Endesa and LafargeHolcim Spain have taken a step forward in their zero emissions strategy by signing a framework agreement that establishes the bases for both companies, thanks to the leadership they exercise in their respective areas -energy and construction materials-, to continue expanding its contribution to the change of model towards a low carbon economy.
The two companies have identified different areas of action in which to establish synergies that raise their environmental ambition and, as a consequence, reinforce their commitment to provide added value to society.
Thanks to this business symbiosis, LafargeHolcim will prioritize the use of renewable energy supplied by Endesa , thus supporting its decarbonization processes by replacing traditional sources of electricity with renewable energy . For its part, Endesa will preferentially use solutions from LafargeHolcim’s sustainable portfolio of cements, concretes and mortars, such as ECOPlanet, ECOPact and Tector, for its construction and facility maintenance projects.
The circular economy, key to decarbonisation
The circular economy is also the protagonist of this agreement. Both companies have agreed to reuse industrial waste such as the ashes generated in the thermal power plants, now closed, such as Litoral en Carboneras . These ashes represent an alternative and sustainable material for use in the cement production process, thus achieving a final product with a reduction in CO2 emissions.
The agreement contemplates the reuse of other Endesa by-products such as construction and demolition waste and the development of technologies for the recycling of wind blades and their use in the construction of new infrastructures. In this way, both companies promote a circular economy model based on industrial symbiosis.
Finally, the agreement promotes a research and analysis framework on circular economy, as well as the commitment to study the best practices of the two organizations and their possible applications.
At the signing ceremony, José Bogas, CEO of Endesa, assured that “our decarbonisation goals are increasingly ambitious and can only be achieved if we apply circular economy criteria. And furthermore, and just as importantly, if leading companies such as Endesa and LafargeHolcim establish cooperation frameworks such as the one we have signed today that allow us to fully exploit our possibilities of advancing in the energy transition”.
For his part, Isidoro Miranda, CEO of LafargeHolcim Spain, stressed that “climate change is a great challenge. It is estimated that 60% of the infrastructure that humanity will need by 2050 has not yet been built. Therefore, the key is innovation in the construction materials themselves, as well as in their manufacturing processes. This agreement is an excellent starting point that will allow us to accelerate the decarbonisation of processes and infrastructures”.
In addition to the CEOs of both companies, the signing ceremony was attended by Endesa, María Malaxechevarría, General Director of Sustainability, and Juan María Moreno, General Director of Energy Management; while Carmen Díaz, Commercial Director and Ricardo de Pablos, Director of Cement and Export Business Development, attended on behalf of LafargeHolcim.
LafargeHolcim and Endesa are committed to complying with the Paris Agreements and the fight against climate change, the greatest challenge facing humanity at the moment. Within the framework of the 2030 Agenda, this agreement will allow both companies to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically, SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) 12, ( responsible production and consumption), 13 (climate action) and 17 (partnerships to achieve the goals).