Displaying items by tag: Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: Al Jouf Cement Company has signed a power purchase agreement with ENGIE to develop a 22MW solar photovoltaic plant at Al Jouf Cement’s facility in Turaif, Northern Borders Province. The plant will provide on-site power generation and help to decarbonise Al Jouf Cement's operations over the project’s 25-year lifespan. The solar photovoltaic installation will span over 420,000m² and is expected to reduce the plant’s carbon footprint. ENGIE will handle the development, design, construction, ownership and operation of the solar plant.

Saudi Arabia: Yamama Cement Company recorded sales of US$76m and net income of US$26.1m for the third quarter of 2024. This marks a rise of 35% and 140% respectively from US$56.5m in sales and US$10.9m in net income in the corresponding period in 2023.

One unusual thing about coverage of cement in the media is the way that discussions often centre precisely on its absence – that is, on alternatives to cement. These alternatives boast unique chemistries and performance characteristics, but are all produced without Portland cement clinker. They are generally called ‘alternative cements,’ perhaps because ‘cement-free cement’ does not have such a commercially viable ring to it. This contradictory tendency reached a new high in the past week, with developments in alternative cement across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. Together, they hint at a more diverse future for the ‘cement’ industry than the one we know today.

Asia

In Indonesia, Suvo Strategic Minerals has concluded tests with Makassar State University of a novel nickel-slag-based cement. Huadi Nickel-Alloy Indonesia supplied raw materials, and tests showed a seven-day compressive strength of 37.5MPa. Suvo Strategic Minerals says that a partnership with Huadi Nickel-Alloy Indonesia for commercial production is a likely next step.

Europe

Cement producer Mannok and minerals company Boliden partnered with the South Eastern Applied Materials (SEAM) research centre in Ireland to launch a project to develop supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) from shale on 7 October 2024. The project will additionally investigate CO₂-curing of cement paste backfill for use in mines. Irish state-owned global commerce agency Enterprise Ireland has contributed €700,000 in funding.

UK-based SCM developer Karbonite expects to launch trial production of its olivine-based SCM with a concrete company in 2025. The start-up launched Karbonite Group Holding BV, with offices in the Netherlands, to facilitate this new phase. Karbonite’s SCM is activated at 750 – 850°C and sequesters CO₂ in the activation process, resulting in over 56% lower CO₂ emissions than ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Managing director Rajeev Sood told Global Cement that talks are already underway for subsequent expansions into the UAE and India.

Back in the UK, contractor John Sisk & Son has received €597,000 from national innovation agency Innovate UK. John Sisk & Son is testing fellow Ireland-based company Ecocem’s <25% clinker cement technology in concrete for use in its on-going construction of the Wembley Park mixed development in London.

At the same time, Innovate UK granted a further €3.23m to other companies for concrete decarbonisation. Recipients included a calcined clay being developed by Cemcor, an SCM being developed from electric arc furnace byproducts by Cocoon, a geopolymer cement technology being developed by EFC Green Concrete Technology UK and an initiative to develop alternative cement from recycled concrete fines at the Materials Processing Institute in Middlesbrough. Also included was the Skanska Costain Strabag joint venture, which is working on the London stretch of the upcoming HS2 railway. The joint venture, along with partners including cement producer Tarmac and construction chemicals company Sika UK, will test low-kaolinite London clay as a raw material with which to produce calcined clay as a cement substitute in concrete structures in HS2’s rail tunnels.

Middle East

Talks are underway between UK-based calcined clay producer Next Generation SCM and City Cement subsidiary Nizak Mining Company over the possible launch of a joint venture in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The joint venture would build a 350,000t/yr reduced-CO₂ concrete plant, which would use alternative cement based on Next Generation SCM’s calcined clay.

North America

Texas-based SCM developer Solidia Technologies recently patented its carbonatable calcium silicate-based alternative cement, which sequesters CO₂ as it cures.

Meanwhile, C-Crete Technologies made its first commercial pour of its granite-based cement-free concrete in New York, US. C-Crete Technologies says that the product offers cost and performance parity with conventional cement, with net zero CO₂ emissions. Its raw material is globally more abundant than the limestone used as a raw material for clinker. Other abundantly available feedstocks successfully deployed within C-Crete Technologies’ repertoire include basalt and zeolite.

Across New York State, in Binghamton, KLAW Industries has succeeded in replacing 20% of concrete’s cement content with its powdered glass-based SCM, Pantheon. KLAW Industries has delivered samples to local municipalities and the New York State Department of Transportation. Its success expands the discussion of possible circular cement ingredients from the industrial sphere into post-consumer resources.

In Calgary, Canada, a novel SCM has drawn attention from one of the major cement incumbents: Germany-based Heidelberg Materials. It invested in local construction and demolition materials (CDM)-based SCM developer EnviCore on 9 October 2024. The companies plan to build a pilot plant at an existing Heidelberg Materials CDM recycling centre.

Conclusion

Alternative cement developers are still finding the words to talk about their products. They may be more than ‘supplementary’ up to the point of entirely supplanting 100% of clinker. Product webpages offer ‘hydraulic binder,’ ‘pozzolan’ and even ‘cement.’ As alternative ‘cements’ are developed, they build on the work of pioneers like Joseph Aspdin and Louis Vicat. Start-ups and their backers are now reaching commercial offerings, on a similar-but-different footing to cement itself. None of these novel materials positions itself as the sole, last-minute ‘super sub’ in the construction sector’s confrontation with climate change. Rather, they are a package of solutions which can combine into a net zero-emissions heavy building materials offering, hopefully before 2050.

Related to this is the need for ‘technology neutral’ standards, as championed this week by the Alliance for Low-Carbon Cement and Concrete (ALCCC), along with 23 other European industry associations, civil society organisations and think tanks. The term may sound new, but the concept is critical to the eventual uptake of alternative cements: standards, the ALCCC says, should be purely performance-based. They ought not attempt to define what technology, for example cement clinker, makes a suitable building material. According to the ALCCC, Europe’s building materials standards are not technology neutral, but instead ‘gatekeep’ market access, to the benefit of conventional cement and the exclusion of ‘proven and scalable low-carbon products.’

At the same time, cement itself is changing. Market research from USD Analytics showed an anticipated 5% composite annual growth rate in blended cement sales between 2024 and 2032, more than doubling throughout the period from US$253bn to US$369bn. If you can’t beat it, blend with it!

For a further discussion of alternative cement and binders in Europe, see Global Cement’s interview with ALCCC co-ordinator Joren Verschaeve in the forthcoming November issue of Global Cement Magazine on 17 October 2024.

Saudi Arabia: Al Jouf Cement Company’s board of directors has accepted the resignation of Suleiman Abdulaziz Al-Zaben as chair of its audit committee. Al-Zaben had been serving as committee member from outside the board.

In July 2024, Al Jouf Cement Company took legal action against unnamed former board members, following an investigation into possible ‘administrative irregularities’ by an independent auditor launched in December 2023.

Saudi Arabia: Eastern Province Cement Company has secured US$226m through a credit facilities agreement with Saudi National Bank. Arab News Releases has reported that Eastern Province Cement Company will use the funds for an upcoming new 10,000t/day line at its Al Khursaniyah cement plant in Eastern Province.

The on-going construction of the Al Khursaniyah cement plant’s new line has a budget of US$271m and was first announced on 7 January 2024.

Pakistan: The Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology heard on 10 October 2024 that some cement producers have obtained stay orders from courts against the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority over unpaid marking fees. The marking fees equate to 0.1% of cement’s ex-factory price, and go towards ensuring that cement conforms to standards. Pakistan Today News has reported that only two producers have regularly paid the fee, with combined defaults valued at US$18m across the entire industry. A delegation from Saudi Arabia reportedly queried authorities about the lack of clear labelling.

Science and Technology Committee chair Kamil Ali Agha reportedly said "No one knows what quality of cement is being produced by local manufacturers.”

Saudi Arabia: In 2023, Saudi cement and clinker exports exceeded 8.48Mt. According to Al Riyadh news, the country ranks 10th globally with a production capacity of over 80Mt/yr from 20 plants. Local demand for cement reached 47.3Mt in 2023, with construction sector spending expected to hit US$1.6tn by 2030.

Minister of industry and mineral resources Bandar Alkhorayef said "The cement sector in the Kingdom has a promising future, with several leading companies constantly adopting the latest manufacturing technologies, helping to improve production efficiency. Recently, some companies have been active in upgrading and replacing some of their production lines to enhance quality."

Saudi Arabia: Turboden, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, has announced its first project in Saudi Arabia — a 13MW organic rankine cycle (ORC) power plant at Riyadh Cement Company. This marks the first ORC plant in the Kingdom and the largest globally.

The plant will capture residual heat from the cement plant's clinker coolers and pre-heaters (2 kilns of 5000t/day each), offering high energy efficiency and eliminating water consumption. Sinoma Energy Conservation serves as the project's engineering, procurement and construction contractor.

General manager Andrea La Gioia said "Turboden is honoured to spearhead this groundbreaking project in collaboration with Riyadh Cement Company. With around 460 ORC plants in 52 countries, 50 in ‘waste’ heat recovery application, our ORC technology represents a game-changer in the global energy landscape, and we are proud to support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in its transition towards cleaner, more sustainable energy sources."

Saudi Arabia: Southern Province Cement Company has ordered a crossbelt analyser for stockpile optimisation and an airslide analyser for raw mill control from SpectraFlow for its new Line 3 project at the Jazan cement plant. The new line will have a capacity of 5000t/day of clinker.

Saudi Arabia: The crowded cement sector in Saudi Arabia is experiencing tensions due to its varying market shares, according to Majed Al Osailan, vice chair of the National Cement Committee. He noted that despite initial slow demand, renewed spending on construction has led to a shift, with most companies now able to meet market needs. The cement sector saw its first merger between Qassim Cement and Hail Cement, according to Argaam news, with another planned between City Cement and Umm Al-Qura Cement. NCC chair Badr Johar said that demand for cement is expected to strengthen substantially from late September 2024 to February 2025.