Displaying items by tag: Emissions
Australian government considers CO2 Cross-Border Adjustment Mechanism for cement imports
15 August 2023Australia: The Ministry of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is holding a consultation over the possible implementation of a Cross-Border Adjustment Mechanism to penalise imported cement for its CO2 emissions in line with the Australian cement industry’s emissions reduction goals. The Guardian Australia newspaper has reported that the government expects to publish its report on the policy in mid-late 2024. The government began implementing new CO2 emissions limits for Australia’s 200 largest industrial emitters in July 2023. It expects these to eliminate 200Mt-worth of CO2 emissions over the period up to 2030. Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said “80% of these companies, and 86% of covered emissions, are covered by corporate net zero commitments.” Australia is committed to net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
With regard to the proposed Cross-Border Adjustment Mechanism, Bowen said “It’s a potentially important mechanism to ensure domestic sovereign capability and supply. One of the biggest challenges we face is supply-chain crunches, and any measure which helps us deal with that is a positive thing for the transition.”
Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection orders Nesher-Israel Cement Enterprises to reduce Ramle cement plant's emissions
07 August 2023Israel: Nesher-Israel Cement Enterprises has received an order from the Ministry of Environmental Protection to reduce emissions from its Ramle cement plant. BALLEG News has reported that the plant violated pollution rules over non-focal emissions and particle emissions values. Nesher-Israel Cement Enterprises also reportedly failed to submit data about defects, malfunctions and abnormal emissions, following 'several incidents.'
The producer previously paid a US$1.64m pollution fine in August 2022.
France: Vicat's consolidated sales were Euro1.91bn in the first half of 2023, up by 9% year-on-year from Euro1.76bn in the first half of 2022. The group's earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 17% to Euro314m from Euro269m. Vicat said that it recorded generally 'resilient' sales volumes and price rises across most of its markets. Volumes dropped in France and Switzerland. During the half, Vicat's specific CO2 emissions per tonne of cement fell by 3.6% year-on-year to 571kg/t from 591kg/t.
Chair and chief executive officer Guy Sidos said "The group has not yet returned to its pre-crisis margins rates. I’d like to thank all our teams for their unwavering commitment enabling us to reach our industrial, financial and climate targets." He added that Vicat is on track to achieve its CO2 emission target of 497kg/t of cement by 2030.
Regarding its outlook for the current 2023 full year, Vicat said "The group is targeting further significant sales growth, with its markets overall expected to display resilience and reflect the full benefit of the price hikes in selling prices implemented in 2022 and the fresh increases introduced in 2023." It added "The performance in 2023 will reap the benefit of the full impact of the new kiln at the Ragland plant in the US, the elimination of the non-recurring costs incurred in 2022 and the stabilisation in energy costs."
UK: Aggregate Industries subsidiary Lafarge Cement has begun installing a new Euro10m bag filter system at its 1Mt/yr Cauldon cement plant in Staffordshire. The project is due for delivery in early 2024. The system consists of 2080 fabric bags to remove particulates from the plant's flue gases. It will replace the plant's existing electrostatic precipitation system. The company says that the system will triple the removal rate of particulates, reducing them to 10mg/Nm3 from 30mg/Nm3.
Cauldon cement plant manager Thierry Davila said “The installation of the new system will help us provide a step change in our efficiency and effectiveness, and optimise kiln performance. The plant and our operations will hugely benefit from up-to-date technology, which will result in more consistent running of the site, but also it will improve environmental performance and benefit the local community. The new filter system will mean less dust and emissions into the atmosphere and a reduction in pollutants, which is hugely positive and in line with our approach to sustainability.”
World: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) and Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT) launched the Green Cement Technology Tracker on 20 July 2023. The Green Cement Technology Tracker presents users with a real-time overview of active initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions in the global cement industry. At present, the tracker covers carbon capture projects, which account for 36% of planned emissions reductions under the GCCA’s 2050 Roadmap for Net Zero Carbon Concrete. The partners plan to subsequently expand the scope of coverage to other emissions reduction technologies.
GCCA CEO Thomas Guillot said “Unleashing technology such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage is key to achieving our net zero mission in our sector. Carbon capture pilots, projects and announcements are picking up pace across the world. This technology works, and our next goal is to scale up, working with stakeholders such as governments and the investment community to help transform the industry worldwide.”
The Green Cement Technology Tracker is freely accessible here on the LeadIT website.
Ivory Coast: LafargeHolcim Côte d'Ivoire has invested a total US$677,000 in sustainability-enhancing upgrades to its 2Mt/yr Abidjan grinding plant since 2020. Agence Ivoirienne de Presse has reported that the producer has now implemented 80% of recommendations made by sustainability auditor Centre Ivoirien Antipollution (CIAPOL). Recommendations included the installation of dust capture systems.
General manager Rachis Yousry said "In 2022, LafargeHolcim received zero complaints from local residents for environmental degradation.” He added the producer was on track to realise net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
Cem'In'Eu launches FUSIOCIM 43% reduced-CO2 cement
13 July 2023France: Cem'In'Eu has launched FUSIOCIM, a CEM II/C pozzolan cement, that offers a 43% reduction in CO2 emissions compared with ordinary Portland cement (OPC). FUSIOCIM has specific CO2 emissions of 506kg/t. It is suitable for various concrete applications and comes in 25kg bags.
Cem’In’Eu general manager Fabien Charbonnel said "We created Cem’In’Eu with the ambition of reducing the carbon footprint of the cement industry. And we are proving it today with a low-carbon offer that easily replaces traditional cements, without any change for construction professionals. We are convinced that this transition can only be done with pragmatism and taking into account the needs of users.”
Fortera continues construction of low-carbon cementitious material plant at CalPortland's Redding cement plant
10 July 2023US: In 2022, Fortera began building a 15,000t/yr-capacity plant to produce its low-carbon cementitious material, Fortera Reactive Calcium Carbonate (RCC), at CalPortland's Redding cement plant in California. The commercial-scale plant will produce a reactive form of calcium carbonate using CO2 from the kiln of the 600,000t/yr cement plant. Fortera's process converts 1t of limestone into 1t of Fortera RCC by capturing and mineralising CO2 from the cement plant's kiln. Fortera cement production emits 60% less CO2 than ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The 15,000t/yr plant will operate at 20 times the scale of previous pilot tests. The Redding Record newspaper has reported that 15 workers will be employed at the site.
Former Redding cement plant owner Lehigh Hanson formed an agreement with Fortera to collaborate on the low-carbon cement plant project in March 2021. The plant subsequently switched ownership to Martin Marietta Materials in October 2021, before CalPortland bought it in July 2022.
Argentina: Cementos Avellaneda has inaugurated its 22MW La Calera solar power plant in San Luis Province. Forbes has reported that the power plant will supply electricity to the producer's 1.1Mt/yr San Luis cement plant. As a result, operations at the plant will henceforth be 55% renewably powered. In total, the new solar power plant will eliminate 22,600t/yr-worth of CO2 emissions. Engineering company Industrias Juan F Secco supported the installation of the US$25m plant, which took 16 months to build.
Cementos Avellaneda's general director José Luis Maestri said "It was key to the success of this project to have been able to find a strategic partner such as Industrias Juan F Secco, an Argentine company with more than 80 years of history and experience in the energy sector, which provided us with all its professionalism and commitment."
Lafarge Emirates Cement hires Turboden for Fujairah cement plant waste heat recovery plant
07 July 2023UAE: Lafarge Emirates Cement, part of Holcim, has awarded a contract to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group subsidiary Turboden to supply and install a 10MW waste heat recovery (WHR) system at its Fujairah cement plant. The system relies on ENGIE Solutions' organic Rankine cycle technology. The supplier says that the installation will reduce the 3.2Mt/yr cement plant's energy-related CO2 emissions by 29,000t/yr (28%).
Turboden CEO Paolo Bertuzzi said "We are proud that Holcim Group, already our customer for three other WHR plants, has again chosen Turboden for this first project in the UAE. At COP 28, this year in the UAE, we will have the opportunity to present this energy-saving and CO2-reducing project to raise awareness in energy intensive industries."