UK: 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."

Germany: Sustainability disclosure organisation CDP has named Heidelberg Materials on its Climate A List 2024 for its corporate transparency and climate performance. The group also received an A- rating for Water Security. Heidelberg Materials’ product and process innovation efforts toward CO₂ emissions reduction include carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) projects aimed at capturing 10Mt of CO₂ by 2030.

Heidelberg Materials’ chief sustainability officer Nicola Kimm said "We are honoured to be included in CDP’s Climate A List and to be recognised for our efforts in decarbonisation. This also demonstrates our leadership in the industry – both in breakthrough technologies such as CCUS, and when it comes to sustainable products. We will continue to drive the transition to low-carbon construction."

Chile: UNACEM has gained full ownership of precast concrete company Prefabricados Andinos. The group said that it completed the acquisition of the outstanding 50% stake in the company on 6 February 2024.

Tanzania: Huaxin Cement Tanzania Maweni Company has commissioned a new 4000t/day clinker line at its Mavini cement plant, after completing the Phase 2 of the plant’s construction. China Industrial and Economic Information Database has reported that this phase of construction commenced in August 2022. The new line is equipped with a 15MW biomass-fired power plant.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021 – 2025), Huaxin Cement aims to quadruple its production capacity outside of China to 16.5Mt/yr. 6.07Mt/yr-worth of this will come online in 2024 and 2025. The company says that its strategy partly reflects the slowing of its domestic market since 2022.

Kenya: Mashujaa Cement plans to build a US$77.4m integrated cement plant at Chasimba, Kilifi South. The Standard newspaper has reported that environmental group Nature Kenya claims that Mashujaa Cement’s environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for the upcoming plant ‘lacked comprehensive assessments’ of its possible impacts. These include a possible threat to 31 critically endangered local plant species, including Kenya’s endemic African violets, growing on outcrops of the local Kambe Limestone Belt.

Nature Kenya said “The ESIA indicates scientific unfamiliarity as it contains carelessly worded generic statements such as ‘species will be relocated to Arabuko Sokoke forest’, ‘the site is devoid of any eco-sensitive area’ and ‘impact on biodiversity and wildlife is minimal’.”

Taiwan: Taiwan Cement Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ThyssenKrupp Polysius. Under the MoU, the partners will implement carbon capture projects aimed at capturing 100,000t/yr (10%) of Taiwan Cement Corporation’s CO₂ emissions by 2030. This will involve the development of a new generation of pure oxygen carbon capture technology in Line 1 of Taiwan Cement Corporation’s Hualien Heping cement plant. This technology aims to increase the concentration of captured CO₂ to over 90% and reduce the energy consumption of carbon capture. The Hualien Heping plant project will conclude in 2026, with the commercialisation of the technology to follow before 2030. Taiwan Cement Corporation plans to supply its own captured CO₂ to various other industries, including industrial welding, chemicals and food processing.

Taiwan Cement Corporation chair Zhang Anping said "Cement has created the civilised society we live in today, and Taiwan Cement Corporation will continue to participate in energy transformation and support the development of future civilisation. This cooperation with Polysius, a golden brand in the cement industry, is to solve the problem of greenhouse gas emissions, creating the future not only for the cement industry but for the whole world."

India: The National Company Law Tribunal has initiated a corporate insolvency resolution process for Vadraj Cement. The former cement producer defaulted on US$10.5m in debts owed to Punjab National Bank. Mint News has reported that Vadraj Cement has total debts of US$843m.

Brazil: Secil subsidiary Supremo Secil Cimentos will invest US$20.3m in an upcoming expansion of its Adrianópolis cement plant. Commencing in July 2024, the expansion will raise the plant’s clinker capacity by 10% and enable it to increase its alternative fuel (AF) substitution rate from 25 – 30% to 40%, and eventually to 50% by 2030. To date, AF use at the plant has reduced its cumulative consumption of petcoke by 100,000t.

CEO Paulo Nascentes highlighted the transformative impact of the Adrianópolis plant on its host community, with its initial investment of US$176m and a subsequent US$41.7m in previous upgrades to date. "One of the reasons why the Paraná government allowed the plant was because Adrianópolis was very neglected. The arrival of Supremo transformed the city," he said.

Brazil: Investment banking and management company BTG Pactual will start receiving ‘binding proposals’ for prospective buyers of assets belonging to InterCement before the end of February 2024, Valor Online News has reported. These will reportedly include InterCement's stake in Argentina-based Loma Negra, as well as its Brazilian business. The latter may involve an outright divestment or the enlistment of a new significant partner. Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN) previously hired Morgan Stanley for negotiations with InterCement, and China-based Huaxin Cement has reportedly showed interest in its assets. While an outright acquisition might face challenges on grounds of competition, Brazilian market leader Votorantim Cimentos is nonetheless also ‘interested’ in a partial takeover. Continuing plant closures and debt-related asset disposals also potentially further complicate any deal. On the basis of CSN’s previous US$1bn acquisition of (10.3Mt/yr-capacity) LafargeHolcim Brazil, Valor Online News has estimated the sale price of InterCement’s Brazil business as US$1.6bn.

Spain: The Spanish cement manufacturers' association, Oficemen, has signed a two-year co-operation agreement with utilities provider Enagás. Under the agreement, the pair will explore decarbonisation techniques and solutions, including the development of infrastructure for transporting captured CO₂, as well as hydrogen and oxygen. Oficemen members reduced their total CO₂ emissions by 44% between 1990 and 2022. Europa Press News has reported that Oficemen believes that carbon capture and storage (CCS) will be crucial in realising the industry’s 2050 climate neutrality goal. Oficemen became the first industrial association in Spain to publish a net zero roadmap in 2020.