The bauxite residue (BR) is the solid waste of largest generation by the aluminum industry, with a generation estimated in 10 million ton/year in Brazil. Its high alkalinity demands elevated costs to store it safely. Due to the high content of Al 2 O 3 and Fe 2 O 3 in BR, the present study evaluated its application for the synthesis of iron rich sulfobelite clinkers. Because of its composition, the cement made with this clinker presents environmental (30% to 62% reduction of CO 2 -equivalent emission), economic and even technical advantages over Portland cements. Formulations containing: limestone, gypsum, BR and clay, were fired at 1230°C to synthesize the clinkers. Variations in BR and clay content were studied to obtain three formulations, F-15, F-18 and F-21, of different Al 2 O 3 /Fe 2 O 3 ratio values. Cements containing more than 10.5 wt-% of BR achieved mechanical resistance comparable to Portland cements (CP-II-Z32 and CP-V-ARI) for 7 and 28 days of curing age.