Displaying items by tag: UK

UAE/UK: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has launched Innovandi Entrepreneur Network. The network will connect low-CO₂ technology developers with GCCA members to work towards the decarbonisation of the global cement sector.

GCCA CEO Thomas Guillot said “Innovation can help unlock our net zero future. We recognise the vital role start-ups play in that transition and very much hope start-ups will join our entrepreneur network. Only by working together and through collaboration will we achieve our shared goals.”

Ryan Gilliam, CEO of US-based alternative cement developer Fortera, said “Thank you to the GCCA for providing a platform that brings like-minded companies together to collaborate on a net zero mission to produce cement. Fortera is honoured to be one of the first companies to join GCCA’s Innovandi Entrepreneur Network, to work in concert with our industry partners to tackle this global initiative.”

UK: The World Cement Association (WCA) has welcomed the introduction of the revised BS 8500 standard, which allows for a wider range of Portland limestone cement (PLC) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) combinations in concrete. WCA chief executive officer Ian Riley, however, described the revision as ‘not breaking new ground but catching up.’ He called on the UK and other jurisdictions to begin enacting performance-based standards.

Riley said “It is good to see BSI making this change to concrete standards, however, this is still a very modest step forward. Firstly, ground limestone has been used successfully as a cement component in many markets for decades. Secondly, in order to produce concrete with the lowest embodied carbon and the highest circularity, we need to move away from standards that require particular recipes.”

UK: Carbon Re has published a whitepaper entitled ‘Levers of Change’ that examines six key levers to accelerate decarbonisation in the cement industry. The document is intended to help companies in the sector navigate related regulatory and commercial factors. The six levers it examines are: standards; regulations; customer demand; technologies; capital; and financing and commercial advantages.

The whitepaper can be downloaded here: https://carbonre.com/levers-of-change

Austria: Untha has appointed Katie Mallinson as its global marketing director. She has worked as the marketing director for Untha UK since 2021. She was previously the managing director of global communications firm UK-based Scriba PR, which she founded in 2013. As part of her new role she will be based in the UK, with a visiting role to Untha’s different global teams.

UK: Thousands of tonnes of waste ceramics from one of the UK’s largest ceramic tile manufacturers will be recycled to make cement as part of a new initiative from Aggregate Industries. The cement producer, owned by Holcim, has agreed a four-year deal with Johnson Tiles to take 20,000t/yr of legacy waste scrap from its Stoke factory in Staffordshire. They will be transported a short distance to Aggregate Industries’ Cauldon cement plant, where they will be crushed and mixed with limestone and the other raw materials prior to entering the kiln.

Andrew Whyatt, Geocycle UK General Manager at Aggregate Industries, said “We are delighted to be working with such a potteries stalwart as Johnson Tiles in order to recycle what would otherwise be a waste product. Materials such as this offer a great alternative to excavating fresh raw materials, preserving our local natural resources, whilst offering a solution whereby 100% of the material will be upcycled into new local cement. Both companies share a drive towards sustainable manufacturing and partnerships like this are vital as Aggregate Industries aims to reclaim or recycle 3Mt/yr of materials by 2025.”

Europe: Mexico-based Cemex says that it will soon have obtained Type III environmental product declaration (EPD) certificates for the cement products it produces across its European network of cement plants. EPDs have been published for selected cements since 2021. Cemex has confirmed the publication of EPDs for all cement types in Poland and the publication of EPDs for its products produced in Croatia and Spain by the end of 2023. Phase Two of the publication process will see EPDs for cements produced in the UK, Germany and Czech Republic in early 2024, which will complete the full roll out in Europe.

Sergio Menéndez, President of Cemex Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia, said, "EPD certificates enable our customers to make an informed choice about which materials offer the lowest carbon footprint and reduce the environmental impact of their construction projects. We have therefore made securing these objective and reliable documents, which demonstrate that our products meet the requirements of more sustainable construction, a priority across our whole European operation. I am very pleased with the progress made so far and look forward to celebrating the completion of this process."

UK: Breedon Group grew its sales by 8% year-on-year during the first nine months of 2023. Volumes ‘moderated’ over the period, yet ‘robust’ pricing and operational excellence successfully offset the effects of this on group sales. It generated ‘good’ free cash flow and is on track to deliver a further reduction in covenant leverage at the end of 2023, enabling it to continue its investments in growth. In September 2023, Breedon Group entered the FTSE 250 Index of the London Stock Exchange.

Chief executive officer Rob Wood said “Notwithstanding the market backdrop, the Breedon team continues to deliver and we are delighted to report a trading performance ahead of expectations. Against the uncertain political and economic backdrop, our teams have adapted well to deliver a compelling performance.” He continued “But we never settle – we will continue to seek ways to operate as efficiently and sustainably as possible, invest in our people and grow our business so we are positioned to succeed when the construction materials market returns to growth.”

UK: The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has called on the UK government to publish its promised response paper to consultations over a proposed UK carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) for imports of goods produced by heavy industries, including cement. This follows the failure of the government’s latest budget for 2023 to commit to the development of a national CBAM. The MPA said that it was ‘deeply disappointed’ with the outcome.

MPA executive director for energy and climate change Diana Casey said “The delay in committing to a CBAM sends the signal that the UK is not the place to invest. Cement is essential to our everyday lives. The construction of our homes, hospitals, offices and much more depend on it. We cannot take its supply for granted and neither can we put ourselves at risk of unstable international trading markets. Levelling the carbon cost between domestic production and imports is vital to attract the investment required to decarbonise and ensure our long-term security of supply. The UK government must urgently commit to a CBAM on cement.”

UK: Aggregates Industries has appointed Kaziwe Kaulule as Group Strategy and Commercial Growth Director.

Kaulule previously worked as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Lafarge Industries South Africa from 2020 to July 2023. Prior to this he was the CEO of Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe from 2018 to 2020. He has worked for Holcim Group since the mid 2000s holding audit roles for Lafarge in France before moving on to management positions in Zamabia. He holds a master of business administration (MBA) from the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School, a bachelor’s degree in commerce and a bachelor’s of science from the University of Cape Town.

Europe: Ireland-based CRH has agreed to sell its European lime business to UK-based SigmaRoc for US$1.1bn. The business controls 16 sites across the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Poland and the UK. CRH says that the first phase of the transaction, which is scheduled for completion in early 2024, will hand over control of the Czech Republic, Germany and Ireland businesses to SigmaRoc, while control of the Poland and UK business will pass over in two subsequent phases.

CRH chief executive officer Albert Manifold said “The decision to divest at an attractive valuation follows a comprehensive review of the Business and demonstrates CRH’s active approach to portfolio management. The proceeds from the divestment will provide us with significant additional capital allocation opportunities to deliver further growth and value creation for our shareholders.”