Displaying items by tag: Japan

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement recorded net sales of US$4.4bn, up by 3% year-on-year, from 1 April 2024 to December 2024. Sales were US$4.3bn in the corresponding period of 2023.

The company’s financial report stated “During the nine months ended 31 December 2024, the Japanese economy showed a moderate recovery trend, partly due to the effect of various government policies under an improving employment and income situation. However, the outlook remained uncertain due to factors such as the protracted situation in Ukraine and continued yen depreciation.”

It also stated that domestic cement demand was affected by multiple factors, such as a labour shortage, the adoption of a five-day week for the construction industry and a shortage of lightweight aggregates. It reported that demand decreased 6% year-on-year to 25.15Mt, of which imported cement increased 26% year-on-year to 10,000t. Total exports increased by 25% year-on-year to 6.24Mt. The group’s domestic cement sales volume decreased by 5% year-on-year to 9.52Mt, with exports increasing by 22% to 2.4Mt. Its cement businesses in US, Vietnam and the Philippines all also saw a decrease in sales volumes.

Japan: Sumitomo Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with US-based Fortera to conduct a feasibility study to build a low-carbon cement plant. The project will be run with subsidiary Sumitomo Osaka Cement. The aim is to then build a pilot plant in Japan by the 2026 financial year. Sumitomo Corporation is also considering expanding the business model developed in Japan to other parts of Asia.

Japan: Mitsubishi UBE Cement Corporation (MUCC) has developed a carbon-negative artificial sand product called ‘GX-e Beads.’ It is made from by-products containing calcium and uses a proprietary accelerated carbonation technology developed by MUCC to absorb CO₂ at 80 - 250kg/t from flue gas and other sources. A further granulation and solidification stage is then used to manufacture the final artificial fine aggregates, making it net-carbon negative. The artificial sand can be produced via a dry process at ambient temperature conditions. It requires no special reaction equipment.

The product can be used as a fine aggregate to make normal-strength concrete. MUCC says “…when used in conjunction with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) or blended cement, fresh properties and strength development equivalent to or better than that of normal concrete can be obtained. Therefore, it can be widely applied to ready-mix concrete and secondary concrete products.”

Japan/Australia: Mitsubishi UBE Cement Corporation (MUCC) has invested US$5m in cleantech firm MCi Carbon, becoming the fourth major Japanese investor alongside ITOCHU Corporation, Mizuho Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank.

The partnership includes a collaboration agreement focusing on mineral carbonation technology and a three-way memorandum of understanding with ITOCHU Corporation.

MUCC will utilise MCi's technology to decarbonise cement production in Japan through CO₂ emissions abatement and development of low-carbon materials.

The investment supports the commissioning of MCi's 'Myrtle' mineral carbonation demonstration plant in Australia.

Japan: Fortera is collaborating with Sumitomo Corporation to introduce its ReCarb technology in Asia, starting with Japan. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to deploy Fortera’s bolt-on ‘low-to-zero-carbon’ cement plants across the region, focusing on the largest cement manufacturers.

Fortera’s ReCarb process converts industrial CO₂ directly from cement production into cement that is reportedly third-party verified as having 70% less embodied carbon tonne-for-tonne than ordinary Portland cement. When paired with renewable energy, Fortera can achieve zero-CO₂ cement production.

Ryan Gilliam, CEO of Fortera, said "This partnership is a pivotal moment for the future of sustainable cement production, because you can’t make a meaningful impact on the industry’s carbon emissions without partnering with major industry players in Asia, which is home to the largest cement market in the world."

Philippines: The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CeMAP) and Eagle Cement Corporation have backed an order by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to investigate alleged excessive imports of cement. In a statement the parties said that the investigation ordered by DTI Secretary Cristina Roque is a critical step that underscores the government’s commitment to ensuring fair competition, according to the Manila Bulletin newspaper. They added that the move would protect the local cement industry from undue harm caused by imports.

CeMAP previously submitted its position paper to the DTI on 12 November 2024 on the issue of imports of cement. Eagle Cement has backed the Federation of Philippine Industries in its position on the need to protect the domestic cement sector.

Data from the Bureau of Customs show that cement imports rose by 5% year-on-year to 6.2Mt from January to October 2024. 94% of the imports originated from Vietnam with 5% from Japan and 1% from Indonesia.

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement has reported net sales of US$2.86bn for the six months that ended on 30 September 2024, a 5.5% increase compared to US$2.71bn a year earlier. However, the company’s operating profit for the six-month period was US$115m, a decrease of more than 50% compared to US$325m in the first six months of the prior financial year.

Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement has reported net sales of US708m for the six months to 30 September 2024, a decline of 0.3% compared to US$710m a year earlier. The company’s net profit slumped to US$6.1m in the six-month period from US$37.5m in the first six months of the 2023 financial year, a fall of 87.4% year-on-year.

Japan: Mitsubishi UBE Cement (MUCC), in collaboration with seven other companies, has been commissioned by the Japan Organisation for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) to conduct a survey of the carbon capture and storage (CCS) project for the Southern Offshore Malay Peninsula in the 2024 financial year. This work is part of the ‘Engineering Design Work for Advanced CCS Projects’ and will study the CCS value chain from CO₂ captured from the cement industry in the Kyushu, Chugoku and Kinki regions, to the transport and storage of the liquefied CO₂ for geological in the southern offshore Malay peninsula, currently under development. MUCC will be responsible for the CCS processes at its Ube cement plant.

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement, ITOCHU, Nippon Steel, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, INPEX, Taisei, and ITOCHU Oil Exploration have been chosen by the Japan Organisation for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) to lead the engineering design work for key carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiatives. This selection marks a step towards Japan's ambitious goals to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and a 46% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from financial year 2013 (FY13) levels by FY30.

The project encompasses front end engineering design (FEED) and appraisal drilling as critical next steps following a comprehensive feasibility study conducted in FY23. This prior study involved detailed assessments of CO₂ separation, capture, transportation and storage processes. The CCS initiative involves shipping CO₂ captured at Nippon Steel’s Kyushu Works in the Oita area and Daiichi Cement's Kawasaki plant, part of the Taiheiyo Cement Group, to designated storage sites.