Displaying items by tag: Solar power
Holcim breaks ground on Go4Zero at Obourg
17 May 2024Belgium: Holcim kicked-off its Go4Zero project at its Obourg plant on 16 May 2024 in an event attended by the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and the European Commissioner for Climate Action Wopke Hoekstra. The €500m Go4Zero project, supported with €230m of funding from the European Union, will enable the integrated plant to reduce its CO2 emissions by 30% by 2027 and to produce 2Mt/yr of CO2-free cement by 2029. When fully operational, the Obourg plant will capture 1.2Mt/yr of CO2.
The Go4Zero project incorporates a number of approaches to achieve net-zero CO2 cement. The centrepiece is an oxy-fuel combustion process to generate an easy-to-handle exhaust gas with up to 80% CO2. This will be coupled to a cryogenic purification unit to generate a >99%-pure CO2 stream .The project will also make use of waste heat recovery (WHR), new exhaust filtration equipment and Europe’s largest floating solar panel farm.
US: Cemex has entered an off-site renewable energy agreement for its Clinchfield Cement Plant with Georgia Power, securing about 25% of its power from solar facilities throughout the state, starting in 2025. The plant will offset roughly 10,000t/yr of indirect CO₂ emissions, contributing to a 58% reduction target in Scope 2 GHG emissions from its 2020 levels by 2030.
Senior Vice President of Cemex US Ernesto Felix said "Embracing solar power not only accelerates our own aggressive sustainability goals but also sets a powerful example for the entire industry. By integrating renewable energy solutions through Georgia Power, Cemex paves the way for a greener, more resilient future for generations to come."
India: Roofsol Energy has won a contract to supply solar power plants with a total capacity of 10.5MW for Shree Cement in Jharkhand and Uttarakhand, Saur Energy News has reported.
Roofsol Energy said “Shree Cement owns and operates cement grinding units in nine locations across India and owns production facilities in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka and has operations in India and UAE. The company carries out power generation through waste heat recovery plants and now it is adopting solar plants as well.”
UltraTech to buy a minority stake in O2 Renewable Energy
28 March 2024India: UltraTech Cement plans to acquire a 26% stake in O2 Renewable Energy for around US$2m. It is making the purchase to support the energy requirements of its plants from renewable sources, according to the Times of India newspaper. O2 Renewable Energy is currently building a solar power plant in Karnataka that is expected to generate 35 – 48MW.
Yura to establish solar photovoltaic plant in Arequipa
22 March 2024Peru: Grupo Gloria subsidiary Yura plans to build a solar power plant in Yura, Arequipa. The plant will have a peak power of 31MWp and a nominal power of 27MW. The installation involves a 1.3km-long, 30kV transmission line. Gestión News has reported that the project is intended to reduce the costs associated with the company’s cement production.
Colombia: Cemex Colombia plans to source 42,900MWh/yr of renewable electricity for its Caracolita cement plant in Colima from Celsia's upcoming 20MW solar power plant in Ibague. Upon the solar plant’s commissioning in 2025, this initiative will account for 25% of the cement plant's electricity needs.
Alejandro Ramirez, president of Cemex Colombia and Peru, said "Supplying our main cement plant in Colombia with solar energy will be a decisive step in our strategy to take advantage of renewable sources for cement production in Colombia."
Ricardo Sierra, CEO of Celsia, said "The company has 17 operational solar power plants totalling more than 300MW of installed capacity in Colombia." He added "Celsia’s target is to reach 1GW of photovoltaic projects under construction and development, some of which will deliver power to the grid, and others will benefit various industrial companies."
Cemex Croatia to install solar plants with EU funding
14 March 2024Croatia: Cemex Croatia has won contracts to install solar power plants at three of its facilities, co-financed by the EU's Modernisation Fund. The company will build new solar plants at Sv. Juraj and Sv. Kajo cement plants in Kaštel Sućurac and Solin, respectively, and at the Podsused production facility in Zagreb. The total investment is valued at €5m.
The solar power plants, with a combined capacity of 6.34MW, will be installed on the roofs of these facilities. The Sv. Juraj plant will receive a 3.79MW system worth €3m, the Sv. Kajo plant a 2.14MW system valued at €1.7m, and the Podsused facility a 0.41MW system costing about €318,000. The EU's Modernisation Fund will cover 60% of the costs for the Sv. Juraj and Sv. Kajo projects and 50% for the Podsused project.
"The savings that these measures will bring to us in terms of energy consumption will increase the efficiency of our production and reduce emissions from our operations. These are just some of the projects we are planning to achieve our climate goals" said Marijan Zekić, Cemex Croatia’s project and quality assurance manager.
India: UltraTech has installed floating solar photovoltaic panels at its Awarpur Cement Works plant on two water reservoirs, spanning 3600m2. The reservoirs contain 7600 panels in total, which will generate 6173MWh/yr of solar energy. This initiative will reduce CO2 emissions by 6000Mt/yr, equivalent to the sequestration benefits of 270,000 trees. The project enables UltraTech to use 100% of the generated power. Additionally, it will reduce water evaporation by up to 70% and has a minimal impact on local ecosystems.
Cemex UK to build shore power system at Shoreham Port
06 February 2024UK: The UK Department for Transport has awarded Cemex UK a grant of just under Euro2m to build a shore power system for its maritime logistics operations at Shoreham Port in West Sussex. The system will enable the company to eliminate on-board diesel engine use during marine aggregate discharges. It will incorporate battery energy storage and solar power generation to provide constant power, whilst simulating fluctuating power demands. Cemex UK will now work with automation specialist Iconsys and the University of Warwick to deploy a demonstration system, which will run from April 2024 until April 2025.
Cemex West Europe materials operational excellence and business development director Laurence Dagley said "Our initial feasibility study for this shore power system identified an opportunity to save a significant amount of CO2 during each dredger discharge, while also improving local air quality at the port itself. We are, therefore, pleased to have received this funding to progress to the next stage of the project and undertake on-site demonstration."
Monarch Cement and Evergy Energy Solutions to build 20MW solar power plant at Humboldt cement plant
02 February 2024US: Monarch Cement and Evergy Energy Solutions plan to build a 20MW solar project in Humboldt, Kansas. The project is scheduled to commence in early 2024, and will serve as a ‘benchmark for integrating renewable energy in business operations,’ according to the partners.
Monarch Cement president Kent Webber said “The board of directors and management of Monarch Cement are extremely excited about this win-win venture, where we are making a giant movement toward achieving our 2050 carbon neutrality goals, being socially responsible and providing a more than significant return on investment to our shareholders." He added "Evergy Energy Solutions has done an incredible job of leading and providing solutions at every obstacle. We couldn't be happier with Evergy Energy Solutions’ performance, professionalism and command of the subject."