Displaying items by tag: reduction

India: Cement producers in North, Central and East India have reduced production by 10 - 15% in the second quarter of 2024 due to low demand and project delays after an extended monsoon, according to The Hindu Business Line. Clinker utilisation stands at 70-75% for the quarter, down from around 80% during April – June 2024. South India remains comparatively unaffected.

World: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has signed a new agreement with the China Cement Association (CCA). The agreement constitutes an historic ‘partnership pledge’ to accelerate cement decarbonisation globally in 2024 – 2026. The partners says that their collaboration will contribute to the development and launch of the upcoming China Cement Carbon Neutrality Roadmap. Equipment supplier Sinoma International Engineering and the European Cement Research Academy (ECRA) will also help to develop the roadmap. The GCCA previously launched its own global net zero roadmap in 2021. Together, GCCA and CCA members account for 90% of global cement production in capacity terms.

GCCA CEO Thomas Guillot, said “The world needs leadership and collaboration like never before, especially on addressing the key issue of our time, climate change. This agreement between the China industry and the global industry is a signal to the world that we stand ready to deliver the essential decarbonised building materials that our planet needs. Cement and concrete enable the key infrastructure, thriving and resilient communities, clean water, safe homes and the shift to clean energy that are essential to a future sustainable world.”

CCA Executive president Kong Xiangzhong said “This important agreement marks a win-win cooperation, and shows where we can collaborate effectively to bring insights, technical know-how and greater focus to our shared decarbonisation mission. I am sure this will create a mutually-beneficial and long-term partnership that will be crucial in building a more sustainable world.”

World: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has published its Cement Industry Net Progress Report 2023. The report highlights the work of the GCCA and its members to lower their CO₂ emissions since signing the 2050 Net Zero Roadmap in October 2021. Initiatives include carbon capture and storage, renewables and alternative materials. These strategies have contributed to a 23% decline in cement and concrete’s CO₂ emissions between 1990 and 2023.

GCCA president and Cemex chief executive officer Fernando González said “We are pleased to present this report, which captures the progress our industry is making towards net zero. But it will take the combined efforts of industry, governments and societies around the world to deliver on this commitment.” He added “This is the decade to deliver, and my number one priority is to facilitate the GCCA roadmap levers, designed to make full decarbonisation of our industry possible.”

The Cement Industry Net Progress Report 2023 is available here on the GCCA’s website.

Philippines: Holcim Philippines has appointed I Squared Capital subsidiary Berde Renewables to build, maintain and operate two rooftop solar power plants, at its Bulacan and La Union cement plants, respectively. The solar power plants will have a combined capacity of 7.8GWh/yr and reduce Holcim Philippines’ CO2 emissions by 5500t/yr. The Business Mirror newspaper has reported that the projects advance the producer’s aim to reduce its energy-related CO2 emissions by 65% between 2018 and 2030.

Holcim Philippines president and CEO Horia Adrian noted the 20% reduction in overall CO¬2 emissions that the company has already achieved up to 2022 and said “This project further strengthens our ability to support Holcim's net zero direction and the country's nationally determined contributions.”

Switzerland: Reduced-CO₂ cement catalyst developer Nanogence has secured an undisclosed sum from a consortium of investors led by investment fund CirCap. Nanogence’s catalyst reduces the CO₂ emissions of cement production by 40%, without changing production processes. Tech EU News has reported that the catalyst is capable of increasing cement’s strength and durability compared with that of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) produced without it. Prior to the latest financial development, the company had raised US$2.7m-worth of funding.

CEO Abhishek Kumar said “We are excited to receive the support from incoming renowned investors in this essential journey to accelerate the transition towards a low carbon built world. With growing demand worldwide, we need to align with like-minded strong backers for our growth phase.”

Mexico: Cemex has updated its sustainability-linked financing framework in line with its latest emissions reduction targets of 475kg/t of CO₂ per tonne of cementitious material. Under the new framework, Cemex will issue up to US$350m-worth of sustainability-linked bonds on the Mexican Stock Exchange. The group plans to use the funds to refinance debt, as well as for ‘general corporate purposes.’ It aims to acheive 85% sustainability-linked financing by 2030.

Cemex said "The proceeds will be used exclusively for eligible green projects in pollution prevention and control, renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, sustainable water and wastewater management, production technologies and processes adapted to the circular economy and/or eco-efficient products.”

France: Cem'In'Eu has launched FUSIOCIM, a CEM II/C pozzolan cement, that offers a 43% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared with ordinary Portland cement (OPC). FUSIOCIM has specific CO₂ emissions of 506kg/t. It is suitable for various concrete applications and comes in 25kg bags.

Cem’In’Eu general manager Fabien Charbonnel said "We created Cem’In’Eu with the ambition of reducing the carbon footprint of the cement industry. And we are proving it today with a low-carbon offer that easily replaces traditional cements, without any change for construction professionals. We are convinced that this transition can only be done with pragmatism and taking into account the needs of users.”

US: In 2022, Fortera began building a 15,000t/yr-capacity plant to produce its low-carbon cementitious material, Fortera Reactive Calcium Carbonate (RCC), at CalPortland's Redding cement plant in California. The commercial-scale plant will produce a reactive form of calcium carbonate using CO₂ from the kiln of the 600,000t/yr cement plant. Fortera's process converts 1t of limestone into 1t of Fortera RCC by capturing and mineralising CO₂ from the cement plant's kiln. Fortera cement production emits 60% less CO₂ than ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The 15,000t/yr plant will operate at 20 times the scale of previous pilot tests. The Redding Record newspaper has reported that 15 workers will be employed at the site.

Former Redding cement plant owner Lehigh Hanson formed an agreement with Fortera to collaborate on the low-carbon cement plant project in March 2021. The plant subsequently switched ownership to Martin Marietta Materials in October 2021, before CalPortland bought it in July 2022.

Argentina: Cementos Avellaneda has inaugurated its 22MW La Calera solar power plant in San Luis Province. Forbes has reported that the power plant will supply electricity to the producer's 1.1Mt/yr San Luis cement plant. As a result, operations at the plant will henceforth be 55% renewably powered. In total, the new solar power plant will eliminate 22,600t/yr-worth of CO₂ emissions. Engineering company Industrias Juan F Secco supported the installation of the US$25m plant, which took 16 months to build.

Cementos Avellaneda's general director José Luis Maestri said "It was key to the success of this project to have been able to find a strategic partner such as Industrias Juan F Secco, an Argentine company with more than 80 years of history and experience in the energy sector, which provided us with all its professionalism and commitment."

UAE: Lafarge Emirates Cement, part of Holcim, has awarded a contract to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group subsidiary Turboden to supply and install a 10MW waste heat recovery (WHR) system at its Fujairah cement plant. The system relies on ENGIE Solutions' organic Rankine cycle technology. The supplier says that the installation will reduce the 3.2Mt/yr cement plant's energy-related CO₂ emissions by 29,000t/yr (28%).

Turboden CEO Paolo Bertuzzi said "We are proud that Holcim Group, already our customer for three other WHR plants, has again chosen Turboden for this first project in the UAE. At COP 28, this year in the UAE, we will have the opportunity to present this energy-saving and CO₂-reducing project to raise awareness in energy intensive industries."