SCHWENK Latvija is the only cement producer and one of the leading building materials’ producers’ in Latvia offering its customers high quality cement, aggregates and ready-mix. SCHWENK Latvija is a part of SCHWENK Building materials group, with headquarters in Ulm, Germany.

SCHWENK plant in Brocēni is proud to be the only cement plant in Latvia. Alongside the historical site, which started the operations in 1938 and was the key towards Brocēni development as a city, since 2010 operates one of the most modern cement plants in Europe. Using road, maritime and railway transport, cement produced in Latvia is delivered to customers in Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Sweden, Finland and Belarus.

Although the Brocēni cement plant is already one of the most modern and environmentally friendly in Europe, where almost 90% of fuel is an alternative fuel, and CO2 emissions have been reduced by 35% since 2010, the company also faces the challenges in achieving the objectives the EU Green Deal. At the same time it is clear that the green economy is the only way to work in the future, and Brocēni is currently undergoing the largest investment project since the start of the plant, investing a total of more than 34 million euros. It is planned that at the end of 2021, another cement mill and a multi-chamber silo for cement storage will start operating at the Brocēni cement plant. This will allow more efficient use of the existing capacity of the cement plant, expand the range of cement produced in Latvia with more environmentally friendly product types and look towards new export markets, as well as use more alternative raw materials and alternative fuels with a higher biomass content, thus significantly reducing CO2 emissions.

Brocēni cement plant was specifically built for the use of alternative fuel. All fuel is regularly and strictly controlled before it is used in the plant. Suppliers perform a full chemical analysis of materials in the independent, accredited laboratory and submit the test results to SCHWENK Latvija before deliveries of these materials. Additionally, tests are also performed in our laboratory for each freight delivered to the Broceni plant. The use of alternative fuel is supervised and controlled with the operating console and laboratory, the fuel is stored in modern storages, but ashes produced during the burning process are used in production of clinker. Alternative fuel used in the plant is specially treated and prepared household and industrial waste (SRF), chipped tyres, tyre textile and neutralized polluted soil (neutralized polluted soil from the most polluted area in Latvia – Incukalns goudron ponds was delivered to Brocēni cement plant for usage as alternative fuel). After use of alternative fuel, zero amount of any kind of waste enters environment. Besides tests of new potential alternative fuel materials are provided.

SCHWENK Latvija footprint is 8% of total Latvia’s CO2, with Brocēni cement plant it is completed with five ready-mix plants and five aggregate quarries. The company employs nearly 350 people.

Right after European Commission launched its ambitious strategy of the Green Deal, SCHWENK group started to work on its own CO2 reduction roadmap. By fully supporting European climate goals, three climate goals have been set and started to implement.

CO2 Reduction Roadmap for Brocēni cement plant:

• (Goal 1) Reduce the average CO2 emission factor of the clinker production till 2025 for saving approximately 61 000 t CO2 annually.
• (Goal 2) Reduce the average clinker factor (% clinker in cement) till 2025 to the level that would save 122 000 t of clinker and thus – 76 000 t CO2 annually.
• (Goal 3) Until 2035 have the first CO2 neutral cement plant in SCHWENK Group by leveraging on presently developed future technologies for carbon capture, storage and utilization.