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Lafarge Polska launches Aggneo recycled aggregate 22 June 2021
Poland: Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim subsidiary Lafarge Polska has launched Aggneo, a recycled aggregate recycled from demolition-sourced concrete. The producer says that Aggneo offers high consistency and a lower density than mined aggregates, resulting in material savings. Besides reducing waste, the product also lowers the carbon footprint of delivery by 66%, according to the company. The building materials producer aims to manufacture 1Mt/yr of recycled aggregated by 2030.
Argentina: Loma Negra has ignited its new 2.7Mt/yr kiln line at the L’Amalí cement plant in Olavarría. The Clarín newspaper has reported that the new second line expands the plant’s capacity by 40%. The cost of its construction was US$350m.
Chief executive officer Sergio Faifman called the project’s completion a ‘milestone’ in the company’s history. He said, “I would like to thank everyone who was working on the site: Loma Negra employees, Sinoma and contracting companies. We have had and gone through economic and social difficulties and it is thanks to the efforts of all that we are here today. With effort and commitment, dedication and teamwork, you can go a long way.”
Argentina: The Ministry of Internal Trade has secured an agreement from national building materials producers, including Loma Negra and Cemento Avellaneda, to restrict the price of building products such as cement. The Clarín newspaper has reported that average building materials prices rose by 85% year-on-year in May 2021, nearly double the inflation rate. The primary cause is a rise in domestic construction. Currency effects have further increased the cost of building due to the dollarization of materials such as steel.
The ministry previously negotiated concerted price reductions in September 2020 and December 2020. Minister for Internal Trade Paula Español urged building materials producers to maximise their capacity utilisation to meet demand and protect the domestic market.
South India Cement Manufacturers’ Association works with Tamil Nadu government to keep cement available to all 21 June 2021
India: The South India Cement Manufacturers’ Association (SICMA) has assured the public that it is collaborating with the Tamil Nadu government to implement concessionary cement prices for lower income homebuilders. The Business Standard has reported that the association and government aim to keep cement available to all. Domestic cement production capacity utilisation has been reported as low as 60% during the second wave of Covid-19 in the country with a 35% month-on-month production drop in April 2021. Increased input costs caused a price rise in the first quarter of the 2022 financial year. Cement prices are reportedly forecast to remain high in the medium term.
Denmark/UK: FLSmidth has signed a global commercial partnership with UK-based carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) Carbon8 Systems to accelerate the cement industry’s carbon neutrality path. The supplier said that CCU is an essential part of its MissionZero pledge to enable zero-emission cement production by 2030. The new partnership will use its global network to extend Carbon8 Systems’ reach in the cement industry. The partnership started in June 2021 and the companies intend to release more details on the commercialisation of the arrangement at a join webinar in October 2021.
Carsten Riisberg Lund, Cement President for FLSmidth said, “The cement industry is pursuing every possible solution to reduce its environmental footprint. CCU is one such technology, with a massive potential, that has reached commercial maturity in recent years.” He added “FLSmidth will work closely with Carbon8 Systems to accelerate the implementation of its technology and we will draw upon our in-depth know-how, our products and our global presence. This agreement is a significant leap forward in our joint efforts to deliver on the sustainability ambitions for the global cement industry.”