An innovative new cement is to soon hit the New Zealand marketplace, with Mount Maunganui-based HR Cement expecting to unveil its eco-cem product in the second half of 2019.

Currently in the final stages of development, the cement will provide “all of the benefits” of pozzolans, says HR Cement sales director Cameron Greig.

“As a low-embodied carbon cement offering high durability, Eco-cem is an innovative product in a New Zealand context,” explains Mr Greig.

Mr Greig is keen to point out that the new cement won a New Zealand Concrete Society Technology Award Commendation in 2017 and was also a Sustainable Business Networks Awards Finalist.

“Overseas, the use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) to reduce the clinker factor is much more common than it is here in New Zealand.”

“The current market is asking for low-carbon solutions and very soon we will be able to satisfy this need. HR Cement are totally committed to bring it to market as soon as we are able.”

HR Cement’s operation is based on importing high-quality clinker from Asia, which it then mill-grinds locally for distribution throughout the upper North Island.

“Our mission has always been to reliably supply quality cement at a competitive rate. It was soon realised that importing clinker from overseas and processing it here would give the best outcome. So, we import full shiploads of clinker of around 30,000 tonnes into Tauranga,” says Mr Greig.

“The advantage of importing clinker is that it is non-reactive and does not require any special handling except for a dry shed. If we had chosen to import cement, we would have to manage potential hydration issues during shipping, storage and distribution.”

“The initial step in processing the clinker is to run it through the pre-grinder which reduces the particle size to around 3 mm, then gypsum is added and together they are fed into the mill which grinds the components to make the cement. We have 3,500 tonnes of storage for finished cement on site.”

“We supply cement in bulk to ready mixed concrete and concrete product manufacturers as far south as Whanganui and the Hawkes Bay, and north up to Auckland. Distribution is through a fleet of nine, all-new lightweight aluminium tankers towed by top-of-the-line low emission tractor units, which are very fuel efficient and carry 31 tonnes (via quad trailers) or 36 tonnes (via truck and trailer).”

“We have a second mill line planned that will give us more production security and allow production of our new Eco-cem cement.”

“As the company grew, different clinkers were trialled. For over two years now we have been using clinker supplied from Heidelberg Cement’s Pukrung plant in central Thailand. This plant produces five million tonnes per annum and has a proven reputation as a consistent and quality supplier.”

Mr Greig describes the firm’s Type GP cement, which is branded Xtra-cem, as having the following key features:

• early-age strength;
• high 28-day strength; and
• local quality control.

Mr Greig concludes that the cement market has “changed significantly” in the last few years due to the arrival of imported products and new distribution networks.

“More suppliers mean greater competition, which can only be good for the customer. Traditionally, the cements in New Zealand have been very similar but now the market offers variety, and as an innovator HR Cement is ideally placed to provide a quality alternative for local concrete and concrete product manufacturers.”

Taken from Concrete magazine.