29 September 2016
Cemengal completes commissioning at Cemindo 29 September 2016
Indonesia: Cemengal has completed the commissioning period for Cemindo in Medan. Two Plug&Grind XL units are operational at the site, allowing the cement producer to sell nearly 0.5Mt/yr of cement. A third unit is also due to start work in the country in the next few months.
Emami Cement wins limestone-mining lease in Rajasthan 29 September 2016
India: Emami Cement has won a limestone-mining lease in Rajasthan for a cost of US$4.5/t. The lease is for the Nagapur 3B1b Deh block that has an estimated reserve of 168Mt. It is the first non-coal mining lease to be sold via auction in the state, according to the Financial Express. Emami Cement will also have to pay royalties and make contributions to the district mineral foundation and national mineral exploration trust once it starts operation. Mining is expected to start in about 18 months subject to land acquisition, project planning and environmental clearance.
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development helps to reduce carbon emissions from the Egyptian cement industry 29 September 2016
Egypt: The Egyptian cement industry could reduce its CO2 emissions by 2030 by following new recommendations in a report from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). These recommendations have been published in the EBRD’s report, ‘Policy roadmap for a Low-Carbon Egyptian Cement Industry,’ which highlights the need for decisive and collaborative action by the industry’s stakeholders in order to achieve a reduction in CO2 emissions.
“Improving environmental standards in the cement industry and offering commercial incentives is realistic and vital for the profitability of the sector,” said Philip ter Woort, the EBRD Director for Egypt.
The roadmap outlines recommendations for policy actions from the Egyptian government that may provide effective incentives for the cement industry to improve its energy efficiency and to reduce CO2 emissions. The report points out that the potential for improvement is high despite that 50% of the Egyptian cement industry’s production capacity was built after 2000, and is using up-to-date equipment and clinker kilns that use best available technology (BAT).
Until 2014, the Egyptian cement industry, one of the most energy intensive industries in the country, had primarily used state-subsidised natural gas and heavy fuel oil to fire its cement kilns. However, following a gradual phasing out of the energy subsidies, Egyptian cement companies have switched to using high CO2 intensive fuels such as coal and petcoke.
The roadmap suggests that in order to reduce CO2 emissions, the industry should reduce the clinker content in cement, increase the use of alternative fuels, improve electrical energy efficiency and use more renewable sources of energy. Under one of the more ambitious scenarios, 2.2Mt/yr of coal will no longer have to be imported by 2030, saving about US$200m. Furthermore this would lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions to about 2% below the historic level prior to the fuel switch. In addition the cement industry could increase its usage of alternative fuels substitution.
The report was initiated by the EBRD, in cooperation with Egypt’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), the Chamber of Building Materials Industries/Cement Industry Association (CBMI) and the Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
HeidelbergCement starts upgrade at Kaspi Plant 29 September 2016
Georgia: HeidelbergCement has started work to upgrade its Kaspi plant with a new dry-process production line. The project officially started on 27 September 2016 with Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili laying a foundation stone at the site.
“We welcome that today HeidelbergCement is starting an US$100m investment project on the Kaspi plant for full modernisation of the plant and constructing a dry line for clinker production. This project will make the production process more efficient,” said Kvirikashvili.