02 June 2023

Taiwan: Taiwan Cement Corporation aims to diversify its business away from cement by increasing its sales from energy storage and vehicle charging. It aims to derive over 50% of its revenues from other activities besides cement by 2025. The Taipei Times newspaper has reported that the producer will continue to produce 80Mt/yr of cement. The company said that the reason behind its planned diversification is its responsibility to help reduce global net CO₂ emissions.

Chair Nelson Chang said “Carbon reductions must be fast and efficient, and the use of solar and other green energy resources in producing cement is not enough to offset carbon emissions. That means Taiwan Cement has to press ahead and develop carbon capture techniques that would help mitigate the negative impact of cement production on the environment.”

US: Holcim US has inaugurated a waste tyre processing plant at its Alpena cement plant in Michigan. The facility will process 22,000t/yr of tyres into refuse-derived fuel (RDF) for use at the cement plant. Holcim US partner Geocycle will collect, pre-process and deliver the tyres to the new facility.

Holcim US’ North regional senior vice president of manufacturing Michael Nixon said "Holcim has invested more than US$100m in eco-friendly technologies at the Alpena plant in the past 15 years. The tyre-derived fuel facility is another strong demonstration of our commitment to reducing emissions."

UK: SigmaRoc subsidiary CCP has launched Greenbloc Standard, Ultra and Premium. The new designations correspond to 50%, 80% and 100% cement substitution. Professional Builder News has reported that Using Greenbloc Standard reduces structures’ CO₂ emissions by 77% compared with structures built with conventional ordinary Portland cement (OPC)-based blocks. For an average semi-detached house, this is equivalent to 2.7t of CO₂.

CCP general manager Phil Rotheram said “The expansion of our Greenbloc range continues our commitment to sustainable alternatives to our product offering as we fully commit to the challenges of removing embodied carbon from the built environment.”

Greenbloc Ultra featured in a gold medal-winning garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023 in May 2023.

Denmark: Processing, handling and storage equipment supplier Cimbria has merged its three Danish subsidiaries. A/S Cimbria, Cimbria Unigrain and Cimbria Manufacturing will now operate as Cimbria, effective retroactively from 1 January 2023. The group reassured customers that its existing contracts remain unchanged.

US: HarbisonWalker International has unveiled its new redesigned branding. The refractories supplier says that the new brand identity reflects it standing as the North American arm of Calderys Group. The two companies merged following their acquisition by Platinum Equity in 2022.

Calderys Group president and CEO Michel Cornelissen said “The new visual identity of HWI, as a member of Calderys, is a significant step on our journey to form a unified business that incorporates the best of both brands to create a global high-growth leader. We have undertaken this exercise with thoughtful intention to preserve the legacy of the HWI brand in the Americas, while reflecting the global stature of the Calderys brand.”