Fortera and MLC plan to build Fortera’s first commercial low-carbon cement plant at MLC’s Ste. Genevieve site. The plant would capture CO₂ emitted by MLC’s lime production and transform it into a reactive cement that is nearly 50% captured CO₂ by weight.
The Ste. Genevieve operation was selected due to its scale and strategic location. Situated in the Central Midwest on the Mississippi River, the site enables economical delivery across most of the United States and internationally. Adding domestic cement supply also reduces U.S. reliance on foreign imports, which account for 21% of consumption, according to the 2025 U.S. Geological Survey.
“ReAct cement is one of the most consequential cement innovations in generations, introducing a fundamentally new way to manufacture an essential building material that meets or exceeds traditional cement’s performance,” Fortera stated.
By transforming captured CO₂ from lime production into value-added cement, this project offers an approach to reduce the carbon footprint of two critical, hard-to-abate industries. Cement accounts for 8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (according to the U.S. Department of Energy), so innovations have the potential to meaningfully impact global climate change.
“The Ste. Genevieve plant marks a new era for American cement production, one where technology turns emissions into a high-quality product the market needs while creating lasting local jobs,” said Ryan Gilliam, CEO and co-founder of Fortera. “Building alongside the largest lime operation in the Americas lets us turn an existing emissions stream into hundreds of thousands of tons of cement to meet demand that already exists.”
This project is also significant for the lime industry because it provides a scalable solution to capture and re-use CO₂ released by limestone during calcination, which generates roughly 60% of scope-1 emissions. The National Lime Association (NLA) aims to decarbonize the U.S. lime industry by 2050; meeting that goal requires innovation in low-fcarbon technologies.
“While MLC has reduced our carbon footprint by 8% since 2022, and I am proud of that progress, current technologies will only take us so far. Lime producers need practical solutions to capture calcination emissions,” said Paul Hogan, CEO of MLC and current serving president of the NLA. “Fortera has developed an innovative approach that not only reduces the amount of carbon we release -– it also turns it into a valuable product.”
The cement manufactured at the Ste. Genevieve plant is planned to be used across the Midwest, including by Ozinga, a fifth-generation, family-owned concrete and building materials company.
“Scaling the next generation of cement requires more than innovative technology; it requires strong partnerships across our industry,” said Marty Ozinga, CEO of Ozinga. “Fortera’s ongoing work with Ozinga represents the kind of collaboration needed to bring lower-carbon cement solutions to commercial scale while strengthening domestic manufacturing and ensuring we can continue to deliver the performance and reliability our customers expect.”
