Displaying items by tag: Holcim US
Holcim US rebrands Boston businesses
13 September 2023US: Holcim US has rebranded its businesses in Boston, Massachusetts, to unite them under the Holcim name. Resources News has reported that Lafarge Cement, which operates the Charlestown cement terminal, as well as building materials producer Aggregate Industries, will rebrand as Holcim US.
Holcim US’ Northeast and Great Lakes regional senior vice president and general manager Domenico D'Aqui said "With the integration of local legacy operations into Holcim, the Boston area will see expanded benefits of construction projects made from innovative materials, such as ECOPact reduced-CO2 concrete, that not only build needed infrastructure but also meet ambitious sustainability targets."
Holcim US partners with NorthStar Clean Energy for solar power installation at Alpena cement plant
16 June 2023US: Holcim US has announced plans for a 25MW solar power plant to serve 75% of the electricity needs of its Alpena cement plant in Michigan. The company says that the installation at the Alpena plant will be the largest in the US Midwest Region. Holcim US chose NorthStar Clean Energy to build the array, which it says will eliminate 25,000t/yr of CO2 emissions.
Other planned projects at the Alpena cement plant include an upgrade to the plant's dock in order to accommodate larger vessels and reduce the number of trips in its Great Lakes transport operations.
Holcim US' senior vice president, manufacturing, Michael Nixon said “As Holcim is showing in Alpena, the path to net-zero carbon emissions requires a blend of proactive solutions. Whether it’s using alternative fuels or implementing renewable energy from solar power, we are committed to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels — a goal that will benefit the environment as a whole and the Alpena community we have called home for more than 115 years.”
US: Holcim US has joined the New York Value of Distributed Energy Resources (VDER) program as part of its plans to enter Purchase Power Agreements (PPA) so that it can use more renewable energy sources. The scheme is intended to help support its investment in on-site renewable energy generation.
Atl Martinez, the Vice President of Procurement at Holcim North America, said “Holcim US is focused on driving significant progress to meet our Green Growth Strategy goals, so we consistently evaluate our environmental impact and opportunities to incorporate more sustainable solutions into our operations.” He added, “Through the New York VDER program, we support not only our ongoing investment in on-site generation but also community solar projects that help drive greener outcomes for all.”
The company will host three separate solar arrays on Holcim's non-mineable aggregate sites. These sites, operating in conjunction with various other offsite arrays within the Holcim VDER agreement, are expected to generate more than 80GWh/yr of energy. Energy generated from these sites will effectively power seven aggregate and cement sites through renewable energy credits.
Other work by Holcim US towards net zero includes its participation in the Northeast Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub program. The company has also expanded its renewable portfolio to include a 40MW battery storage system and 78MW of solar arrays in Ohio, Maryland and Arkansas. In late 2022, it entered into its first virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).
US: Holcim US has inaugurated a waste tyre processing plant at its Alpena cement plant in Michigan. The facility will process 22,000t/yr of tyres into refuse-derived fuel (RDF) for use at the cement plant. Holcim US partner Geocycle will collect, pre-process and deliver the tyres to the new facility.
Holcim US’ North regional senior vice president of manufacturing Michael Nixon said "Holcim has invested more than US$100m in eco-friendly technologies at the Alpena plant in the past 15 years. The tyre-derived fuel facility is another strong demonstration of our commitment to reducing emissions."
US: Holcim US has joined the Department of Energy's (DOE) 'Better Climate Challenge' to reduce CO2 emissions and save energy. It is the first cement producer to commit to the DOE program. The subsidiary of Switzerland-based Holcim plans to power the electrical operations at 13 cement plants in the country with 100% renewable energy by 2030 and to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. As part of the 'Better Climate Challenge' it has committed to reduce CO2 emissions in the US by at least 25% by 2033.
Examples of current renewable power usage at Holcim US cement plants include the installation of three onsite wind turbines at the Paulding plant in Ohio that generate 11,500MWh while a forthcoming solar unit at the Hagerstown plant in Maryland will generate up to 18,440MWh. All 13 Holcim cement plants will conduct reviews to identify projects that could contribute to meeting goals of the challenge.
With grant support from the DOE, Holcim is also investigating the feasibility of using carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) at its cement plants in Portland, Colorado, and Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. In addition to involvement in the Better Climate Challenge, Holcim US is a continuing partner of the DOE's 'Better Plants Challenge', sharing facility-level energy data and solutions to help guide other industrial companies with implementing energy solutions in their facilities.
US: Holcim US has appointed TotalEnergies to install, maintain and operate a 33MW solar power plant and 38.5MWh battery system at its Florence, Colorado cement plant. By storing energy with the battery system, the plant can relieve demand on the grid at peak times. Holcim will receive roughly 71,000MWh/yr of renewable energy under a minimum 15-year power purchase and storage services agreement (PPSSA). The partners expect the new systems to reduce the plant's CO2 emissions by 40,000t/yr and its energy consumption by 40%.
Holcim North America’s vice president for procurement Atl Martinez said "As we work to accelerate green growth across the US, it's critical that we come to the table with partners who share similar goals around circularity and renewable energy. This initiative with TotalEnergies demonstrates an ongoing determination to transform our operations and lower our carbon footprint. It's a milestone investment that will decrease our reliance on other sources of energy and shrink our utility costs through a powerful combination of clean energy and efficient operations."
Geocycle signs fly ash deal with Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities
22 February 2023US: Holcim subsidiary Geocycle has signed a multi-year contract with Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities to market fly ash produced by the power generation companies. Geocycle and Holcim will use to up to around 225,000t/yr of fly ash to produce blended cement products.
Sophie Wu, Head of Geocycle North America, said “In line with Geocycle’s commitment and passion for recycling and achieving a net zero future, we are honoured to partner with Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities to develop creative and efficient solutions that contribute to the circular economy.” She added, “Together we’ll be able develop blended cementitious materials, reduce CO2 levels and further encourage carbon neutral construction.”
Holcim to acquire Duro-Last
07 February 2023US: Holcim has signed an agreement with Duro-Last to acquire the roofing systems producer for US$1.29bn. Reuters has reported that the acquisition will be Holcim's largest for all of 2022 and 2023 so far. Once the parties complete the transaction, Duro-Last's business will join Holcim's products and systems division. Holcim expects the deal to yield synergies of US$60m/yr, primarily through a reduction in the cost of materials.
Holcim expects its products and systems division to contribute a majority of its profit in North America once increased investment under the US government's Inflation Reduction Act begins to take effect. In 2022, the division accounted for 40% of regional profit. The group is committed to a global target of 30% of sales being attributable to the products and systems division by 2025, compared to 19% of sales in 2022.
Canada/US: Holcim North America has invested in Blue Planet to support the development and commercialisation of its mineralisation technology. Blue Planet’s process sequesters CO2 with building waste feedstock such as recycled concrete, cement kiln dust (CKD) and slag to produce new aggregate products. Each tonne of Blue Planet’s aggregate can mineralize up to 440kg of captured CO2. Lafarge Canada, Holcim US, and Blue Planet will start a multi-year collaboration to help identify potential to use the mineralisation technology to further lower the carbon footprint of the companies’ cement, aggregates and concrete operations, with the potential to expand to other operations in the Holcim Group around the world.
“This is an important step for us in North America. Our vision is to transform our St Constant Plant in Montreal into a carbon campus that ultimately advances commercialisation of mineralisation technologies, including Blue Planet’s products,” said David Redfern, president and chief executive officer, Lafarge Canada. “We look forward to advancing our Net Zero strategy by leveraging mineralization technology that allows us to use the CO2 from our own cement plants to produce carbon neutral or carbon negative sand and gravel products.”
Holcim US buys 10 Hyliion electric trucks
26 May 2022US: Holcim has commissioned 10 Hyliion Hypertruck ERX electric trucks in its Oklahoma and Texas cement and concrete operations. The cement producer says that the trucks reduce CO2 emissions by 89% when using renewable natural gas compared to conventional diesel vehicles.
Holcim US aggregates and construction materials CEO Jay Moreau said “This agreement with Hyliion underscores the direction Holcim is taking around the globe to reach our sustainability and environmental goals. By integrating sustainable technologies like electric vehicles into our operations, such as those of Hyliion, we are able to build on our promise of making greener cities, reducing emissions and driving the circular economy.”