Eircom puts a dent in CO₂ at Westgate
Press Release

Using an environmentally friendly cement in the construction of their new headquarters in the Westgate development, Eircom will save the emission of some 1,700 tonnes of CO₂ to the atmosphere, which is equivalent of taking 400 cars off the road for one year.

The environmentally friendly cement, supplied by cement manufacturer Ecocem, is a recycled product recovered from the smelting of iron ore.

Using Ecocem cement on this project in place of ordinary Portland cement has resulted in this dramatic CO₂ saving, because in the manufacture of Portland cement just under one tonne of CO₂ is released per tonne of cement manufactured.

In addition to the CO₂ savings, the use of Ecocem cement will also save the release of some 16 tonnes of harmful pollutants to the atmosphere (including sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxides and carbon monoxide), as well as saving the energy equivalent of the electrical energy used in 350 homes in one year.

The use of Ecocem cement on this project is a win-win for all concerned, as Ecocem cement is sold at a slightly lower price than ordinary cement, but it makes more durable concrete and achieves greater strength, as well as producing a much lighter finish to exposed concrete.

A spokesperson for contractor Pierse Contracting said:

“We are pleased to be using this cement, because at no extra cost we have a structure that will outperform that made with just ordinary cement, and we are also doing our bit for the environment”.