Back to Homepage

9794

Optimizing Processes to Save Energy: The Case of Ciment Québec

October 31, 2025    2 min.

As part of its efforts to modernize its facilities, the Ciment Québec plant in Saint-Basile-de-Portneuf has acquired a new cement milling process line that will allow it to reduce its annual emissions by nearly 66,200 tonnes of CO2 equivalent compared to its former facility. In this article, you will learn about the processes involved and how energy efficiency contributes to this reduction.

A cement plant firmly committed to industrial decarbonization

As the cement plant that produces the lowest carbon-intensive cement in North America, thanks to its Synergia1 process, Ciment Québec is no stranger to energy optimization initiatives. The company’s decision to begin implementing a new milling plant in 2022 is further proof of its commitment to sustainable development. The project, which should be operational by October 2025, includes a new circuit for receiving, storing and handling raw materials (limestone, clinker, gypsum, cement additives) and two new state-of-the-art mills.

Energy impact: A key issue

In this article, we focus specifically on these grinding mills and how they help reduce plant emissions. First, it is important to note that cement manufacturing releases carbon dioxide (CO2) at two stages: during calcination of finely ground limestone (the “raw meal”) and when burning the fuels needed to perform this calcination. The raw meal calcination process is what produces clinker (or quicklime), the main component of cement.

Improving raw materials to reduce the carbon footprint

The new mills at the Saint-Basile cement plant improve the grain size of the raw materials, in other words, they produce a finer limestone “meal,” which increases the specific surface area. The specific surface area is the sum of the surface area of all grains in a given amount of material. It is usually expressed in m2/g (and sometimes in m2/cm3). A larger specific surface area provides more sites available for chemical reactions, which allows for better adhesion to aggregates. In the case of the Saint-Basile cement plant, this improvement reduces the amount of clinker needed to produce the same volume of cement by 13% to 15%, thereby reducing the volume of natural gas required for calcination, and the quantity of CO2 emitted as a result.

With Énergir, greater efficiency pays off

According to forecasts, the new mills are expected to cut annual natural gas consumption by 4,250,000 m3 in relation to the old facilities, representing more than 8,000 tonnes of GHG avoided each year.2 This expected reduction enabled Ciment Québec to secure a $1 million Implementation of Energy Efficiency Measures grant through Énergir’s energy efficiency Program.

Are you considering or getting ready to implement a decarbonization project in your business?

Contact the DATECH team at [email protected] to learn more about the support and grants you may be eligible for under our energy efficiency program.

Éric Émond, P. eng.
Senior Advisor, Energy Expertise

DATECH Group

1 https://www.cimentquebec.com/en-can/sustainable-development/synergia/
2 For more information on the methodology used to calculate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction data, see our Methodologies page.

Continue reading

Harvesting Efficiency : Energy Optimization in Quebec’s Greenhouse Sector
october 31, 2025  |   and
 5 min.
ZCB-Design Standard v4: How Dual Energy Supports Excellence in Sustainable Building in Quebec
october 31, 2025  |  
 3 min.
Reducing costs and GHG emissions in the bitumen industry through energy efficiency
june 25, 2025  |   and
 4 min.
Groupe Galland chooses renewable natural gas for new buses in Mont-Tremblant
june 25, 2025  |   and
 4 min.