The new kiln at the Airvault cement plant (Deux-Sèvres) is now operational, a first in France for almost 50 years.

A dry-process kiln line at the heart of the cement manufacturing process

The commissioning of four 6 This marks a major evolution in the site's industrial construction system. This new line is based on a process that dry process with precalciner, now standard in modern cement plants.

This type of oven allows you to:

• another better thermal efficiency,
• a reduction in energy consumption,
• an optimization of the firing of clinker, the main component of cement.

A precalciner is a piece of equipment that allows for the initial decarbonation of the raw material before it enters the rotary kiln, thus reducing the overall thermal load.

With a stated capacity of 4,000 tonnes per dayThis installation replaces two older semi-dry track lines, which were less energy-efficient.

A large-scale industrial construction site covering 21 hectares

The project was deployed on an area of 21 hectares : , with a total duration of 1 days between the launch and the production of the first clinker.

The volumes involved illustrate the scale of the project:

• 18 tons of steel
• 38,000 m³ of concrete
• up to 700 people mobilized daily at peak activity

This data reflects a complete industrial tool reconstruction operation, involving major construction companies, structural engineering firms and cement process specialists.

"With the commissioning of this new cement plant in Airvault, Heidelberg Materials confirms its ambition to invest sustainably in French industry."

In this type of project, coordination between project owner, project manager and companies is crucial, particularly to comply with industrial safety constraints and business continuity requirements.

Environmental performance based on alternative fuels

The new oven is designed to work with up to 90% alternative fuelsThis can involve industrial waste or biomass, as a substitute for fossil fuels.

This technical lever allows:

• to reduce the carbon footprint of the process,
• to convert waste into energy,
• to limit dependence on conventional fuels.

The stated objective is a reduction of more than 30% in specific CO₂ emissions.

This development is in line with European regulatory requirements, in particular the emissions trading system (EU ETS), which requires manufacturers to reduce their emissions.

However, the widespread use of alternative fuels requires:

• strict control of inputs,
• an adaptation of combustion equipment,
• rigorous monitoring of atmospheric emissions.

Modernization supported by public funding

The project received public financial support:

• 24 million euros via the France Relance plan
• 1 million euros from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region

These measures aim to support industrial modernization and the energy transition of production sites.

This type of investment is part of a strategy to maintain industrial facilities in the region, while improving their environmental performance.

A preliminary step towards the deep decarbonization of the site

The commissioning of this new line constitutes a first phase in a broader strategy to reduce emissions.

"This is an exceptional project and a new chapter is opening in the more than century-long history of the Airvault site."

The site aims for a trajectory of 400 kg of CO₂ per tonne of cement by 2030, in line with the sector's objectives.

This modernization is preparing, in particular, for the deployment of the project. AirvaultGoCO2, focused on the capture, storage and utilization of CO₂ (CCUS).

"A solid foundation for embarking on the next stage of deep decarbonization of the site."

CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage) involves capturing the CO₂ emitted during production, then storing it or reusing it in other industrial applications.

A concrete example of the evolution of French cement plants

The Airvault cement plant thus became a benchmark in industrial modernization, in a context where few new units have been built in France since the 1970s.

This project illustrates a fundamental trend in the sector:

• modernization of existing tools rather than construction ex nihilo.
• improvement of the thermal performance of the industrial building envelope,
• progressive integration of decarbonization technologies.

For stakeholders in the construction industry, particularly general contractors and specifiers, these developments directly impact the value chain:

• availability of materials,
• carbon footprint of the structures,
• compliance with environmental standards (RE2020, European taxonomy).

The transformation of the Airvault site shows that the optimization of industrial processes remains an essential step before any major technological breakthrough.