NEWS
Five Objections to Low-Carbon Cement – and Why They Don’t Hold Up
We hear a lot of reasons not to switch to low-carbon cement. Some of them are understandable. Most of them, when tested against actual trial data and industry evidence, don’t hold up.
Here are the five most common objections we encounter from concrete producers and specifiers – and our Technical & Commercial Director Ian St. Hilaire explains why they’re actually not a concern.
1. “It’ll cost more and hurt my margins”
IAN ST. HILAIRE:
Our MevoXL product keeps mixes cost-neutral and in some cases can save money compared to using Portland cement.
Mevo XL works by allowing manufacturers use more low-carbon SCMs in their mix designs, therefore decreasing embodied carbon by up to 80% per cubic metre compared to conventional mixes.
And depending on the mix design and materials used, MevoXL can actually reduce costs.
While MevoXL works across ready-mix and precast, semi-dry applications in particular can see considerable cost-savings.
A medium-sized company producing semi-dry precast concrete blocks, bricks, pavers or roof tiles, for example, could save up to £300,000 per year in material costs.
In the longer term, producers who shift their mix designs away from imported OPC and towards higher SCM content now are likely to benefit from a more stable cost position over time.
2. “High SCM levels will slow my early strengths and hold up production“
IAN ST. HILAIRE:
Poor early strengths in high-SCM mixes is exactly the problem that MevoXL was designed to solve.
Concrete manufacturers know that replacing OPC with SCMs like GGBS, PFA, limestone powder filler and others can result in slower early-age strength development. This matters a lot in both precast production – where demoulding on a fixed cycle drives throughput – and ready-mix, where build programme depends on it.
MevoXL is fundamentally an accelerator that helps promote early strengths in high-SCM mixes, so manufacturers don’t lose turnaround, cycle time, or build turnaround time.
In our production trials, we have consistently demonstrated that high-SCM mixes with MevoXL achieve early-age strength profiles comparable to CEM I reference mixes, with no impact on demoulding schedule or throughput.
Check out our technical case studies with data on how this works.
For ready-mix producers, MevoXL is compatible with standard superplasticiser admixtures and is designed to work within normal transport and placement conditions.
3. “My product won’t be code-compliant if I use innovative materials“
IAN ST. HILAIRE:
Yes they will – concretes made with MevoXL fall under BS8500 / EN206.
MevoXL enables concrete manufacturers to use the highest SCM replacement levels under BS8500 (shown below) in ready-mix and wetcast concrete. MevoXL also fits within the BS8500 standard for allowable admixtures.
| SCM | Maximum replacement allowed under BS8500 |
| GGBS | 95% |
| PFA | 55% |
| Limestone powder filler | 35% |
| Calcined clay | 55% |
| Other pozzolans | 55% |
| Concrete demolition waste or other non-traditional SCMs | Not currently allowed under standards |
Dry and semi-dry cast products, like blocks, pavers, roof tiles, etc., follow performance-based standards, and our lab team rigorously tests every formulation and dosage of MevoXL to ensure it consistently meets or exceeds the customer’s performance requirements and therefore compliance with product codes (such as 771-3 for masonry blocks).
4. “I’ll have to change my equipment and processes“
IAN ST. HILAIRE:
We provide MevoXL in various formats to accommodate your dosing infrastructure: bulk tankers, one-tonne bags, small buckets or dissolvable bags.
MevoXL is a powder admixture that is dosed alongside the rest of the mix using standard batching and dosing infrastructure.
For producers who are already handling multiple powder products – OPC, GGBS, pigments, powder admixtures – the logistics of adding a new material are well understood. Our team supports the onboarding process, including supply chain setup and trial logistics, so that first batches can run on a schedule that suits the plant.
5. “I won’t be able to make carbon reduction claims“
IAN ST. HILAIRE:
We work with our customers to provide Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for our products.
EPDs can be provided with every product delivery and used directly in whole-life carbon assessments, LCCG benchmark comparisons, and tender submissions.
We provide verified, product-level carbon data for our materials calculated to EN 15804:2012+A2:2019 (gross carbon emissions, A1–A3 cradle to gate). Where clients require a full EPD – a third-party verified, ISO-compliant carbon declaration – we support producers through the development process. EPDs provide the strongest available evidence for a carbon claim and are increasingly required on large infrastructure and public sector projects.
For a quick estimate of how much carbon you can save in your specific mix design with MevoXL, use our carbon calculator estimation here.
The Bottom Line
Every one of these objections reflects a reasonable concern. The concrete industry is not short of cases where new materials have been promoted with optimistic claims and have failed to deliver in real production conditions.
What we can say is that the objections above have been tested in real UK plants, on real production lines, with real product certifications at stake. The trial data is available, the carbon calculations are verified, and the production teams involved in our trials have seen the results for themselves.
If any of these concerns resonates with where you are right now, we’d rather discuss the specifics of your operation than offer a generic reassurance. Get in touch – a 30-minute call with our technical team is the fastest route to an honest answer.
Sources
MPA The Concrete Centre / LCCG. ‘Embodied carbon of concrete: Market Benchmark 2025.’ www.concretecentre.com/marketbenchmark
One Click LCA. Product-level carbon calculation to EN 15804:2012+A2:2019. www.oneclicklca.com
BS 8500-1:2023+A1:2023 – Concrete: Complementary British Standard to BS EN 206. BSI.
BS EN 771-3: Specification for masonry units – Part 3: Aggregate concrete masonry units. BSI.