Finland: Energy provider St1 plans to establish a 25,000t/yr renewably powered synthetic methanol plant at Finnsementti's Lappeenranta cement plant in South Karelia. St1 hopes to develop a replicable and scalable synthetic methanol production concept at the site. When commissioned in 2026, the installation will create 20 jobs and produce synthetic methanol for use in maritime and road transport. The Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has granted Euro35.4m-worth of funding to the project.

France: SaintGobain and Ireland-based Ecocem have announced a partnership to bring low carbon cement products to market. Designed to reduce CO₂ emissions from cement, mortar and concrete, these products are intended to support the acceleration of the construction industry’s transition to a low-carbon economy. A research and development cooperation between Ecocem and Chryso, Saint-Gobain’s construction chemicals subsidiary, is planned to accelerate the development of high-performance admixtures to enable low-carbon cements. This partnership will also cover Saint-Gobain’s mortar business Weber in Western Europe and the distribution and concrete manufacturing activities of POINT.P in France.

Donal O’Riain, the chief executive officer of Ecocem, said “The potential exists today to reduce cement industry emissions dramatically by 2030 and to align with the targets set by the Paris Accord. Ecocem’s new generation of scalable low-carbon cement technologies can deliver on this potential. Our deep partnership with SaintGobain will support our efforts to scale these technologies and demonstrate to the world how we can decarbonise the cement, concrete and mortar industries.”

Ecocem is producer of slag-based cement products with operations in Ireland, the UK, France and the Netherlands. Saint-Gobain holds a 25% stake in Ecocem and describes itself as a significant investor in the company for nearly 15 years.

US: Heliogen is among recipients of a total US$24m in US Department of Energy funding for solar thermal power projects. The department granted it US$4.1m-worth of funding for a project in which it will calcine limestone at 950°C using the heat of the Sun. Heliogen hopes to apply the methods it is developing to prevent the direct emissions of cement production.

China: China Building Materials Academy has patented a new 3D printing method which uses short rebars to reinforce printed layers. The developer says that this will enable builders to ensure structural strength without the disruption caused to 3D printing by the long rebars of conventional building skeletons.

China Building Materials Academy said that an 'inverted U-shaped or inverted L-shaped short rebar is vertically inserted into the cement slurry layer, wherein the bending mechanism comprises two bending members, separately disposed on two sides of a clamp.'

US: The US Department of Commerce has concluded a review of anti-dumping duties of imports of grey cement and clinker from Japan. The review established that the duties are necessary to the prevention of cement and clinker dumping. The department launched its review in June 2022, in line with legal requirements. Japanese cement and clinker have been subject to anti-dumping duties in the US since 1991.

Panama: Waste management company EMG has won a contract with Cemex Panama for the supply of solid recovered fuel (SRF) derived from commercial and industrial waste, beginning in early 2023. EMG is working to expand its SRF production capacity to 18,000t/yr from the start of the supply contract.

India: JSW Cement has taken a loan of US$48.9m with which to finance its planned 47% capacity growth to 25Mt/yr from 17Mt/yr. MUFG Bank India provided the loan subject to sustainability-linked criteria. Press Trust of India News has reported that the producer’s subsidiary Shiva Cement is in the process of establishing a US$183m 1.36Mt/yr clinker plant and 1Mt/yr grinding plant in Odisha’s Sundergarh District.

Peru: Grupo Gloria subsidiary Yura says that it is contemplating a cement production capacity expansion. The producer says that process optimisation across its Arequipa and Southern Peruvian cement footprint might go some way towards achieving the envisioned growth. It added that any such projects would go hand in hand with a reform of its customer service practices. Yura is also evaluating possible new limestone mining projects at Pampas del Pongo and Zafranal, and an expansion of its lime production.

DF Sud News has reported that Yura expects to increase its Peruvian cement deliveries by 8 – 10% year-on-year in 2022. Its cement, concrete and lime director for Peru, Chile and Bolivia, Julio Cáceres, forecasts that Peru’s construction demand will continue to grow at twice the rate of gross domestic product. He acknowledged that the company’s 2023 results will likely reflect the country’s expected muted growth compared to 2022. Cáceres said that US$700m-worth of private investment across 30 residential projects in Arequipa is currently suspended, pending the publication of the city’s revised metropolitan development plan.

India: Research by the Indian Institute of Technology – Madras (IIT Madras) has concluded that limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) production emits 40% less CO₂ than ordinary Portland cement (OPC) production, and is 20% less energy intensive. United News of India has reported that the Switzerland-based Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation supported the study.

India: UltraTech Cement and India Cements are reportedly poised to conclude a deal for the acquisition of the latter’s 185ha Pawai limestone mine in Panna, Madhya Pradesh, by Mumbai-based UltraTech Cement. Marketline News has reported that the Aditya Birla subsidiary expects to pay US$98m for the asset.