Displaying items by tag: US

US: Solidia Technologies has partnered with Xpansic CBL Holding Group (XCHG) to develop data technology products for precise measurement of CO₂ emissions and water usage in cement production. “Digital Feedstock enables industrial consumers to seamlessly connect sustainability ambitions with procurement decisions, wholly disrupting the way the cement industry meets consumer demand for accountability,” said Solidia Technologies CEO Tom Schuler.

Solidia Technologies produces reduced-CO₂ concrete with lower-energy cement and water-free CO₂ curing.

USA: Cemex USA’s 0.9Mt/yr integrated Clinchfield cement plant has received a Sentinels of Safety Award from the National Mining Association, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, US Department of the Interior Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement and Bureau of Land Management for safety and environmental stewardship at its associated quarry. PR Newswire has reported that the plant and quarry operated for a total of 200,000 hours in 2018 without any employee sustaining a lost-time injury (LTI). Cemex USA president Jaime Muguiro said “Our Clinchfield operations serve as a strong example of what we can accomplish with safety as a number one priority.”

Nigeria: Dangote Cement has extended its services agreement with US-based General Electric to the implementation of asset performance management (APM) digital products at its 12.5Mt/yr integrated Obajana cement plant and 12Mt/yr integrated Ibese cement plant, with the aim of unplanned downtime reduction. Dangote operations director Ravi Sood said that “Operational performance is crucial to a plant’s overall productivity, directly affecting end products. The introduction of GE’s latest digital solutions will improve efficiency and enable us to become more self-sufficient in power generation.”

US: Bruks Siwertell, the producer and installer of conveying and storage systems for cement and other dry bulk materials, has delivered a fully-assembled Siwertell ST 640-M, the screw-type ship unloader to South Texas Cement’s Corpus Christi port terminal. The suppliers have announced that they await clearance from South Texas Cement and GCCM Holdings to commence testing and commissioning of the turnkey installation, which the latter ordered in September 2018. Bruks Siwertell rates the cement handling capacity of unloaders of the ST 640-M type at 1500t/hr.

US: The restoration of Anchorage Petroleum Cement Terminal in Alaska to fully functioning docking capabilities for oil well cement offloading operations after its ruin in an earthquake of 30 November 2018 will cost US$81m. At a special meeting on 23 October 2019, the port Commission voted to petition the Anchorage Assembly for a progressive tariff increase on all petroleum imports over 10 years to US$399/t from US$116/t.

The works are scheduled for completion by January 2021, with the possibility of a reduction in the rate of tariff increase subject to grants received from the state.

US: Cemex USA’s Miami and Brooksville South cement plants in Florida have been awarded Energy Star certification for 2019 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for work on energy efficiency and sustainability. The current year’s recognition marks nine consecutive years of Energy Star certification for the Miami plant and the Brooksville South plant has achieved the certification seven out of the last eight years.

“Cemex is committed to delivering world-class products and services to its clients across the US and the globe while maintaining the highest sustainability standards in our industry,” said Cemex USA president Jaime Muguiro.
To earn the recognition, operations at each plant followed energy-efficiency principles established by the EPA’s Energy Star guidelines and implemented energy conservation technologies along with energy-reduction projects. The recognised facilities were among the top 25% of similar US facilities for energy conservation and met the Energy Star Plant Energy Performance Indicators.

US: Thomas, Bennett & Hunter (TBH) has had a site plan to build a new ready-mixed concrete (RMX) plant in Hagerstown, Maryland approved by the Washington County Planning Commission. The concrete producer is moving its operations in the town to a new site, according to the Herald-Mail newspaper. It is hoped that the new RMX plant will be commissioned by the end of 2020.

US: Lehigh Hanson has started construction work on a US$600m upgrade to its Mitchell cement plant. The groundbreaking ceremony follows approval of an air permit by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) in July 2019, according to WBIW radio. The subsidiary of Germany’s HeidelbergCement is building a new production line to replace the existing three lines at the site. Start-up for the line is scheduled for the third quarter of 2022.

Puerto Rico: Cement sales in Puerto Rico experienced a year-on-year fall of 7.4% in September 2019, to stand at 43,500t, the eighth consecutive monthly fall. Meanwhile, overall domestic cement production rose by 1.0% in the month under review, to reach 41,000t. This is the third increase reported to be observed during the first nine months of 2019.

US: People living near the Cemex Lyons cement plant in Colorado have complained about dust emissions. The Save Our St. Vrain Valley group has filed a report with Boulder County Public Health about dust clouds rising from site, according to the Associated Press. The local authorities say that the clouds don't appear to violate any existing regulations but Cemex officials have promised to look into the issue. The cement producer has also said that it has ways to mitigate dust emissions and it welcomes hearing from people so it can address any concerns.