Displaying items by tag: lime

Belgium: Carmeuse has signed a joint development agreement with France-based energy transition specialist ENGIE and John Cockerill for a carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) project in Wallonia. It will concentrate CO₂ from a new type of lime kiln and combine it with ‘green’ hydrogen to produce ‘e-methane.’ The hydrogen will be produced by a 75MW electrolyser plant powered by renewable electricity. The company said, “The produced e-methane will be suitable for injection into the national natural gas grid. This renewable e-methane can be used by industrial users or as an alternative fuel in the transport sector, thus allowing these sectors to decarbonise.”

Construction is due to begin in 2022 for commissioning of the installation in 2025. Its total investment cost is Euro150m. The partners have applied for funding from the EU Innovation Fund and Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) fund. The project’s estimated CO₂ emissions reduction over 10 years is 900,000t

Chief executive officer (CEO) Rodolphe Collinet said, “We are delighted to join forces with John Cockerill and ENGIE for the development of this very exciting and strategic project. It is a major step forward in our ambition to become CO₂-neutral by 2050. This project is a very concrete and important example of Carmeuse’s strong commitment and contribution to sustainable development.”

Uganda: The Uganda Development Corporation has announced that its subsidiary Moroto Ateker Cement is ready to begin construction of a 1.2Mt/yr integrated cement plant in Moroto District. The New Vision newspaper has reported that employees are clearing land and erecting a fence around the site. The company says that cement production will follow 18 months after the start of construction of the complex, which will also produce lime and marble. Senior engineer David Ekanya said that 600 local people will be directly employed in the plant’s operations.

It was previously reported in 2016 that Moroto Ateker Cement is a 51:49 joint venture of the state-owned Uganda Development Corporation and Savannah Mines.

US: Mississippi Lime has announced its acquisition of the Transload Terminal in Edwardsville, Kansas from LG Everist. President and chief executive officer (CEO) William Ayers said, “We are pleased with this acquisition and looking forward to further integrating this operation into our business. Mississippi Lime has been a long-term supplier of calcium-based products in this region, serving construction projects as well as many other industries. This acquisition serves to strengthen that commitment.”

Australia: US-based bauxite, alumina and aluminium producer Alcoa has said that it will not renew its US$48.5m/yr lime supply contract with Adelaide Brighton subsidiary Cockburn Cement following its expiry at the end of June 2020. Business News Western Australia has reported that the end of the 50-year contract puts between 40 and 50 jobs at risk at Cockburn Cement.

Adelaide Brighton chief executive officer (CEO) Nick Miller said, “We are disappointed with Alcoa's decision to displace a locally-manufactured product with imports from multiple sources. We will work quickly to mitigate the impact on local jobs supporting our lime business and we remain committed to supplying our Western Australia resources sector customers.”

Germany: Lhoist has taken advantage of the alkaline soils around its Istein, Baden-Württemberg quarry in producing a range of six white wines, two red wines and a rosé under its Kalkweingut label. The grapes are grown on reclaimed sections of the quarry and harvested between August and October. The company says that the limestone ‘has a high nutritional value and retains the warmth of the Sun,’ which, in conjunction with the warm climate of South Baden, gives the wines a ‘Mediterranean’ expression.

US: The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has granted permission to Lhoist North America for the installation of a new vertical kiln at its New Braunfels, Texas plant. The company says that the kiln will form the basis for a plant expansion to meet the growing lime demand of the construction and steel sectors.

Lhoist North America chief executive officer (CEO) and president Ron Thompson said, "We are proud that this investment at New Braunfels aligns with our company's commitment to environmentally sustainable growth."

Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos has said that it will end 2020 with an agricultural lime production capacity of 1.0Mt/yr, up by 25% year-on-year from 0.8Mt/yr in 2019 following a US$12.6m investment in two new plants in Itapeva and Nobres and upgrades to plants in Itau de Minas and Nobres. SABI News has reported that the expansion will bring Votorantim Cimentos’ diversified products capacity to 4.3Mt/yr. The company says that it is ‘targeting value-added products’ to insure itself against a fall in demand for cement.

US: Lhoist North America has received permit approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to build a new lime kiln at its Marble Falls plant. The new vertical kiln, which is expected to be operational in 2021, is primarily driven by growing demand for Lhoist's dolomitic lime products for the steel industry. The upgrade is also expected to create new jobs at the site.

"This project at Marble Falls aligns with our company's commitment to environmentally sustainable growth," said Ron Thompson, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Lhoist North America. The building materials company added that, despite the impacts of coronavirus on the economy, it is investing to create jobs and meet critical supply chain demands, like steel production, which support future infrastructure growth in North America.

Zimbabwe: Work has begun on a 43,000t/yr dry mortar production line at Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe’s 0.5Mt/yr Manresa plant in Harare. The plant, supplied by Turkey-based Varlik Industries, will increase the company’s mortar production capacity by 710% to 50,000t/yr from 7000t/yr. Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe chair Kumbirai Katsande said “The expansion project is three-pronged and will include doubling of cement capacity and tripling agricultural lime capacity as well as automation of the dry mortars plant.”

US: Mississippi Lime says that Midwestern flood levels have receded sufficiently enough to enable it to resume normal barge and rail loading and shipping. Previously, the lime producer reported that flooding by the Mississippi River reduced its distribution and supply capabilities in May 2019. Barge loading facilities were affected and flood gates near its Ste Genevieve, Missouri plant were closed forcing it to use an alternate rail route, which reduced shipment capacity and increased costs.