The concrete market in Brunei in Southeast Asia is challenging, relying on imported CEM I and little access to SCMs. The country's largest concrete supplier, Readymix Brunei, was looking for a way to reduce costs and carbon.
The recently opened Hengyi Power Plant presented an opportunity for Readymix Brunei. The plant produces 100,000 tonnes of fly ash annually, which was being disposed of due to its poor reactivity, limiting cement replacement levels to 5%. If Readymix Brunei could boost its performance, its low cost of $20/tonne (vs cement at $100/tonne) and low carbon of 28 kg/tonne (vs cement at 800 kg/tonne) would make it an attractive opportunity.
Blending 3% Neocrete with the fly ash boosted its performance to enable Readymix Brunei to substitute cement by 43% in pilot trials and 30% in commercial projects to date. A small blending plant was set up in under six months, costing less than US$100k to deliver Neocrete pre-blended with the ash to existing fly ash silos at six ready-mix plants.
On top of significant cement and embodied carbon reduction at a lower cost across all grades, the resulting concrete has extended workability, enhanced durability and does not need other additives.

