THE recently-constructed Tilbury Cement Works at the Port of Tilbury on the River Thames, has reached a major milestone, with the plant commencing import and distribution of cement.

The first deep-sea vessel has discharged material into the site, which includes a new port landmark with its inflatable silo, heralding the transition from construction through to active operations. Formerly the company was known as Aggregate Industries, but rebranded to Holcim UK last year.

This phase forms part of the site's wet commissioning programme and represents the first operational step in a facility designed to reshape cement supply into one of the UK's highest‑demand regions.

The new cement works combines deep‑water marine access with large‑scale storage, automated logistics and a modular grinding and blending system that will come online later in 2026.

Tim Fry, Project Manager at Holcim UK, said: "Initiating import and distribution of cementitious materials is a major step forward for Tilbury Cement Works and for Holcim's ability to serve customers across the South East.

"This phase demonstrates the strength of the systems we've built, from marine logistics to storage and dispatch, and reflects the hard work of everyone involved in bringing this facility to life.

"As construction concludes in 2026 and we move into full operations, Tilbury will provide the flexibility, reliability and capacity to support our customers with a range of conventional, low carbon and circular cementitious materials."

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Tilbury's flagship facility is geared to support 24/7 operations and includes a new ship‑to‑shore conveyor system, enclosed belt conveyors and the UK's first 30,000‑tonne cement dome silo. Material is transferred directly from vessel to storage, before being processed and dispatched through six loading heads and five weighbridges.

While cement import and distribution signals Tilbury Cement Works going live, the next major milestone will be the completion and commissioning of the site's vertical roller mill (VRM) later in 2026. The VRM will grind granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) and recycled concrete fines (RCF), enabling the production of ground granulated blast furnace slag GGBFS and blended cements.

Full product lines, including Holcim's ECOPlanet low‑carbon cement and ECOPlanet with ECOCycle circular materials, will come online in early 2027. The terminal has been engineered with forward flexibility, allowing it to process future materials, such as calcined clay, as the UK transitions to lower‑carbon construction.

Mohamed Alami, Managing Director of Holcim UK's Cement Division, said: "Tilbury is a transformational investment for Holcim UK. It will ultimately support our ECOPlanet low-carbon cement and ECOPlanet with ECOCycle and accelerate the shift to low‑carbon and circular construction.

"This reflects our commitment to making sustainable construction a reality, and building a resilient, future‑ready supply chain for our customers."

For more about Holcim UK and its Tilbury Cement Works facility, click here: https://www.holcim.co.uk/tilbury