Displaying items by tag: Sustainability

Italy: Buzzi Unicem has obtained technical evaluation certification for CEM II/C-M Portland composite cement products to be manufactured at its Trino, Vernasca, Settimello, Guidonia, Barletta and Augusta plants. The new cements will be part of its C-Green product line and the sustainability objectives from its 2030 roadmap. The new products will reduce their clinker factor by using granulated blast furnace slag, fly ash, pozzolan and limestone. They potentially offer up to a 40% reduction in CO₂ emissions per tonne compared to CEM I equivalents. They will be available in 32.5 N/R and 42.5 N/R strength classes for a range of applications. The cement producer hopes that the new products will quickly establish themselves in the market and even becoming the “standard cement” in Italy by 2030.

Qatar: The Qatar National Cement Company (QNCC) and Gulf Organisation for Research & Development (GORD) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on the research and development of low-carbon building products. The organisations will also lead capacity building and knowledge sharing exercises to encourage the industry-wide transition to low-carbon solutions and green building practices.

Essa Mohammed Ali Kaldari, the chief executive officer of QNCC, said, “We are pleased today to sign a MOU with the GORD, which aims to enhance the cooperation towards scientific research in the area of green and low carbon products, achieving sustainable development, and establishing an integrated system that serves all the people of Qatar.” He added “In line with Qatar National Vision 2030, QNCC started significantly supporting institutions that focus on capacity building and create a strong sustainability culture that combines the economy and the environment.”

Turkey: Nuh Çimento has applied for environmental clearance for the expansion of a waste heat recovery (WHR) unit at its Hereke cement plant in Marmara. En Kocaeli News has reported that the company seeks to expand the plant’s power capacity by 66% to 29.6MW from 17.7MW. The company estimates that the project will cost US$4.38m. Its construction will employ 50 people.

US: Argos USA has obtained a US$750m loan for the financing of its working capital and capital expenditure and refinancing of its debt. The loan is linked to environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics. Bank of Nova Scotia, BNP Paribas, JP Morgan Chase Bank, SMBC and Bank of New York Mellon lent the funds, assisted by Cuatrecasas.

Parent company Cementos Argos said "With this credit agreement, around 44% of Cementos Argos' consolidated debt will be linked to ESG indicators, bringing it closer to the 50% target for 2022 previously announced to the market, and thus reaffirming the company's commitment to meeting ambitious goals in terms of sustainable growth."

UK: Cemex UK has invested in a new Canning Conveyor conveyor system at its Swinderby sand and gravel quarry in Lincolnshire. The 1.6km-long system will convey extracted materials to a new processing plant. The new plant will double the quarry’s aggregates production capacity. The system includes a 20t hopper feeder and a radial stockpile, also supplied by Canning Conveyor. The company producer says that the new equipment will cut 50% of the operations’ CO2 emissions by eliminating diesel-powered dumpster use and saving 300,000l/yr of fuel, in line with Cemex’s Future in Action sustainability programme. It will also reduce dust and noise at the quarry. The investment is due for completion in early 2023.

Philippines: Republic Cement has announced that it has become plastic neutral, thanks to the continued efforts of its Ecoloop subsidiary. By collecting and co-processing the equivalent volume of residual plastic waste as it has used in the packaging and transport of its cement products, Republic Cement was able to offset its plastic packaging footprint for 2020, 2021 and so far in 2022. This is equivalent to over 890 dump trucks filled with plastic waste. Ecoloop has already helped a number of other companies to reach plastic neutrality.

Poland: Lafarge Poland says that it has started one of its decarbonisation goals by removing the first of its ordinary portland cement (OPC) products from the market. From the start of September 2022 the subsidiary of Switzerland-based Holcim has stopped producing its bagged CEM I 42.5 R Special cement product. In late 2021 it said it was planning to stop production CEM I OPC by the end of 2025. As it does so it will switch to products in the group’s ECOPlanet range instead.

Europe: RHI Magnesita is heading a European Union Horizon project called ReSoURCE. The project seeks to develop a sensor-based refractory waste sorting and powder handling system. It involves academic partners in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Norway and the UK. The European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA) supplied Euro6m in funding for the study, while the UK government supplied Euro1m. Global refractory waste generation is currently 28Mt/yr.

RHI Magnesita chief executive officer Stefan Borgas said “On average, 60% of all spent refractories generated by refractory-consuming industries go to landfill, while only 30% are recycled. With the ReSoURCE project, we aim to increase it up to 75%. This means we can achieve significant savings of CO₂ emissions per annum. With this research project, we have the chance to make a difference in the world.”

UK: Cemex has bought 10 Volvo 460 8x4 tipper trucks for use at its Angerstein Wharf aggregates depot in Greenwich. From there, the trucks will deliver sand and aggregates all around London. The trucks’ bodies are made of lightweight aluminium, and they conform to Euro 6 emissions standards. This corresponds to 80% NO_x emissions reduction and 50% particulate emissions reduction compared to Euro 5 standards.

Cemex UK fleet engineering manager Nigel Ponton said “The addition of these new trucks to our fleet will enable us to better meet customer demand, safely and efficiently. Safety is the number one focus whenever we add new trucks to our operation and these Volvos tick every box in that respect.” Ponton continued “These trucks will all be working in busy streets across London so it’s imperative we provide our drivers with the best tools possible to do the job and help protect any vulnerable road users. Moreover, thanks to the improved fuel efficiencies and enhanced payload these new Volvos are the most sustainable vehicles we’ve ever had and will help decarbonise our delivery footprint.”

Gabon: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) and the United Cities and Local Government of Africa (UCLG Africa) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at Africa Climate Week 2022 that is intended to collaboration towards decarbonising cement and concrete industries in Africa. The MOU was signed by UCLG Africa’s Secretary General Jean-Pierre Elong-Mbassi and the GCCA’s Director of Concrete and Sustainable Construction Andrew Minson. The agreement was made during Africa Climate Week 2022 in Gabon and sets out how both parties will work together to strengthen stakeholder advocacy towards net zero and encourage local governments to take policy action towards decarbonisation targets.

Through this agreement the two organisations will work together towards building sustainable and resilient cities, with a focus on an initial first five pilot cities to scope out opportunities and challenges. The two parties will jointly organise events that strengthen advocacy for the involvement of local governments in decarbonisation. Both parties will also aim to help make low carbon cement manufacturing more attractive to investors in Africa, as well as stimulate demand for low-carbon concrete products and to cultivate a positive environment for circular and Net Zero manufacturing across Africa.

To reach these objectives, both parties will work to ensure African cities have more capacity to embrace innovative cement products and that these cities can be mobilised effectively to join the Net Zero by 2050 efforts. GCCA and UCLG Africa will also look to build stakeholder support for multi-level governance in urban planning and housing across Africa.