DENVER –GCC’s Rapid City Plant earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2020 ENERGY STAR® certification for superior energy performance. GCC’s Rapid City Plant was the only cement plant in South Dakota to qualify.

“ENERGY STAR certification highlights GCC’s innovation in sustainability and indicates that our plants are in the top tier of the most efficient plants in the nation,” said Ron Henley, U.S. division president. “Earning ENERGY STAR certification again demonstrates that we are well on our way to achieving our vision to be the best cement company in North America.”

“Compared to average facilities, these plants saved $400 million on energy bills which is equal to the payroll value of more than 8,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs.”

Environmental Protection Agency

Rapid City Plant’s upgrades increased production capacity of Kiln 6 by 440,000 metric tons per year. The significant increase in the installed capacity demonstrated our ability to achieve sustainable growth by decommissioning two wet kilns and leveraging those permitted emissions to offset permit requirements needed for the expansion.

Rapid City Plant’s upgrades increased production capacity of Kiln 6 by 440,000 metric tons per year.

GCC’s Pueblo, Colorado, plant also earned an ENERGY STAR and was the only cement plant in that state to receive the prestigious award.

GCC’s participation in ENERGY STAR’s industrial program provides the company with benchmarking tools specific to the cement industry by comparing energy performance with other similar plants. GCC uses the information to establish meaningful energy performance goals. As of 2019, 33 diverse industrial sectors worked with ENERGY STAR to manage their energy use, from cookie and cracker bakeries and cement plants to integrated steel mills and petroleum refineries. More than 1,800 sites participated in the certification process and only those plants in the top 25 percent of energy performance nationwide earned the prestigious certification.

About GCC: The Rapid City Plant has been part of the GCC portfolio for 20 years. GCC celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2021. GCC is a leading supplier and producer of cement, concrete, aggregates and construction‐related services in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Annual cement production capacity is 5.8 million metric tons. The company employs approximately 3,000 in the U.S. and Mexico.

Read the EPA announcement at: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-2020-energy-starr-certified-manufacturing-plants