06 February 2025

US: Summit Materials says that it has obtained the stockholder approval required for its proposed acquisition by Quikrete. The transaction is expected to close within the first quarter of 2025, subject to any remaining customary conditions. Once complete, Summit Materials will become a privately-held subsidiary of Quikrete.

Quikrete entered into a definitive agreement to buy Summit Materials for a total enterprise value of US$11.5bn in November 2024. The deal will add Summit Materials’ aggregates, cement and ready-mixed concrete business to Quikrete’s concrete and cement-based products business to create a vertically integrated business in North America.

India: UltraTech Cement has commissioned an additional 0.6Mt/yr grinding capacity at its integrated Sonar Bangla plant in West Bengal. It said the upgrade would help it meet cement demand in East India and enable it to increase its blended cement ratio. The company says that its domestic cement production capacity is now 166Mt/yr with an additional 5Mt/yr overseas.

Japan: Mitsubishi UBE Cement Corporation (MUCC) has developed a carbon-negative artificial sand product called ‘GX-e Beads.’ It is made from by-products containing calcium and uses a proprietary accelerated carbonation technology developed by MUCC to absorb CO₂ at 80 - 250kg/t from flue gas and other sources. A further granulation and solidification stage is then used to manufacture the final artificial fine aggregates, making it net-carbon negative. The artificial sand can be produced via a dry process at ambient temperature conditions. It requires no special reaction equipment.

The product can be used as a fine aggregate to make normal-strength concrete. MUCC says “…when used in conjunction with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) or blended cement, fresh properties and strength development equivalent to or better than that of normal concrete can be obtained. Therefore, it can be widely applied to ready-mix concrete and secondary concrete products.”

Pakistan: Thatta Cement has signed a memorandum of understanding with China-based Qing Gong Construction Group to build a 5000t/day production line. They concluded the deal during a state visit by President Asif Ali Zardari to China, according to the Radio Pakistan. Other agreements were also signed in sectors including renewable energy.

UK: The Materials Processing Institute (MPI) is preparing to open its Sustainable Cement and Concrete Centre (SCCC) later in February 2025. The centre will focus on research and material development, including novel formulations for low-carbon cement and concrete and the use of electric arc furnace (EAF) slags in aggregates and clinker production. It will also provide consultancy services to further support clients to accelerate innovation, offering expertise and project management from concept through to pilot stage production.

The SCCC is a part of the EconoMISER programme, led by the Foundation Industries Sustainability Consortium (FISC), which aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of the UK’s so-called foundation industries. These include the cement, metal, glass, ceramic, paper, polymer and chemical sectors. The MPI is based in Middlesborough.

UK: Material Evolution has announced a partnership with ARC Marine for the use of its low-carbon cement in ARC Marine’s products. The companies intend to use Material Evolution’s MevoCem product across ARC Marine’s aquaculture, coastal defence and offshore energy portfolio. ARC Marine have accepted delivery of the first shipment of product to undergo testing in a marine environment. The partners will develop and test bespoke products tailored for subtidal and intertidal construction with the aim of scaling up production to include a wide-scale collaboration throughout in 2025 and beyond.

ARC Marine builds products that support artificial reefs and protect infrastructure like submerged cables and breakwaters. It has deployed over 2000 reef cubes into seven different countries. It says its reef cubes have provided a habitat for over 190 unique species.