Displaying items by tag: Sustainability
Holcim Argentina achieves 75% renewable energy use
25 December 2023Argentina: Throughout the second half of 2023, Holcim Argentina estimates that it will use 75% renewable energy. The milestone is the outcome of an agreement signed with 360 Energy in April 2023, under which the renewable power provider contributes to the energy mix at all of Holcim Argentina’s cement production facilities. Holcim Argentina says that the deal will help to eliminate 68,600t/yr of CO2 from its operations. The producer said that it also invested in upgrades to help reduce its water consumption by 6% throughout 2023.
Holcim Argentina has invested US$1m in on-going and planned upgrades to its facilities, and plans to invest a further US$4.9m.
UltraTech Cement to acquire 26% stake in Clean Max Terra
22 December 2023India: UltraTech Cement has signed a deal to acquire a 26% stake in renewables company Clean Max Terra. The Free Press Journal has reported that the cement producer expects Clean Max Terra help it to meet its renewable energy needs, optimise its energy costs and comply with regulatory requirements for captive power consumption.
Cemex Ventures raises stake in HiiROC
20 December 2023UK: Cemex’s corporate venture capital and open innovation unit Cemex Ventures has increased its stake in green hydrogen production technology developer HiiROC. Cemex Ventures described hydrogen as a ‘breakthrough approach’ to CO2 reduction in the cement sector.
Head of Cemex Ventures Gonzalo Galindo said "This news comes at a critical moment, when COP28 has brought the world together to address and refocus the climate agenda and buckle down on the responsibility of governments and private corporations to deliver on their decarbonisation objectives ahead of 2030. With our increased investment in HiiROC, we are especially proud to be number one in the use of hydrogen in the cement sector and are committed to keep scouting new ways to deploy hydrogen at a grand scale at Cemex’s 60 cement and grinding plants.”
Greece: The EU Innovation Fund has awarded a Euro234m grant to Titan Group for its IFESTOS carbon capture and storage (CCS) project. Titan Group said that the project, the largest initiative of its kind in Europe, marks a ‘monumental leap forward’ in its decarbonisation journey. The company hopes that the project will help to promote the deployment of carbon capture technology in Greece and beyond.
IFESTOS director and project leader Aris Tsikouras said “This agreement solidifies our group’s role as leaders in driving transformative change in industrial decarbonisation across Europe. IFESTOS encapsulates our commitment to sustainability and innovation, forging a path toward a cleaner, greener and more resilient future for the industry, in line with EU climate policy.”
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne recognised as Energy Transition Changemaker for LC3 limestone calcined clay cement project
19 December 2023Switzerland/UAE: The COP28 UAE Presidency named École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) among its Energy Transition Changemakers in the Heavy Emitting Sectors category. EPFL won the prize for its LC3 limestone calcined clay cement, which replaces 50% of clinker content with calcined kaolinite clay and limestone. LC3 cement reduces CO2 emissions by 40% compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC), and is a readily available solution that can be scaled worldwide. EPFL noted the special importance of LC3 cement for CO2 reduction efforts in developing countries, and sees it as having the potential to eliminate 500Mt/yr of global CO2 emissions by 2030. In a post to LinkedIn, the LC3 Project said that nine plants around the world currently produce LC3 cement, with a further 20 planned before 2025.
Mineral Products Association welcomes UK cement carbon border adjustment mechanism plan
19 December 2023UK: The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has welcomed government plans for the implementation of a UK carbon border adjustment mechanism for cement by 2027. The association urged the government to develop policy and business models for carbon capture, use and storage, including supporting a domestic carbon neutral and negative products sector.
MPA executive director for energy and climate change Diana Casey said “We cannot take our supply of cement for granted and neither can we put ourselves at risk of unstable international trading markets. That is why today’s commitment to a UK CBAM is so important. Levelling the carbon cost between domestic production and imports will help the UK attract the investment required to decarbonise and ensure our long-term security of supply. The Government’s commitment to bring in the UK CBAM by 2027 is very welcome, and ideally it should be introduced in 2026 to align with the EU scheme. This is the only way to prevent any detrimental impact of the EU CBAM on UK industry.” She added “As well as a CBAM on cement, the MPA would be interested in exploring a CBAM on lime. However, the challenge for the lime sector is ensuring that lime exports can compete in international markets.”
China: China Resources Building Materials Technology (CRBMT) subsidiary Tianyang Cement has concluded a ‘full-process intelligent cement plant’ pilot at its 2.81Mt/yr Baise cement plant in Guangxi Province. Tianyang Cement said that the pilot entailed an upgrade that has more than doubled Baise cement plant’s production volumes and reduced its CO2 emissions per tonne of cement by 24%. Tianyang Cement says that automation has reduced the plant’s unplanned shutdowns by 56% and improved product quality.
Spain: Holcim España has committed to reaching 50% reduced-CO2 cement production at its Sagunto cement plant in Valencia. The cement comes under its ECOPlanet range, which offers emissions reductions of up to 30%. General manager Lucas García said that the company relies on supplementary cementitious materials, including recycled raw materials, and alternative fuels in producing the cement.
The El Mercantil Valenciano newspaper has reported that the Sagunto plant’s environmental manager, Carmen Orts, said that its application of 29 different best available techniques ‘ensures the protection of the environment with a holistic vision.’
CBR Cement, CCB and Holcim Belgique to halve CO2 emissions at four Wallonian cement plants
14 December 2023Belgium: The government of Wallonia and the European Commission’s Just Transition Fund (JTF) have awarded funding to CBR Cement, CCB and Holcim Belgique to support the reduction of CO2 emissions from Wallonia’s cement plants by 50%. The efforts will focus on renewable energy projects, including the construction of new waste heat recovery (WHR) systems. Alongside two steel plants, the companies will share Euro282m-worth of funding for projects across their four cement plants. The L’Echo newspaper has reported that Wallonia will contribute Euro169m, while the JTF will contribute the remaining Euro177m. The projected cost of planned decarbonisation projects in the Wallonian cement and steel industries is Euro346m. The proposed projects will increase the number of people employed across the sectors by 6.4% to 2773.
UltraTech Cement to use 60% renewable energy by 2026 financial year
13 December 2023India: UltraTech Cement plans to more than double the share of renewable electricity in its energy mix to 60% by the 2026 financial year, which will end on 31 March 2026, from 22% at present. Asian News International has reported that the group plans to reach 85% renewable energy use by 2030. It presently has 691MW-worth of installed renewable power capacity, comprised of 429MW of contracted renewable power plants and 262MW of waste heat recovery (WHR) plants. Other decarbonisation technologies in UltraTech Cement’s operations besides renewable power include its use of compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas as vehicle fuel.