Displaying items by tag: Switzerland
Sika develops CO2-binding concrete recycling process
11 March 2021Switzerland: Sika has developed ReCO2ver, a process which produces limestone, sand and gravel from the combination of concrete and CO2 with an additive developed by the supplier. The process enables demolition companies to completely recycle used concrete, while storing captured CO2 at a rate of 60kg/t of crushed concrete. The materials produced can be used as aggregates to make concrete of comparable strength to an all-new product.
Chief executive officer Paul Schuler said, "The five largest European Union countries alone generate roughly 300Mt/yr of old concrete. With complete recycling of these materials, up to 15Mt/yr of CO2 emissions can be stored. We are convinced that our new process has the potential to benefit both our customers and the environment."
LafargeHolcim consolidated sales and recurring earnings fall in 2020
26 February 2021Switzerland: LafargeHolcim’s consolidated net sales in 2020 were Euro21.1bn, down by 5.6% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis from Euro24.4bn in 2019. The group recorded recurring earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) of Euro3.35bn, down by 2% from Euro3.74bn. Its cement sales fell to 190Mt, down by 7% from 208Mt. It noted an increase in bagged cement sales in emerging markets.
By region the group reported like-for-like growth in sales and earnings in Asia-Pacific driven by recovery in India and China despite weaknesses in the Philippines and Australia. Earnings rose despite falling sales in Europe, Latin America and North America with a resilient market noted in Central Europe and an ‘outstanding’ year reported in Latin America. Middle East Africa reported falling cement demand and adverse market affects from the coronavirus pandemic, although Nigeria remained buoyant.
Chief executive officer Jan Jenisch said, “2020 was an unprecedented year for everyone, challenging us to be more resilient, while stepping up to take care of those around us.” He added, “This crisis has really proven the resilience of our strategy and business model. By the fourth quarter of 2020 we were back to growth, with a 1.5% increase in net sales and over-proportional recurring EBIT of 14%.” The group completed eight ‘bolt-on’ acquisitions in 2020 and signed an agreement to acquire Firestone Building Products, a producer of flat-roofing systems in the US. It also claimed that, “Every tonne of cement we produced in 2020 was more carbon-efficient and contained more recycled material than the year before.”
LafargeHolcim and Schlumberger New Energy to study carbon capture and storage studies at two cement plants
10 February 2021Europe/North America: Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim and US-based Schlumberger plan to study the feasibility of carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems at two cement plants in Europe and North America. The companies say that the partnership is intended to as a precursor towards the deployment of large-scale CCS solutions.
LafargeHolcim’s chief sustainability officer Magali Anderson said, “Today’s announcement is further proof of LafargeHolcim’s environmental leadership and commitment to pioneer new solutions to reduce carbon emissions on our journey to become a net zero company. Our partnership with Schlumberger, the world’s leading provider of technology to the global energy industry, will bring new advances in storage that could be replicated at scale across our sites.”
Colombia: Switzerland-based finance company RobecoSAM has listed Cementos Argos in the Silver Class in its Sustainability Yearbook 2021. It chose the producer from among over 7000 companies from 61 industries on the basis of its Dow Jones Sustainability Index score.
Cementos Argos Legal and Sustainability vice president María Isabel Echeverri said, “Being included for the eighth consecutive year in the RobecoSAM Sustainability Yearbook encourages us to maintain our high sustainability standards and allows us to continue improving every day so that we can continue contributing to the development and growth of our clients and to the well-being of millions of people in all the territories in which we are present. This recognition is the result of the work of a team committed and convinced of the importance of creating value for society and for the company.”
LafargeHolcim partners with Massachusetts Institute of Technology as founder member of MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium.
29 January 2021US: Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim has become a founder member of the MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The group says that the consortium aims to accelerate climate action through innovation. It says that it will represent the building materials industry in working with MIT’s research team to develop ‘scalable solutions’ to tackle climate change. It joins 12 other companies, including Apple, Boeing and IBM.
Chief executive officer Jan Jenisch said, “I am committed to building a net zero future, driving innovative and sustainable building solutions that work for people and the planet. With the urgency of today’s climate crisis, no single organisation can tackle it alone. That’s why I am proud to be joining MIT’s alliance of like-minded industry leaders and academic partners to scale up our climate action together.”
Switzerland: Dürr is supplying a regenerative thermal oxidation system (RTO) to Jura Cement Fabriken integrated plant in Wildegg as the main stage in its air pollution control system. The upgrade is intended to enable the cement producer to comply with anticipated lower gas emission limits for carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and ammonia (NH3). The supplier says its solution combines Dürr’s Ecopure RTO multiple-chamber principle with an optimisation of the existing process technology in the calciner. It is scheduled to start operation in 2022.
Jura Cement operates two integrated plants in Switzerland. It is part of the Switzerland-based Jura Materials Group, which has been part of the Ireland-based CRH since 2000.
Swiss cement deliveries fall slightly in 2020
13 January 2021Switzerland: CemSuisse, the Swiss cement association, says that cement deliveries fell by 1.5% year-on-year to 4.15Mt in 2020. Deliveries remained stable in the first quarter before falling by 3.3% year-on-year in the second quarter at the same time of the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic. They subsequently recovered to a small increase in the third quarter before falling by 3.1% year-on-year in the fourth.
Swiss government warned of decline in cement production from 2024 unless raw materials secured
21 December 2020Switzerland: The Federal Council has noted a report stating that, without extensions to raw material extraction licences, domestic cement production is set to decline by 36% from 2024. The Agence Télégraphique Suisse has reported that local producers are already restricted by limited legally available limestone and marl reserves. At present the local cement sector provides 86% of Switzerland’s 5Mt/yr domestic cement demand. The report by the Swiss Geological Survey states that acceptance of all proposed mining expansion projects in 2023 would delay the projected decline until the end of 2030.
LafargeHolcim and Batica building ‘Houses of Tomorrow’
20 November 2020Switzerland/France: Along with its partner Batica, LafargeHolcim is optimising the design of a low-carbon house, bringing together the latest innovations developed by the group's global research and development centre in Lyon, France.
Construction of the House of Tomorrow began at the end of October 2020 in Saint-Caprais-de-Bordeaux, Gironde. The materials used for its construction will have a CO2 footprint more than 40% lower than a traditional house, and an optimised energy performance. The integration of these innovations in the house has made it possible for such a property to remain financially accessible to buyers thanks to controlled costs.
To achieve low CO2 emissions performance, LafargeHolcim used its innovative cement and concrete products, all of which are available on the French market. Foundations were poured using ECOPact AA concrete, with emissions 80% lower than standard concrete. ECOPact A concrete, with CO2 emissions 50-70% lower than standard concrete, will be used for the compression slab of the VS floor (crawl space). Airium, an insulating mineral foam, will be used to insulate the walls. A very low density concrete – 40-300kg/m3 depending on the mix – Airium represents an environmentally friendly, healthy and affordable insulation solution. LafargeHolcim’s Agilia Chape Thermic fluid screed will be used to coat the under-floor heating elements.
LafargeHolcim launches sustainability-linked bond for Euro850m
18 November 2020Switzerland: LafargeHolcim has launched a Euro850m sustainability-linked bond with a coupon of 0.5% maturing in 2031. It says it is the first bond of its kind in the building materials industry and that it is part of its commitment to reach its 2030 CO2 reduction target.
“We are proud to be the first in our industry to launch a sustainability-linked bond. The order book of Euro2.6bn demonstrates the confidence of investors in the company’s financial strength, strategy and ability to deliver on its sustainability targets,” said Géraldine Picaud, Chief Financial Officer of LafargeHolcim.
Bond investors will be entitled to a higher coupon should the company not meet its objective, incentivising LafargeHolcim to reach its target of 475kg net CO2 per tonne of cementitious material by 2030.