Displaying items by tag: Emissions
Argos North America takes out US$300m loan linked to gender quality and CO2 emission performance
17 August 2021Colombia: Argos North America has taken out a US$300m loan where the interest rate is linked to CO2 emission reduction indicators and the increase in the percentage of women in leadership positions. It will be used to prepay an existing syndicated loan. The loan has been taken out from BNP Paribas Securities, Natixis, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and the Bank of Nova Scotia. This loan is the first linked to environmental, social and corporate governance performance that Argos has signed with international banks.
ACC signs Business Ambition for 1.5°C pledge
16 August 2021India: Holcim subsidiary ACC has signed the Business Ambition for 1.5°C pledge and joined the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Race to Zero campaign. The producer partnered with CDP India’s Science-Based Targets (SBT) Incubator programme to develop its targets. It has committed to reduce its cement’s Scope 1 emissions by 21% to 409kg/t from 511kg/t and its Scope 2 emissions by 48% per tonne between 2018 and 2030. In 2020, the Scope 1 emissions of ACC’s cement were 493kg/t.
CDP India executive director Shankar Venkateswaran said, “CDP India’s SBT Incubator supports companies in India to align with these targets. By committing to science-based emissions reduction targets, ACC has positioned itself as an industry leader, showing the way for the sector’s transformation to a low carbon sustainable future. We believe that this will encourage more companies on their Net Zero Journey.”
Pakistan’s cement sector leads coal-related carbon emissions
02 August 2021Pakistan: Research by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) think tank shows that the cement sector was the largest national emitter of CO2 from coal in the financial year for 2018 – 2019. Coal was responsible for 19% of emissions in the reporting period. Cement comprised 49% of this followed by power generation at 28% and brick manufacture at 22%. The report looked at CO2 emissions from the Pakistan energy sector. It concluded that the cement industry was often missed out in discussions about carbon emissions in the country despite its high coal consumption and the number of new plants currently being planned.
Cemex realigns climate goals to Science-Based Targets Initiative’s Well Below 2° scenario
25 June 2021Mexico: Cemex has launched a new brace of CO2 emissions reduction targets. The group is now targeting CO2 emissions below 475kg/t of cement and 165kg/m3 of concrete by 2030. These represent decreases of 40% and 35% respectively compared to 1990 levels. The group plans to invest US$60m/yr in efforts to meet its 2030 targets. It had previously targeted CO2 emissions below 520kg/t of cement by 2030. It now aims to achieve the previous target by 2025. The group says it intends to reach the new targets through the use of alternative fuels with high biomass content, hydrogen injection, low temperature and low CO2 clinker, decarbonated raw materials, optimisation of the kilns’ heat consumption and the reduction of clinker factor through the higher utilisation of blended cements in the market.
Chief executive officer Fernando Gonzalez said, “Climate action is the biggest challenge of our times, and Cemex is taking decisive action to address it. We commit to continue leading the industry in climate action.”
Spain: The total CO2 emissions of cement and clinker production in Spain fell by 14% year-on-year in 2020. The El Economista newspaper has reported that a report by the Sustainability Observatory recorded that 10 Spanish companies were responsible for emitting 51Mt of CO2 in 2020 or 56% of the national total.
Lone Star Industries to upgrade Greencastle cement plant and pay US$700,000 pollution fine
07 June 2021US: Italy-based Buzzi Unicem subsidiary Lone Star Industries has concluded a settlement with the US Department of Justice, the Environmental Protection Agency and the state of Indiana over Clean Air Act violations at its integrated Greencastle plant in Indiana, dating from 2010 to the present day. The Indy Star newspaper has reported that under the terms of the settlement the producer must pay a fine of US$700,000. The authorities ordered the company to upgrade the plant in line with state and federal pollution regulations. The violations involved emissions of particulate matter that exceeded state and federal limits.
Australia: Adbri says it wants to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 as part of its commitment to a low carbon future. The board and management team are assessing medium and long term emissions reduction options and are intend to release a roadmap by the 2022 annual general meeting. Adbri set its current emissions reduction target in 2019, to deliver a 7% reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions by 2024 against 2019 baselines. In 2020 it achieved 2.3% reduction.
“We recognise that process emissions from the production of cement and lime are not easy to abate. Adbri is committed to maintaining its sector leadership position in sustainability by continuing to increase its use of renewable energy, alternative fuels and supplementary cementitious materials. Developments in technology and partnership with industry, government and research institutions will be critical as we deepen our understanding of long term emission reduction options. This will form part of our roadmap toward net zero by 2050,” said Adbri’s chief executive officer Nick Miller.
Texan environment agency approves request to burn more petcoke at Holcim US’ Midlothian cement plant despite complaints
09 April 2021US: The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has approved a request by Holcim US to use more petcoke at its integrated Midlothian plant. Local health and environmental campaigners had hoped to challenge the decision at a meeting in late March 2021, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper. The changes will enable the company, part of Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim, to more than double the plant’s carbon monoxide (CO) emissions to 7000t/yr. 35 local residents submitted requests for a hearing to query the application. Holcim US was identified from state data as the leading emitter of industrial pollutants in North Texas in 2019.
Switzerland: Dürr is supplying a regenerative thermal oxidation system (RTO) to Jura Cement Fabriken integrated plant in Wildegg as the main stage in its air pollution control system. The upgrade is intended to enable the cement producer to comply with anticipated lower gas emission limits for carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and ammonia (NH3). The supplier says its solution combines Dürr’s Ecopure RTO multiple-chamber principle with an optimisation of the existing process technology in the calciner. It is scheduled to start operation in 2022.
Jura Cement operates two integrated plants in Switzerland. It is part of the Switzerland-based Jura Materials Group, which has been part of the Ireland-based CRH since 2000.
Spanish cement industry targets 43% emissions drop by 2030
24 December 2020Spain: The Spanish cement association Oficemen has targeted a 43% emissions drop by 2030 across its entire value chain compared to 1990 levels. The objective has been published as part of the association’s sustainability roadmap to 2050. It is a tightening of the previous target of 27% by 2030. Oficemen intends to meet the tougher reduction by using the so-called 5C approach - clinker, cement, concrete, construction and built environment, and (re)carbonation – as detailed by Cembureau, the European Cement Association. Oficemen also revealed that it is working with the Spanish Technological Platform for CO2 (PTECO2) on identifying potential locations for storing captured CO2. Hugo Morán, Secretary of State for the Environment, participated remotely with the launch event.
Oficemen also reports that Spanish cement consumption fell by 12% year-on-year to 12.2Mt in the first 11 months of 2020. Exports declined by 5%.