Displaying items by tag: GCW614

France: Lafarge France has signed a memorandum of understanding with green hydrocarbons specialist Axens, utilities provider EDF and research firm IFP Energies Nouvelles for a synthetic fuel production trial. The partners will build a plant to produce kerosene using captured CO₂ from a carbon capture installation at Lafarge France's Saint-Pierre-La-Cour cement plant. The project, called Take Kair, aims to produce fuel for use by aviation companies, including Air France-KLM Group.

Holcim France president François Petry said "The decarbonisation of our processes and products is at the heart of our strategic commitment to reach Net Zero by 2050. Beyond the modernisation of our production tools, we work on all industrial and technological levers to reduce our emissions, and thus decarbonise our industry. With the Take Kair project, we are taking a decisive step in the capture and management of our residual CO₂ emissions and participate with our partners in the emergence of an innovative and sustainable sector serving the country's mobility needs."

Lafarge France, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based Holcim, announced a Euro40m investment in the 1.6Mt/yr Saint-Pierre-La-Cour cement plant to achieve carbon neutral cement production there in March 2022.

India: Nuvoco Vistas has commissioned feeding systems for alternative fuel (AF) in the pyro-process sections of its Nimbol and Risda cement plants. The systems will handle municipal solid waste, including unrecyclable plastic.

Managing director Jayakumar Krishnaswamy said "As part of our Protect Our Planet agenda, we view the AF projects as an important step towards fulfilling our commitment to sustainable cement manufacturing and reducing the environmental impacts. The successful completion of this project demonstrates our commitment to reducing carbon emissions, maximising waste consumption and demonstrating responsible resource management practices.” He added "This along with, other themes under Protect Our Planet agenda, is enabling Nuvoco to build robust partnerships with several stakeholders, and contribute to society at large.”

US: The Portland Cement Association (PCA) hosted a one-day session in mid-June 2023 aimed at establishing guidelines for the definition of 'low carbon' cement and concrete. The association called the session a 'Critical first step' towards ensuring clarity for stakeholders.

The PCA said "Low carbon is increasingly defined in the eye of the beholder, with little or no regard to either upstream and downstream impacts or short-term and long-term strength, durability and resilience concerns."

Kosovo: Alba Group has announced plans to build a lime plant in Kosovo, the first in the country. The company has appointed Switzerland-based Maerz Ofenbau to execute the project. The supplier said that it looks forward to many years of cooperation with Alba Group.

Bahrain: Fives Services Gulf has held the inauguration ceremony for its Bahrain workshop. The facility includes offices, warehouses and machining, parts production and repair facilities. The site first entered operation amid Covid-19 restrictions in early 2021.

Fives Services Gulf chief executive Frederic Gicquel said "We are proud to be part of the industrial development of Bahrain and support the government's efforts to improve the foreign investor experience. This workshop will enable us to provide better quality services to our clients in the region and contribute to the sustainable growth of the industrial sector."

The subsidiary of France-based Fives employs 134 people.

Uruguay: The government has tendered for offers to acquire state-owned Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcohol y Portland (ANCAP). The Caras y Caretas newspaper has reported that the board of directors approved the tender on 18 May 2023. The tendering process will run until 11 July 2023, and any resulting privatisation will require ratification by parliament.

ANCAP operates two 300,000t/yr integrated cement plants.

The tender can be viewed here.

Türkiye: Italy-based Bedeschi says that it received an order for four pipe conveyers and an SHL 26/1000 ship loader from Medcem Cement. Medcem Cement will install the equipment as part of an expansion to its Yeşilovacık cement and clinker terminal in Mersin Province. The conveyors will form a 1km-long system with a conveying capacity of 1000t/hr of cement or 1350t/hr of clinker.

Bedeschi said that it previously supplied a ship loader of the same specifications for the Yeşilovacık terminal.

France: Ireland-based Ecocem has partnered with CB Green to launch a joint venture to scale up production of 70% reduced-CO₂ cement based on Ecocem's ACT technology. The technology combines widely available alternative raw materials into a product with enhanced strength and durability compared with ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The new joint venture will build a grinding plant in Dunkirk, Nord Department. The plant will produce 600,000t/yr of limestone filler for use in alternative cement production with ACT technology. The partners expect to invest Euro60m in the plant's construction, with commissioning scheduled for mid-2025.

Ecocem managing director Donal O’Riain said “This long-term cooperation agreement with CB Green marks a major milestone in our work to scale ACT, our low carbon cement technology, and deliver on our commitment to help the cement industry cost-effectively decarbonise by 50% by 2030. It secures production of fillers and access to high quality limestone, and is an important next step to ensuring that our ACT technology can be distributed at scale and start delivering on its potential to reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 70%. Technology is no longer the issue, scale and speed are what matters now."

UK: Mineral Products Association Lime (MPA Lime), the body representing the UK lime sector, has launched the Net Negative 2040 Roadmap. The association said that the roadmap sets out the strategy for its to 'go beyond net zero' by 2040. The industry will rely on the deployment of fuel switching, carbon capture, renewable energy sources and green transport technologies, among other approaches. It called on the government to support its aims through the implementation of carbon accounting, subsidisation of renewables and decarbonisation technologies, the development of green hydrogen infrastructure, ensuring that UK lime can remain competitive in the UK and overseas markets.

MPA Lime director Mike Haynes said “Each lever will contribute to decarbonisation – many initiatives are happening already or will come on stream this decade." He added "The combination of using biomass fuels with carbon capture and lime product carbonation will result in removal of 250,000t/yr of atmospheric CO₂, making the sector net negative overall. Other levers, especially indirect emissions and transportation, require broader collaboration and enabling action by government and other industries.”

Through their actions to date, MPA Lime members reduced their absolute CO₂ emissions by 25% between 2005 and 2022.

India: The government's income tax department has carried out raids at five locations belonging to Shree Cement. Reuters has reported that the authorities said they conducted 'survey action' on 21 June 2023.