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Process Data set: CEM I 42,5 R bulk (en) en

Key Data Set Information
Location IE
Geographical representativeness description Republic of Ireland and United Kingdom.
Reference year 2026
Name
CEM I 42,5 R bulk
Use advice for data set This EPD covers the Product Stage modules: A1, A2 and A3. This is termed 'cradle to gate'.
Technical purpose of product or process Cement is a hydraulic binder which means it hardens and sets to yield mortar when mixed with sand and water or concrete when mixed with aggregates, sand and water. The main material components of the cement are clinker, limestone and gypsum. Clinker is produced by combining naturally occurring minerals, primarily limestone, shale and clays in the cement kiln at very high material temperatures of up to 1500 degC, where the required calcium silicate and aluminate clinker minerals are formed, namely Alite (C3S), Belite (C2S) and tri-calcium aluminate (C3A). Clinker production at Breedon Ireland is achieved by co-processing coal, (which represents less than 20% of the system thermal energy requirement) with renewable alternative fuels, primarily Solid Recovered Fuel derived from the non-recyclable paper, plastic fragments known as SRF, carefully prepared by domestic waste sector. Co-processing enables both the thermal energy value to be recovered replacing fossil fuel use and the mineral components to be fully recycled, replacing virgin raw materials. Clinker, limestone and gypsum, the latter acting at a setting control material for the final product, are ground to a very fine powder known as cement. Minor components of FDPC (Flue dust Portland cement), grinding aid materials and chromate reducing agents are also added to further optimise performance requirements. The cement is manufactured at the Breedon Cement Ireland Limited manufacturing facility at Kinnegad, Co. Westmeath, Ireland in accordance with I.S. EN 197-1:2011,Compositions, specifications and conformity criteria for common cements.
General comment on data set Data quality: Time Representativeness In this LCA the data relating to the manufacturing of the clinker and the cements, and the data relating to the background processes for environmental impacts are less than 2 years old. The production year of this LCA is 2024, and the Ecoinvent version 3.11 (November 2024) database is used. These are less than 2 years apart. Time Representativeness is considered to be Very good. Geographical Representativeness The processes and material references used in this LCA to represent the production of the clinker and cements are geographically representative, insofar as the production location of the clinker and cements, and the raw materials supplied, lie within the regions for which the relevant Ecoinvent (version 3.11) environmental records have been selected, such as Europe, and Rest of World (for outside of Europe). Geographical Representativeness is considered to be Very good. Technical Representativeness Processes and energies used in the process have been modelled based on data provided by Breedon Cement and are based directly on the production data supplied by Breedon Cement in relation to raw materials, processes, emissions and wastes generated. The main impacts from the manufacture of clinker (CO2 and other emissions to air of a variety of chemical substances) in the clinker manufacturing process are taken directly from the ETS AER-Installation Report, published by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency. Impact datasets for other materials such as gypsum, shale, bags and grinding media have used datasets from Ecoinvent version 3.11, and thus the technical representativeness of the data on the raw materials is robust. Technical Representativeness is considered to be Very good. Allocation: The measurement of environmental impacts in this EPD uses the LCIA methodologies recommended for PEF 3.1. In this EPD, the waste processes are allocated in the relevant module. In the case of the use of secondary materials or energy recovered from secondary fuels, the system boundary between the system under study and the previous system (providing the secondary materials) is set where outputs of the previous system, e.g. materials, products, building elements or energy, reach the end-of-waste state. The modularity and the polluter payer principles have been followed. Cut-off criteria: All relevant inputs and outputs - like emissions, energy and materials - have been taken into account in this LCA, and in accordance with EN15804+A2:2019. The study covers at least 95% of the materials and energy per module and at least 99% of the total use of materials and energy of each unit process. Long term emissions have been excluded from the study.
Copyright Yes
Owner of data set
Quantitative reference
Reference flow(s)
Biogenic carbon content
  • Carbon content (biogenic): 0.0 kg
  • Carbon content (biogenic) - packaging: 0.0 kg
Time representativeness
Data set valid until 2031
Time representativeness description "2026-02-12" - "2031-02-11"
Technological representativeness
Technology description including background system The technical data for CEM I 42,5 R bulk is given the table below.

Indicators of life cycle

IndicatorDirectionUnit
Use of renewable primary energy (PERE)
Input
Use of renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials (PERM)
Input
Total use of renewable primary energy resource (PERT)
Input
Use of non renewable primary energy (PENRE)
Input
Use of non renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials (PENRM)
Input
Total use of non renewable primary energy resource (PENRT)
Input
Use of secondary material (SM)
Input
Use of renewable secondary fuels (RSF)
Input
Use of non renewable secondary fuels (NRSF)
Input
Use of net fresh water (FW)
Input
Hazardous waste disposed (HWD)
Output
Non hazardous waste dispose (NHWD)
Output
Radioactive waste disposed (RWD)
Output
Components for re-use (CRU)
Output
Materials for recycling (MFR)
Output
Materials for energy recovery (MER)
Output
Exported electrical energy (EEE)
Output
Exported thermal energy (EET)
Output

IndicatorUnit
Abiotic depletion potential - fossil resources (ADPF)
Abiotic depletion potential - non-fossil resources (ADPE)
Acidification potential, Accumulated Exceedance (AP)
Depletion potential of the stratospheric ozone layer (ODP)
Eutrophication potential - freshwater (EP-freshwater)
Eutrophication potential - marine (EP-marine)
Eutrophication potential - terrestrial (EP-terrestrial)
Global Warming Potential - biogenic (GWP-biogenic)
Global Warming Potential - fossil fuels (GWP-fossil)
Global Warming Potential - land use and land use change (GWP-luluc)
Global Warming Potential - total (GWP-total)
Global warming potential except emissions and uptake of biogenic carbon (GWP-IOBC/GHG)
Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential (POCP)
Water (user) deprivation potential (WDP)

IndicatorUnit
1This impact category deals mainly with the eventual impact of low dose ionizing radiation on human health of the nuclear fuel cycle. It does not consider effects due to possible nuclear accidents, occupational exposure nor due to radioactive waste disposal in underground facilities. Potential ionizing radiation from the soil, from radon and from some construction materials is also not measured by this indicator.
2The results of this environmental impact indicator shall be used with care as the uncertainties on these results are high or as there is limited experiences with the indicator.
Potential Comparative Toxic Unit for ecosystems (ETP-fw) 2
Potential Comparative Toxic Unit for humans - cancer effects (HTP-c) 2
Potential Comparative Toxic Unit for humans - non-cancer effects (HTP-nc) 2
Potential Human exposure efficiency relative to U235 (IRP) 1
Potential Soil quality index (SQP) 2
Potential incidence of disease due to PM emissions (PM) 2