MITCHELL – Heidelberg Materials cut the ribbon at their new cement plant in Mitchell, culminating over a decade of planning on the project, which saw over $600 million invested into Lawrence County by the company.
The previous plant at the location was over 50 years old before the construction of this updated one, which is now North America’s second-largest cement plant.
A noticeable feature of the site is the 219-foot-wide, 164-foot-high storage dome, which can hold 154,000 tons of clinker, the intermediate material produced in the manufacture of Portland cement.
Heidelberg Materials CEO Dr. Dominik von Achten, who spoke during the event, said the plant will not only be an impressive feat of scale but also sustainability, with the company looking to decarbonize the facility within the next seven years.
“With the Department of Energy, we have been dedicated three grants, in order to work on a field study to do carbon capture and storage right here in Mitchell, to fully decarbonize the plant at the latest by 2030. If that comes to fruition, this will be one of the most sustainable cement plants on the planet,” he said.
The plant will be capable of producing more than 2.4 million tons of cement a year and will create 50 new full-time jobs, in addition to the 120 already employed at the location.
