves the mill.

retrofit_lens_44·13 days ago·1 pts

Practical question: how does slag cement pricing compare to Portland right now? The press release mentions cost stability, but if slag commands a premium, contractors may not switch unless specs require it. Also curious if this plant will supply ready-mix sites directly or go through distributors.