LC3 CEMENT
Company:
LC3 was developed as open source by EPFL in Switzerland and UCLV in Cuba.
Location:
Lausanne, Switzerland.
Products:
LC3: Ternary blend cement (Limestone Calcinated Clay Cement)
LC2: SCM (Limestone, Calcined Clay)
Technology:
LC3 is made at a cement plant that has been modified to calcine and grind clay (typically kaolinite) that is then added as a 30% replacement for cement. Limestone is added as a 15% replacement for cement. The net OPC clinker is reduced from 95% clinker to 50% clinker.
Benefits:
Cement emissions are reduced by 40% vs. OPC, and by 33% vs PLC (Type 1L). Typically less expensive than OPC. Can be produced in almost any country, and is currently prevalent in the global south. Suitable clay deposits for calcined clay are vast and globally dispersed. Low CAPEX. Can be blended in a typical cement plant by using LC2.
Possible disadvantages:
Concrete takes on the color of the clay used and is often a brownish-yellow buff color. Not widely available in U.S. Needs to be near clay and limestone sources.
Status:
Many cement plant are currently being modified to produce LC3 or LC2. As of 2025, LC3 was being produced in about 8 states in the U.S.
TRL estimated at 9.
Production:
Commercial scale at many cement plants in the U.S. 2025 estimated production of 500,000 Mt.