Displaying items by tag: Emissions

Spain: Sustainability Observatory's Decarbonisation 2022 report has named FCC, Cemex and Holcim on a list of Spain's top 10 CO₂ emitters. Construction conglomerate FCC, parent company of Cementos Portland Valderrivas, was the seventh largest contributor the country's CO₂ emissions during the year. Mexico-based Cemex placed joint eighth with energy provider Iberdrola at 2.4Mt-worth of CO₂ emissions in 2021, followed by Switzerland-based Holcim with 2Mt.

Spanish CO₂ emissions grew by 5.1% year-on-year in 2021, and by 3% across industries subject to emissions credit trading, which include the cement sector. Together, the top 10 emitters accounted for 57% of these industries' emissions, and 19% of total national emissions.

Canada: The Quebec Ministry of the Environment has ordered St Mary’s Cement’s integrated plant at Port-Daniel-Gascons to reduce its dust and other emissions to government-mandated levels. The notification follows an incident that occurred over the summer of 2020 and has reoccurred since on occasion. The order requires, amongst other measures, that the subsidiary of Brazil-based Votorantim allow an independent expert recognised by the department to carry out an assessment of air filtration equipment at the plant and propose ways to improve the situation.

UK: Cemex has bought 10 Volvo 460 8x4 tipper trucks for use at its Angerstein Wharf aggregates depot in Greenwich. From there, the trucks will deliver sand and aggregates all around London. The trucks’ bodies are made of lightweight aluminium, and they conform to Euro 6 emissions standards. This corresponds to 80% NO_x emissions reduction and 50% particulate emissions reduction compared to Euro 5 standards.

Cemex UK fleet engineering manager Nigel Ponton said “The addition of these new trucks to our fleet will enable us to better meet customer demand, safely and efficiently. Safety is the number one focus whenever we add new trucks to our operation and these Volvos tick every box in that respect.” Ponton continued “These trucks will all be working in busy streets across London so it’s imperative we provide our drivers with the best tools possible to do the job and help protect any vulnerable road users. Moreover, thanks to the improved fuel efficiencies and enhanced payload these new Volvos are the most sustainable vehicles we’ve ever had and will help decarbonise our delivery footprint.”

Israel: Nesher Cement has been fined US$1.9m for violations of the Clean Air Law at its cement factory in Ramla. The fine was issued for repeatedly exceeding permitted emissions limits, including for mercury/mercury compounds and particulate matter. 22 violations have been recorded since July 2022.

“The recent fine issued against the Nesher Ramla cement plant is a very welcome step forward, but it’s far from enough,” said Knesset member Alon Tal, chairman of the Subcommittee on Environmental and Climate Impacts on Health. “Just a month ago the ministry issued a permit for seven years to the factory, notwithstanding its dubious record as a serial violator of Israel’s Clean Air Law. This makes absolutely no sense.”

Local activists living near the factory were also not satisfied with the value of the fine. “The Environmental Protection Ministry has confirmed that there’s an unusual rate of cancer, especially lung cancer, in Ramla and Lod,” said Benjamin Ruggill, leader of a citizen action group, to local press.

Pakistan: The Pakistan National Forum of Environment and Health (NFEH) has recognised Lucky Cement’s sustainability successes with a prize at the 19th Annual Environment Excellence Awards 2022. The company’s comprehensive environmental management and monitoring plan covers its solid waste, noise pollution and emissions, including particulates. It says that this is essential to preserving the ecosystem in which it operates.

Chief operating officer Amin Ganny said “We believe in environment-friendly practices and are committed to conserving the environment. Implementation of sustainability into our core business operations has always been one of our main objectives.”

UK: HeidelbergCement subsidiary Hanson’s plan for the installation of a carbon capture system at its Padeswood cement plant has proceeded to the due diligence stage for funding from the UK government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The project is one of 20 from the East Coast Cluster and HyNet North West Consortium to make the shortlist for this phase of the approval process.

If successful, Hanson will be able to capture 800,000t/yr of CO₂ and produce carbon neutral cement at the Padeswood plant by 2027. It will create 54 new skilled full-time jobs.

Germany: Loesche has published its Sustainability Report of its performance in 2021. The supplier’s Scope 1 and 2 CO₂ emissions declined by 6.1% year-on-year to 229t from 244t in 2020 and by 19% over the two years from 2019, when they totalled 282t. It reduced the share of Scope 2 emissions in the figure to 40% from 41% in 2020 and 45% in 2019.

Loesche offers emissions-reducing products to the global cement industry under the label Greenkey Solutions. These include its A/Fuel and H/combust ranges for alternative fuels and green hydrogen upgrades, its C/Clay range for clay calcining and grinding, its Digital/Ready 4.0! range for predictive process optimisation and smart asset management, its E/Slag range for ground granulated blast furnace slag upgrades and its S/Crete range for waste concrete recycling, as well as audits for retrofits. Together, Loesche says that its products can reduce the global cement sector’s carbon footprint by 90%. Within this, Loesche believes that calcined clay technology alone can reduce cement’s CO₂ emissions by 40% and its energy demand by 21%.

Loesche said that its launch during the year of its H₂Optimum grinding bed spraying system can reduce grinding mills’ water consumption by 50%.

Mexico: Cemex’s consolidated sales grew by 9% year-on-year to US$7.85bn in the first half 2022 from US$7.2bn in the same period in 2021. It sold 32.1Mt of cement, down by 4% from 33.6Mt. Its cement sales volumes rose by 4% in its US and by 1% in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, but fell by 10% in Mexico and by 3% in South and Central America and the Caribbean. The group says that record levels of alternative fuel usage and a lowered clinker factor helped it to reduce its total CO₂ emissions by 3% year-on-year in the reporting period.

Chief executive officer Fernando González said “I am pleased that our pricing strategy is yielding results and has fully offset inflationary costs in the second quarter of 2022. With improved supply chain dynamics and continued success of our pricing and cost containment strategies, we remain confident we can recover 2021 margins. 


US: National Cement Company of Alabama has reported that the new kiln line at its Ragland cement plant will reduce the plant’s CO₂ emissions by 40%. Its energy consumption will also fall by 30% as a result of the upgrade. The new line includes a 78m-high homogenisation silo, vertical crusher, five-stage preheater and automated clay storage system. AF used in the kiln will include waste tyres, woodchip and sawdust. The new kiln will help in the Ragland cement plant’s transition to 100% Portland limestone cement (PLC) production by 2023, further diminishing its carbon footprint.

Vicat CEO Guy Sidos said "Our ambition is to use AF in all our cement plants around the world. In addition to eliminating fossil fuel energy and replacing it with recycled regional waste, our investments contribute directly to local development. We are proud of the modernisation and transformation of our Ragland site, which was our very first acquisition outside France in 1974."

Philippines: Cemex subsidiary Solid Cement is installing a new US$356m, 1.5Mt/yr line at its Antipolo cement plant. When operational in April 2024, the line will increase the plant’s capacity by 79% to 3.4Mt/yr. Over the first four months of the project since March 2022, Solid Cement invested US$197m in silos and mechanical installation. The new 1.5Mt/yr line will use Low Temperature Clinker technology to reduce its CO₂ emissions, and will also recycle waste hot gases for raw materials drying.

Solid Cement is building the plant using 6000t of its own Vertua reduced-CO2 cement, which it says will further reduce its net carbon footprint by 564t.

Philippines president and CEO Luis Franco said “We will maintain our active role in supporting the development of this nation, as we have done in the past 25 years.”