Displaying items by tag: Sustainability
Update on cement industry advocacy, February 2023
22 February 2023The Portland Cement Association (PCA) has launched a new website to promote the US cement industry’s progress towards net zero. It’s always interesting to see the different approaches the various associations around the world take in promoting the sector especially in response to mainstream media coverage that has often taken a negative view of cement and concrete. As sustainability thinking has permeated into society the stereotype that cement production releases vast amounts of CO2 for little gain has been a hard one to shake off. Readers can draw their own conclusions on how well the PCA site works by looking at cementprogress.com.
Make no mistake, the PCA’s new website is a marketing tool designed to bring out some of the points of its carbon zero roadmap to a wider audience. Yet it is refreshing to see a national association website attempting to tell the general public what progress the cement industry is making towards reducing its CO2 emissions. Unfortunately, it then avoids giving out any data that presents an overview of how it’s all actually going. This may come with time though as the roadmap was only released in late 2021. One number that does stick out on the site is that the PCA uses the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) carbon emissions data to calculate that the manufacture of cement accounts for 1.25% of total CO2 emissions in the US. This is lower than the global figure of 7% that is often used from the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research - Oslo’s (CICERO) research. Both figures appear to be broadly correct based on the available data.
The real story here is to showcase the wide range of actions the PCA is taking as part of its roadmap. In the cement section, for example, the PCA is rightly able to demonstrate its recent work driving the transition to Portland Limestone Cement (PLC) production in the US. This then leads on to the usual beats of resilient construction, carbonation and a ’whole society’ approach to tackling the decarbonisation of the cement industry with suggestions that everybody from citizens to contractors to policy makers can do.
The wider context is that the big challenge facing cement advocacy groups today is that sustainability is a global issue but that such groups have generally been national or regional for most of their history. The national or regional cement associations have existed for decades serving the local needs of their members. This started to change in 1999 when the Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) was created with its global approach to sustainability for the sector with its data gathering and technology roadmaps. In the 2010s global media attention started to focus on the large share of CO2 emissions the cement industry was emitting as, coincidentally, China became the world’s largest cement producer. Then in the late 2010s the two global cement associations - the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) and the World Cement Association (WCA) - emerged with the GCCA taking over what the CSI did previously.
One problem that the PCA and the other associations face is that decarbonising the cement and concrete sectors is hard to do, expensive and will take decades. Until, or if, carbon capture is suddenly conjured up at scale, all of this work is inherently seen as boring by much of the media compared to, say. young photogenic environmental activists supergluing themselves to roads. One way to fight back against this is to show progress font-and-centre and to try and take back control of the narrative. This appears to be what the PCA is trying out in a more direct fashion than usual. The risk though is that any action by an industry-backed lobbying group to show off the work it is doing will simply be labelled as greenwashing, whether it’s fair or not. Of course, some environmentalists indulge in their own reverse version of this (industry staining?) to make the powerful but simple argument about the necessity of cutting CO2 emissions but without taking fully into account or underplaying the scale of the societal changes necessary to do so. Either way, the cement industry and its advocates have an uphill struggle on their hands in the years ahead. This may require fresh thinking about how to win over hearts and minds.
The March 2023 issue of Global Cement Magazine includes an interview with Claude Lorea from the Global Cement & Concrete Association (GCCA)
Rohrdorfer commences carbon capture at Rohrdorf cement plant
22 February 2023Germany: Austria-based Rohrdorfer has started up an amine-based carbon capture system at its Rohrdorf cement plant in Bavaria. The producer plans to ultimately expand the system up to a capture capacity of 1500t/day. The inauguration follows a successful continuous trial of the technology since August 2022, excluding a regular kiln maintenance period over winter. Austria-based Andritz designed the system specifically for the Rohrdorf cement plant. It yields CO2 that is suitable for numerous applications, including in food and beverages and in intermediate products in pharmaceuticals production. The Rohrdorf cement plant also hosts a formic acid plant which uses captured CO2.
Rohrdorfer aims to achieve carbon-neutral cement production by 2038. Alongside production-related optimisations, the producer plans to realise its aim through a future expansion to the Rohrdorfer plant’s carbon capture system and the implementation of a further carbon capture upgrade at a second cement plant in Austria.
Prometheus Materials secures concrete masonry unit certificates for microalgae-based biocement
22 February 2023US: Prometheus Materials’ microalgae-based biocement has secured certification for use in concrete masonry unit (CMU) mixes. The cement now holds an ASTM C129 certificate for use in non-loadbearing CMUs and an ASTM C90 certificate for use in loadbearing CMUs. Prometheus Materials’ biocement produces concrete with comparable or superior mechanical, physical and thermal properties to ordinary Portland cement (OPC)-based concrete. It offers little-to-no CO2 emissions and 95% of water used in production is recycled.
Prometheus Materials CEO Loren Burnett said “We are thrilled to have achieved these two foundational certifications as we proceed in full force with our goal of decarbonising construction. Prometheus Materials’ product is poised to change the future of construction, converting one of the most carbon-polluting industries to a low-carbon – and one day net-zero carbon – reality.”
Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies wins three-year residential projects supply contract
21 February 2023France: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies has won a contract to supply property developer Belin Promotion with its clinker-free cement for use in its residential property development projects up until March 2026. Dow Jones Institutional News has reported that the deal includes minimum volume commitments.
Dalmia Cement (Bharat) deploys gas-fuelled truck fleet
20 February 2023India: Dalmia Cement (Bharat) has successfully launched its new fleet of 35 liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fuelled trucks from its Murli cement plant in Maharashtra. The trucks are of two types, covering ranges of 50 - 600km, and will transport bagged cement and bulk raw materials. They have 28% lower CO2 emissions than conventional diesel-powered trucks, and are thus able to eliminate 840t/yr of CO2 emissions, while also reducing emissions of nitrous oxides (NOx) by 59% and particulates by 91%, and eliminating emissions of sulphur oxides (SOx).
Dalmia Cement (Bharat) says that its next move will be to launch a second fleet of 25 trucks from its Ariyalapur cement plant in Tamil Nadu. By April 2024, it plans to convert 10% of its 3000 truck-strong fleet to LNG fuel.
A spokesperson for the company said “Dalmia Cement has been following the business philosophy of Clean & Green is Profitable and Sustainable. Our overall CO2 emissions have come down from 670kg/t to 467kg/t – one of the lowest globally – and we are focusing on realising our carbon negative goal by 2040. We are delighted to partner with GreenLine Logistics for further reduction of our Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions.”
Philippines: Germany-based TÜV Nord has awarded three ISO certificates to Philcement Corporation's Bataan cement bagging plant and distribution centre in Mariveles. The facility achieved an ISO 9001:2015 for quality management, an ISO 45001:2018 for occupational health and safety management and an ISO 14001:2015 for environmental management.
Chair Ramon del Rosario Junior said “As we continue to provide a reliable and consistent supply of cement products of good quality, these ISO certifications attest to PHINMA, Philcement and our partners’ expertise in this industry. These give us even greater confidence in our operations and especially in the products that we offer our customers."
South/Central America: Holcim Latinoamérica says that it expects to use 18% renewable power across its operations in February 2023, compared to 8% throughout 2022. The regional unit of Holcim says that it will increase its share of renewable power to 25% by the end of 2023. It is committed to a target of 60% renewables by 2030. Holcim Latinoamérica's operations span Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Mexico.
Earlier in February 2023, Holcim Nicaragua commenced construction of a 3.38MW solar power plant in Nagarote, León Department. The producer said that the solar power plant's contribution to the national grid will cover 40% of its consumption in its cement operations there.
Holcim's Latin America regional head Oliver Osswald said “Our world is in constant change from population growth, urbanisation and the climate challenge. That is why, at Holcim, we are determined to put our best foot forward to accelerate low carbon circular construction."
Rising Vicat sales fail to stop earnings slide
15 February 2023France: Vicat’s full year results for 2022 show a 16.6% year-on-year rise in consolidated sales, from Euro3.12bn to Euro3.12bn. Its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBIDTA) came to Euro570m, a 7.9% fall compared to Euro619m in 2021. Its net income for 2022 was Euro156m, a fall of 23.6% year-on-year from Euro204m in 2021.
Commenting on these figures, Guy Sidos, the Group’s chair and chief executive officer, said “In 2022, the Vicat Group demonstrated resilience amid tough conditions. Faced with an unfavourable basis of comparison as a result of the sharp post-Covid rebound in business trends during 2021, a very strong increase in energy costs and non-recurring industrial costs in the US, France and India, we responded rapidly, raising our selling prices significantly across almost all the markets in which we operate to offset the impact of inflation. We have made progress with our policy of lowering our greenhouse gas emissions by harnessing existing solutions and investing in technologies that will enable us to reach our new 2030 targets.”
Multiple awards for Lafarge Africa
15 February 2023Nigeria: Lafarge Africa has won different awards for its contributions and achievements in sustainability and environmental performance as well as its commitment towards gender inclusion and diversity in the workplace in 2022. These are: the Award for Sustainability Reporting at the 2022 NGX Made of Africa Awards; the Eco-friendly Cement Manufacturing Company of the Year Award at the Environmental Sustainability Conference, Expo, and Awards 2022 (ECOSEA); Environmental Sustainability Professional of the Year for Titilope Oguntuge, the company’s head for Sustainability & Corporate Branding, also at ECOSEA 2022 and; Most Outstanding Company in Gender Inclusion’ (Extractive Industry) at the Women in Marketing Communications Award (WIMCA) 2022.
Organisation and Human Resources director, Gbemiga Owolabi said “At Lafarge, we put people at the heart of everything we do, from promoting diversity in our teams to thriving with our communities, and this was evident in our results. We achieved a 47% representation on our board in 2022 which is a significant increase from 45.5% in 2021 and 40% in 2020.”
RHI Magnesita invests in MCi Carbon on decarbonisation deal
15 February 2023Austria: RHI Magnesita has invested in Australia-based MCi Carbon as part of a long-term strategic cooperation agreement to research and develop technologies to decarbonise the production of refractories. MCi Carbon sells a mineral carbonation process that creates a range of low-carbon embodied materials, including calcium and magnesium carbonate by carbonating minerals in by-products of industrial processes. RHI Magnesita intends to use this process to reduce its Scope 1 emissions from mineral processing during its refractory production process.
Stefan Borgas, the chief executive officer of RHI Magnesita, said "This partnership could become a breakthrough towards decarbonising the industry. It fits seamlessly with RHI Magnesita's ambitious sustainability strategy." He added "We still have a long way to go but our early-stage investment and the clear intention of a long-term collaboration make this day so memorable. Together with the like-minded team from MCi we will pave the way for a greener industry."
So far, both companies have worked together on CO2 mitigation studies, mineral carbonisation feedstock assessments and techno-economic analyses at RHI Magnesita's sites around the world. In a next step, the companies' joint efforts will focus on industrial scale-up, expected to start in 2024 with the set-up of a demonstration plant by MCi at Newcastle in Australia, supported by the Australian government.