Displaying items by tag: Sustainability

Bangladesh: LafargeHolcim Bangladesh Limited (LHBL) has entered into a memorandum of understanding with conglomerate PRAN-RFL Group. The agreement focuses on the sustainable disposal of non-biodegradable and non-recyclable materials from PRAN-RFL's food products at LafargeHolcim's Chhatak cement plant in Sunamganj.

Corporate finance director Uzma Chowdhury noted its operation of three recycling plants capable of processing 40,000t/yr of discarded materials. He said "Some materials cannot be recycled. These often mix with soil and water, causing significant environmental harm. This is why we are partnering with LafargeHolcim to ensure that non-recyclable materials are managed in an effective and environmentally friendly manner. Now, non-biodegradable and non-recyclable food products produced by Pran-RFL Group will be managed in a sustainable manner at the LafargeHolcim plant."

CEO of LafargeHolcim Bangladesh Mohammad Iqbal Chowdhury said "LafargeHolcim has been working for a zero waste future though its Geocycle wing. Our Chhatak plant is the only integrated cement plant in Bangladesh that produces clinker. This enables us to manage different kinds of ‘waste’ sustainably."

Greece: Titan Group has launched a sustainability-linked financing framework, aligning its financial strategy with its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. This framework supports the company's sustainable growth ambitions under its Green Growth Strategy 2026. Future notes will fund general corporate purposes, including sustainable projects and decarbonisation efforts towards Titan’s transition to net-zero emissions.

Chief sustainability and innovation officer Leonidas Canellopoulos said “Transforming the building materials industry towards a more sustainable, net-zero future requires significant investments, with sustainable finance playing a crucial role in this transformation. The framework will enable Titan to attract a broader range of investors, including those focused on sustainable investments and ESG portfolios. Our financial and sustainability strategies are now aligned under a solid framework, further strengthening our stakeholders’ confidence and trust.”

Mexico: Veolia Mexico announced in its sustainability report that it has managed the recycling and reuse of nearly 20,000t of waste for the cement industry, as well as reducing water consumption by 15%. The company has reportedly treated 1.1Mt of solid waste and generated 22,134MWh of electricity from biogas.

Leslie Lamadrid, director of sustainability, said "This demonstrates the effectiveness of the strategies implemented and Veolia's dedication to achieving its sustainability goals."

Spain: The regional government's Ministry of Development and Environment has renewed the Emas System for environmental management at the Toral de los Vados cement plant. Initially joining the Emas system in 2018 along with 30 other companies in the region, now only 17 maintain the certification. To maintain this voluntary certification, the plant must establish yearly environmental objectives, demonstrate its commitment to achieving them and assume a commitment to continuous improvement, verified through independent audits.

Director of the cement plant Jaime Santoalla said "This certification is an endorsement of the efforts we make in terms of sustainability, as well as our commitment to the environment. We are very proud to have celebrated 100 years in the region with the aim of becoming more sustainable every day and reducing our environmental footprint."

US: The Continental Cement Davenport plant in Buffalo, Iowa, has celebrated the expansion of its facility, which now enables the reuse of post-consumer materials. This initiative will substitute approximately 50,000t/yr of fossil fuels with discarded materials that would otherwise be incinerated or sent to landfill.

Denmark: Denmark's first CO₂ storage facility is now ready to store CO₂ in the North Sea, designed for large-scale CO₂ containment to combat climate change, according to a press release from project leaders INEOS Denmark. The Project Greensand initiative has completed its pilot phase, confirming permanent CO₂ storage in the Nini West reservoir, 1800m below the seabed.

Following the pilot phase's success, the launch of large-scale CO₂ storage is expected by late 2025 or early 2026, with ambitions to store up to 8Mt/yr by 2030. An investigation is also underway to determine the possibility of storing CO₂ underground on land in Denmark, with the company obtaining an exploration licence from the Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities earlier in 2024 for an area of Jutland in the Gassum reservoir.

Country manager at INEOS Denmark and Commercial Director at INEOS Energy, Mads Gade said “We emphasised that Denmark has moved to the forefront of CCS in the world when we stored the first CO₂ in the North Sea. Now we are in the process of investigating how to take the next step, and here we stand on the shoulders of the invaluable experience from Project Greensand's pilot. We are keen to continue this momentum with an ambition that Greensand will be the first CO₂ storage facility in operation in the EU, and we are now awaiting the Danish authorities' approval of a permanent storage. This is an important step, because if Denmark takes just 5% of a future CCS market in Europe, it could mean up to 9000 jobs, with an economic potential of US$7.4bn. At the same time, we can support the EU's objectives, because we have all the prerequisites to create a new industry that is part of the solution to the challenges of the climate.”

India: Oriana Power subsidiary TrueRE Surya has won a contract to build a 128MW solar power plant in Tamil Nadu for Dalmia Cement (Bharat), supporting its target to use 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and become carbon negative by 2040.

The project cost approximately US$62m and will be commissioned within the next 12 months, according to Energetica India Magazine. As part of the contract, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) will acquire 26% of TrueRE Surya for US$5.3m, with the transaction finalising within four to six months.

Oriana Power Chief business officer Anirudh Saraswat said “We are also humbled by the trust posed in Oriana Power’s ability to execute mega solar projects by the largest companies and are equally excited to take another big step forward in helping India meet its renewable energy goals through this partnership.”

Vietnam: Fico Tay Ninh Cement has launched ‘green-labelled’ cement with CO₂ emissions between 350-600kg/t, 70% lower than traditional Portland cement, according to Tuoi Tre News. Director of Fico Tay Ninh Cement, Nguyen Cong Bao, said that the company has invested in automated production lines and research and development to produce this ‘eco-friendly’ cement, aiming to offer it at competitive prices due to cost-saving technologies.

In addition, SCG Concrete Roof Company has introduced its own ‘green’ cement to the local market, reducing carbon emissions by 20% during production compared to traditional Portland cement.

India: Dalmia Bharat announced that its subsidiary, Dalmia Cement (Bharat), has entered into a share subscription and shareholders agreement to acquire a 26% stake in Truere Surya for US$5.3m. Truere Surya will establish a solar power project in Tamil Nadu, aligning with Dalmia Bharat’s goals to become carbon negative by 2040.

The solar project will have a capacity of 128MW. Completion of the transaction is anticipated within 4 - 6 months, pending customary conditions.

Colombia: Cemex Colombia has reported that 90% of the water used at its Santa Rosa grinding plant in 2024 to date came from non-fresh water sources, including rainwater harvesting and water recycling systems. Additionally, the plant operates with zero water discharges. UK-based Environmental Resources Management (ERM) supported the development of the current water management protocol for the plant.