Displaying items by tag: Government
HeidelbergCement joins First Movers Coalition
19 May 2022Germany: The World Economic Forum and US State Department have welcomed HeidelbergCement as the newest member of the First Movers Coalition. Founded in 2021, the coalition brings together companies across multiple industrial sectors to coordinate the creation of demand for emerging reduced-CO2 production technologies. As part of its membership, HeidelbergCement commits to purchasing zero-emission vehicles for 30% of new heavy-duty truck purchases and 100% of medium-duty truck purchases by 2030.
US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry said “I welcome HeidelbergCement to the First Movers Coalition, and its commitment to purchasing zero-emissions trucking solutions that the world must focus on scaling up over this critical decade. The First Movers Coalition is a critical pillar of the world's efforts to advance breakthrough zero emissions technologies to decarbonise many of the largest sectors of the global economy and to put us on a track to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.”
Australia: Boral and carbon capture specialist Calix have received US$21m in government funding for the launch of carbon capture and storage (CCS) feasibility study at the producer's Berrima cement plant in New South Wales. Local press has reported that Boral aims to establish a 100,000t/yr-capacity capture facility at the plant. Initially, the project will involve commercial model and pilot design to assess the engineering and commercial viability of the project. This phase is scheduled for completion in June 2023.
Chief operating officer Darren Schulz said "This is game changing technology for our industry and will play a critical role in supporting customers' sustainability targets. Together, Boral and Calix have access to the required infrastructure, technology and operational expertise required to deliver this project and lead the way in reducing emissions across the industry." Schulz concluded "If successful, we believe this project will enable the national rollout of carbon capture technology to Australia's cement and lime industry creating smarter and more sustainable solutions for our customers."
Germany: The Ministry for Economy and Climate Protection has presented HeidelbergCement with its German Climate and Environment Innovation Prize (IKU) for its ReConcrete-360° concrete recycling process. The process retrieves hardened cement paste from waste demolition concrete for use in place of limestone in clinker and cement production. The recycled material can also bind CO2 to act as a carbon sink.
Global research and development Wolfgang Dienemann said “With ReConcrete-360°, we have succeeded in developing a limestone substitute from demolished concrete that also allows us to use the carbon-containing exhaust gases from cement production. A small revolution with a big impact: In Germany alone, the CO2 savings potential of this process is 10Mt/yr. The IKU award underlines that we can be proud of our pioneering innovation.”
Namibia: The Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation has shut down production at the Whale Rock Cement plant near Otjiwarongo due to non-compliance with labour laws on the health and safety of employees. A notice was delivered instructing the factory to close its grinding station, packing machine, cement warehouse and cement workshop, according to the Namibia Press Agency. The plant has been ordered to remain closed until all hazardous areas have been made safe. This is expected to take a week. Affected employees are entitled to full remuneration during this period.
The decision to close the plant followed labour inspections in April and May 2022. During the inspections one employee reportedly lost a finger at the pallet stacking area and another sustained finger injuries when he was unblocking the dust collector. Workers said that they work in a dusty environment with no dust masks. They also alleged that a Chinese supervisor brings a gun to work to intimidate them.
The cement company is a Chinese joint-venture and it also trades under the Cheetah Cement brand name. Around 210 Namibians and 44 Chinese nationals work for the company. In April 2022 eight workers at the plant were deported to China for working without adequate work permits.
Ethiopia: The Ministry of Industry has asked cement plants to sell their products directly and excluded distributors from the market. In a letter sent to 10 cement companies the ministry asked the plants to tell it the names of the agents that had blocked, according to the Ethiopian Reporter newspaper. The government is attempting to minimise the distribution chain for cement and reduce its end price. It also plans to take measures against cement pants that continue to use agents. The ministry has been asking cement plants to provide information about their production and distribution lines over the past nine months to support its market monitoring.
Vietnam: ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions Vietnam (TISV) and the Vietnam Institute of Building Materials (VIBM) have signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between both parties on the research and application of new technologies towards reducing the CO2 emissions of cement production. At the signing ceremony, Lukas Schoeneck, the chief executive officer of TISV confirmed his commitment to collaborate with VIBM, under the guidance of the Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh. The parties now plan to identify a lighthouse project that will use alternative fuels in response to an increase in the global price of coal.
Pham Van Bac, Head of the Building Material Division at the Ministry of Construction, said that Vietnam is implementing the a strategy for the development of building materials for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050. The plan for the cement industry is to limit the use of natural resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save energy while promoting the maximum use of waste streams from industries and domestic sources as raw materials in cement production.
Arizona, Maryland and Vermont governments approve Portland limestone cement for public procurement
11 May 2022US: The state governments of Arizona, Maryland and Vermont have approved the use of Portland limestone cement (PLC) in public construction projects. The rule changes bring the total number of states in which PLC may be used in this way to 44.
The Portland Cement Association (PCA) has welcomed the decision. The association said "Widespread acceptance of PLC marks a significant step to reducing the carbon footprint of concrete construction and advancing the goals laid out in the PCA Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality."
UK: The Mineral Products Association (MPA) says it is disappointed that UK-based cement and lime producers have been excluded from the government’s compensation scheme for climate change costs. The association says that the government has, “missed an opportunity to support two essential industries during the current energy crisis, despite other industry sectors - which directly compete with cement and lime - receiving the compensation.”
Under the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) scheme, some energy intensive industries can apply for compensation from the indirect costs of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) and Carbon Price Support (CPS) if they meet certain criteria. In the government’s 2021 consultation on the compensation mechanism, energy intensive industries needed to meet at least one of three tests to qualify. However, the MPA says that BEIS later changed this so that they had to pass all three tests and modified the targets.
Diana Casey, Director for Energy and Climate Change at the MPA, said “It is extremely disappointing that having met the criteria set out in the consultation, BEIS has decided to move the goalposts and exclude cement and lime from the scheme. UK manufacturers of all products face higher electricity and gas costs than European competitors, and this decision misses an opportunity to support the competitiveness of the UK cement and lime sectors, both essential foundation industries, especially during the current energy crisis and rapidly rising costs. Reaching net zero and delivering our economic potential requires huge investment from global businesses and it becomes harder to make the case for the UK as a location for such investment if policy costs make operating in the UK uncompetitive.”
Government of Quebec allocates US$36m towards upgrade at Ciment Québec’s Saint Basile plant
04 May 2022Canada: The Government of Quebec says it will allocate up to US$36m towards a US$110m upgrade project at Ciment Québec’s integrated St Basile plant. The plant intends to build a new grinding unit including new reception, storage and raw material handling systems and two mills. The work is intended to reduce the CO2 emissions from the plant. France-based Fives FCB previously said that it had won a contract for the project. Commissioning of the new equipment is scheduled for the beginning of 2024.
India: Dalmia Cement (Bharat) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Denmark-based FLSmidth to collaborate in the research and development of sustainable solutions for cement manufacturing. The agreement has been arranged under the ‘Green Strategic Partnership’ initiatives between Denmark and India that cover energy and climate change.
Under the MOU both companies will cooperate on a range of areas such as substituting conventional energy supplies with renewable sources and working towards CO2 emissions abatement. Both companies have committed to contributing research and development towards eventually building an industrial scale production plant where the new concepts can be further tested.
Mahendra Singhi, the managing director and chief executive officer of Dalmia Cement (Bharat) said, “In alignment with the ambitious net zero vision of our Prime Minister Narendra Modiji and given the strength and stature of our respective organisations, this association will provide futuristic solutions to the cement and concrete industry to emerge clean and green.” He added that India and Dalmia Cement in particular were keen to develop a roadmap for the implementation of Industry 4.0 with totally decarbonised cement plants and a ‘lighthouse’ cement plant.