Displaying items by tag: GCW531

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement has revealed that a weakness in an evaporator tube in a fluidised bed heat exchanger in a captive power plant was the cause of an explosion that took place at its Hidaka cement plant in April 2021. It said that inspections had been carried out annually but that it was difficult to detect defects visually. The company has apologised for the incident. It says it will make changes including a review of inspection standards, including more personnel in the process, improved information sharing and starting regular training on the issue. These changes will be implemented across all of the company’s plants.

The 50,000kW circulating fluidised bed (CFB) boiler was supplied by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and commissioned in 1996. It ran on coal, wood chips and refuse-derived fuel. No blame for the explosion has been attributed to the manufacturer.

The explosion took place in the evening of 27 April 2021. No major injuries were sustained. However, 40 vehicles parked outside a Pachinko gambling parlour near the plant were damaged. Scattered debris was noted nearby and ash was reported up to 5km from the cement plant.

India: Finland-based Betolar has launched a partnership with sustainable housing company Tara. The arrangement is intended to enhance India’s ‘green’ construction sector by encouraging the use Betolar’s pre-cast concrete products. These use waste inputs to create a low-carbon alternative to Ordinary Portland Cement. Betolar has been working with Tara since around 2019 to bring its commercial products to the local market.

Betolar's Head of Asia said, "There is a tremendous appetite for sustainable construction materials in India which we are tapped into through our work with Tara and its mission to develop alternative and sustainable models for rural development, democratizing construction from the bottom up."

US: Mississippi Lime Company says it will increase its prices for its quicklime, hydrated lime, specialty, and calcium carbonate products by up to 15%, subject to contractual obligations, in January 2022. It has blamed this on “significant cost pressures and unprecedented supply chain challenges” caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent economic recovery. Energy, labour, freight and material costs have all been reported as rising.

Germany: Cool Planet Technologies and Hereon have signed a memorandum of understanding with Holcim Deutschland to deliver a carbon capture system for a carbon capture and storage (CCS) trial at the producer’s Höver cement plant in Lower Saxony. Cool Planet Technologies will install their system, which is based on Hereon’s PolyActive membrane technology. The system will have a capture capacity of 5600t/yr and operate from early 2022 to early-mid-2023. If successful, two subsequent expansions will increase the system’s capacity to 170,000t/yr, commencing operation in 2024, and 1.3Mt/yr, commencing in 2026.

The suppliers say that their membrane-based capture system is capable of reducing the energy intensity and eliminating the need for other chemical inputs in CCS.

India: Dalmia Cement plans for 100% of its cement to be low carbon by 2031. The company has a US$405m carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) investment plan to help it to realise its goal. It will also undertake carbon offsetting measures.

Business Line News has reported that the company plans to spend US$1.35bn to increase its installed cement capacity by 52% to 50Mt/yr from 33Mt/yr before the 2024 financial year.

Australia: James Hardie recorded consolidated sales of US$1.75bn in the first half of its 2022 financial year, up by 28% year-on-year from US$1.36bn in the first half of the 2021 financial year. Its earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) more than doubled to US$398m from US$197m. Fibre cement board sales increased by 17% in North America to 463Mm2 from 395Mm2 and more than doubled to 96.5Mm2 from 47.3Mm2 in Asia Pacific.

During the 2022, 2023 and 2024 financial years, the group plans to complete expansions of its Prattville, Alabama, cement board plant in the US and a European cement board plant, and to establish a new cement board plant in Victoria, Australia. It also aims to purchase land in the US for a future new cement board plant there.

CEO Jack Truong said "Our mission is to be a high-performance global company that delivers organic growth above market with strong returns, consistently. Ten consecutive quarters of growth above market with strong returns has led to an acceleration in operating cash flow, which is allowing us to expand our global manufacturing capacity, accelerate our growth initiatives, return to ordinary dividends, reduce our debt position, and increase the cash contributions to the Asbestos Injuries Compensation Fund (AICF)."

India: UltraTech Cement has committed to the Global Cement and Concrete Association’s 2050 roadmap for net zero concrete. It says that in realising the commitment, it hope to contribute to building the sustainable world of tomorrow. The Roadmap also includes a sectoral commitment to cut CO₂ emissions by a further 25% by 2030.

Colombia: Cemex Colombia has received a US$16.8m fine from the Colombian Directorate of National Taxes and Customs (DIAN) for irregularities in its 2012 income tax payment. The company reportedly made an improper imputation of its balance for the year. Cemex Colombia says that it will take the matter to court. It has until March 2022 to file a suit.

Chile: Cementos Polpaico has submitted an environmental impact study for a US$60m upgrade of its Cerro Blanco cement plant in Tiltil, near Santiago. Business News America has reported that the proposed work consists of the installation of a new precalciner, an expansion to its four limestone quarries and the establishment of a new filtered tailings deposit and 3000t cement silo.

The producer hopes to launch the project in January 2023 in order to commission the upgraded plant before 2026.

Italy: Buzzi Unicem’s consolidated sales rose by 5.6% year-on-year to US$2.54bn in the first nine months of 2021 from US$2.41bn in the first nine months of 2020. It recorded consolidated cement sales of 23.4Mt, up by 7.5% from 21.7Mt in the corresponding period of 2020. Sales growth in Eastern Europe - especially the Czech Republic and Poland - and the US offset a partial slowdown in Italy, particularly in the third quarter of the year.

The group expects global construction activity to generally remain level into the fourth quarter of 2021. It forecast “favourable” volume and price effects in its full-year results for 2021. It nonetheless noted “growing concern” at rising energy, fuels, logistics, raw materials and services costs in various regions. It forecast group recurring earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) not in excess of 2020 levels.