Global Cement Newsletter

Issue: GCW539 / 23 March 2022

Headlines


From the Nordics to the Mediterranean, European countries lead the field in reduced-clinker cement production using supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). While consumers, faced with ever-greater choice, continue to opt for sustainability, projects to improve existing SCMs and develop new ones have won government backing and have become a matter of serious investment for other heavy industries beside cement. European cement producers’ decisions are steering the course to a world beyond CEM I. Yet, even in Europe, great untapped potential remains.

Companies generated a good deal of marketing buzz around their latest reduced-CO2 cement ranges in 2021 and the first quarter of 2022: Buzzi Unicem’s CGreen in Germany and Italy, Holcim’s EcoPlanet in six markets from Romania to Spain, Cementir Holding’s Futurecem in Denmark and Benelux, and Cemex’s Vertua in Spain and several other countries. All boast reduced clinker factors through the use of alternative raw materials. This, however, is really a rebranding of a long-established norm in Europe.

Since 2010, cements other than CEM I have constituted over 75% of average annual cement deliveries across Cembureau member countries (all cement-producing EU member states, plus Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK and Ukraine). This statistic breaks down differently from country to country. CEM II is the norm in Austria, Finland, Portugal and Switzerland, with deliveries in the region of 90%. Portland limestone cement (PLC) makes up a majority of deliveries in all four. It has been central to Switzerland’s transition to 89% (3.72Mt) of CEM II deliveries out of a total 4.18Mt of cement despatched in 2021. There, the main types of cement were CEM II/B-M (T-LL) Portland composite cement, with 1.38Mt (33%), and two different classifications of PLC: CEM II/A-LL PLC, with 1.28Mt (31%), and CEM II/B-LL PLC, with 888,000t (21%).

A second approach is that of the Netherlands, where CEM III blast furnace slag cement with a clinker factor below 65% predominates, favoured for its sulphate resistance and the protection it offers against chloride-initiated corrosion of steel reinforcement in marine settings. By contrast, the UK has traditionally maintained a higher reliance on CEM I cement. This can be partly explained by the preference of builders there for adding fly ash or ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) at the mixing stage. Nonetheless, CEM II Portland fly ash cement held a 14% (1.43Mt) market share in the UK’s 10.2Mt of cement consumption in 2021.

The UK Mineral Products Association (MPA) has identified limestone as an underutilised resource in the country’s cement production. Together with HeidelbergCement subsidiary Hanson Cement, it has applied for a change to National Application standards to allow the production of Portland composite cement from fly ash and limestone or GGBFS and limestone. The association has forecast that Portland composite cement could easily rise to 30 – 40% of UK cement consumption, and that this has the potential to eliminate 8% of the sector’s 7.8Mt/yr-worth of CO2 emissions.

Metallurgical waste streams have long flowed into European cement production, primarily as GGBFS, but also as bauxite residue. In 2021, alumina production in the EU alone generated 7Mt of bauxite residue, of which the bloc recycled just 100,000t (1.4%) that year. Two projects – the Holcim Innovation Center-led ReActiv project and Titan Cement and others’ REDMUD project – aim to produce new alternative cementitious materials from bauxite residue.

By collaborating with other industries, cement producers’ investments can most effectively reduce the overall cost of using these materials in cement production. In Germany, HeidelbergCement and ThyssenKrupp’s Save CO2 project aims to develop new improved latent hydraulic binders or alternative pozzolan from GGBFS by producing slag from directly reduced iron (DRI). The Save CO2 team believes that GGBFS substitution for clinker has the capacity to eliminite 200Mt/yr of CO2 emissions from global cement production.

Meanwhile in the world of mining, ThyssenKrupp and others’ NEMO project is investigating the recovery of a useable mineral fraction for cement production from the extractive waste of the Luikonlahti and Sotkamo mines in Finland and the Tara mine in Ireland, through bioleaching and cleaned mineral residue upcycling. This may give cement producers full access to Europe’s 28Bnt stockpiles of sulphidic mining waste, of which mines generate an additional 600Mt each year.

Denmark-based CemGreen, which produces the calcined clay supplementary cementitious material CemShale, is developing a shale granule heat-treating technology called CemTower. This consists of three pieces of equipment vertically integrated into cement plants’ preheaters, kilns and coolers, and brings the processing of waste materials – here oil shale – to the cement plant.

Lastly, cement producers are exploring the possible uses of waste made of cement itself. In Wallonia, HeidelbergCement subsidiary CBR’s CosmoCem project is investigating the production of alternative cement additives from large available flows of local demolition, soil remediation and industrial waste. Similarly, the Greece-based C2inCO2 project seeks to mineralise fines from concrete recycling for HeidelbergCement to use in the production of novel cements in its Greek operations.

In Switzerland, ZND Portland composite cement (produced using fine mixed granulate from building demolitions) is the third largest cement type, with 178,000t (4.3%) of total deliveries – narrowly behind CEM I with 239,000t (5.7%).Holcim Schweiz developed its Susteno 4 ZND Portland composite cement with Switzerland’s lack of any ash or slag supply in mind, demonstrating the potential flexibility of a circular economic approach to cement production.

On 21 March 2022, the University of Trier reported that it is in the process of mapping mineral resources, waste deposits and usable residues ‘on a cross-border scale,’ in an effort to produce new materials for use in cement production. Industry participants include France-based Vicat, CBR, Buzzi Unicem subsidiary Cimalux and CRH subsidiary Eqiom. Vicat is preparing a kiln at its 1Mt/yr Xeuilley cement plant in Meurthe-et-Moselle to use in testing new alternative raw materials developed under the project.

For Cembureau and its members, work continues, with the goal of Net Zero by 2050 constantly in sight. This goal includes a reduction in members’ clinker-to-cement ratios to well below 65%. In this, the association and its members are working towards a world not just beyond CEM I, but beyond CEM II, too. What exactly this will mean remains to be seen.

Sources

CemSuisse, ‘Lieferstatistik,’ 11 January 2022, https://www.cemsuisse.ch/app/uploads/2022/01/Lieferstatistik-4.-Quartal-2021.pdf

WSA, ‘December 2021 crude steel production and 2021 global crude steel production totals,’ 25 January 2022, https://worldsteel.org/media-centre/press-releases/2022/december-2021-crude-steel-production-and-2021-global-totals/

MPA, ‘Low carbon multi-component cements for UK concrete applications,’ July 2018, https://prod-drupal-files.storage.googleapis.com/documents/resource/public/Low%20carbon%20multi-component%20cements%20for%20UK%20concrete%20applications%20PDF.pdf

European Commission, ‘European Training Network for Zero-waste Valorisation of Bauxite Residue (Red Mud),’ 16 July 2020, https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/636876

European Commission, ‘Industrial Residue Activation for sustainable cement production,’ 16 February 2022, https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/958208

Recycling Portal, Zement der Zukunft – Forschungsprojekt „SAVE CO2“ gestartet, 28 May 2021, https://recyclingportal.eu/Archive/65677

h2020-NEMO, ‘Project,’ https://h2020-nemo.eu/project-2/

European Commission, ‘Green cement of the future: CemShale + CemTower,’ 14 April 2021, https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101009382

CosmoCem, ‘Communiqué de Presse,’ https://cosmocem.org/

CO2 Win, ‘C²inCO2: Calcium Carbonation for industrial use of CO2,’ https://co2-utilization.net/en/projects/co2-mineralization/c2inco2/

Les Echos, ‘Rendre le ciment moins gourmand en CO2,’ 21 March 2022, https://www.lesechos.fr/pme-regions/innovateurs/des-substituts-au-clinker-rendent-le-ciment-moins-gourmand-en-co2-1395002


There have been a couple of acquisitions of note this week in the north-western US and Holcim has picked up another building solutions company. To find out how the latter relates to former photography products producer Kodak, read on.

Starting with the north-western US, HeildelbergCement announced that it finalised the acquisition of Corliss Resources, a large family-owned aggregates and ready-mixed concrete company, for an undisclosed sum. The purchase includes major aggregate operations with sales volumes of about 2Mt/yr and reserves and resources of about 170Mt and four ready-mixed concrete (RMX) plants selling about 0.3Mm3/yr in the Greater Seattle area.

Global Cement normally sticks to cement but Holcim did something similar last week. It completed the acquisition of Cowden, another ready-mixed concrete and aggregate producer based in Bellingham in Washington state. This sale includes two RMX plants, eight aggregate facilities and a hauling fleet. Again, there was no word of the price.

Both the HeildelbergCement and Holcim purchases in the north-western US fit the selective bolt-on approach both companies have favoured in recent years. Looking specifically at the US, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that estimated production for consumption of construction sand and gravel grew by 7% year-on-year to 753Mt in the first nine months of 2021. Estimated total construction aggregate production rose by 5% to 1.9Gt. Within the country, Washington’s sales of construction aggregates increased by 16% to 33Mt, the third largest rate by state nationally. Meanwhile, cement shipments for the country grew by 4% to 79.9Mt although they actually fell by 3% in Washington. This compares to annual growth of 2.8% in cement consumption in 2021 that the Portland Cement Association (PCA) was forecasting for the Pacific region of the US in the middle of 2021.

Holcim has been snapping up aggregates or RMX assets in established markets throughout 2021. These include US-based Marshall Concrete Products in December 2021, US-based Utelite Corporation in September 2021, Germany-based Heinrich Teufel in July 2021, the aggregates business and two RMX plants from Greece-based Halyps in May 2021 and Edile Commerciale and Cemex Rhone Alpes in Italy and France in February 2021. At the same time HeidelbergCement was mainly divesting itself of aggregates and RMX assets. It sold Halyps to Holcim and later in the same month agreed to sell its US West region to Martin Marietta Materials for US$2.3bn. The deal included cement, aggregates, RMX and asphalt businesses in California, Arizona, Oregon and Nevada. This covered two of its cement plants, with the exception of the 1.5Mt/yr Permanente cement plant in California, related distribution terminals, 17 active aggregates sites and several downstream operations. This makes the acquisition of new aggregate and RMX assets in Washington by HeildelbergCement interesting as we can see the company adjusting to its new market position. Although subsidiary Lehigh Hanson does not have a cement plant in the state it does operate a terminal in Seattle as well as other aggregate and RMX operations. North across the border in Canada though it still runs the integrated Delta Cement plant and terminal near Vancouver.

Returning to Holcim’s other acquisition this week brings us to Holcim’s target to expand the net sales of its Solutions & Products division to 30% of the group total by 2025 as part of its plans to decarbonise. This week it took one more step towards this goal with an agreement to buy France-based PRB Group, a manufacturer of coatings, insulations, adhesives and flooring systems. Global Cement Weekly has covered this topic a few times but, to recap, it started in January 2021 when Holcim announced it was buying roofing and building envelope producer Firestone Building Products for US$3.4bn. Various other related acquisitions have followed including an agreement to buy US-based Malarkey Roofing Products in December 2021.

How any of this relates to Kodak is as follows. Holcim’s predecessor Lafarge previously owned a major business away from cement, concrete and aggregates, namely gypsum. The gypsum wallboard business, like roofing, emits far less carbon than clinker production. In 2010 Lafarge’s gypsum business constituted nearly 9% of group revenue and it described itself as the third largest company in the sector worldwide. This was divested in the early 2010s in response to debts accrued by Lafarge’s acquisition of Orascom Cement in 2008. A decade later this decision appears to be the opposite of Holcim’s current strategy and indeed much of the cement sector’s current attempts to lower its carbon risk.

Kodak infamously filed for bankruptcy in 2012 after failing to move from analogue photography products to the digital market. The question cement company strategists should be asking themselves is whether their sector faces the same kind of disruption from the government and investment response to climate change. Lafarge apparently didn’t think so 10 years ago. Its successor Holcim does.


Canada: The Cement Association of Canada (CAC) has appointed Adam Auer as its next president and chief executive officer (CEO) with effect from the start of April 2022. He will succeed long-standing president and CEO Michael McSweeney, who has held the post for 12 years. McSweeney will remain as a strategic advisor to Adam Auer until the end of June 2022.

Auer holds over 20 years’ experience as a sustainability professional working with public, private and non-profit institutions. As the CAC’s Vice President of Environment and Sustainability he has worked with government, industry, environmental and other civil society groups to promote and enhance concrete’s contribution to sustainability, with a specific emphasis on life cycle approaches to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Prior to joining the CAC in 2012, Auer managed Environment Canada’s Corporate Environmental Innovation initiative, a multi-stakeholder program to promote the business and financial case for corporate environmental leadership and the link between sustainability and an innovative and competitive economy. He holds a Master of Environmental Studies from York University and a Bachelor of Science in Ecology from the University of British Columbia.


Austria: Semperit AG Holding has appointed Karl Haider as its new chief executive officer (CEO). His tenure will last until the end of March 2024. He succeeds Martin Füllenbach, who resigned from his position prematurely at the end of September 2021. Since that time, chief financial officer Petra Preining and chief operation officer Kristian Brok have assumed the responsibilities of a CEO on an interim basis.

Haider recently worked as the Chief Commercial Officer at Tata Steel Europe. At Tata Steel, he had previously also led major merger and acquisition transactions and served as Director Operations Downstream. Prior to that, he was a member of the board of Voestalpine's high performance metals division, having held sales and project management positions in the group. He started his career as a chemical laboratory technician and subsequently studied technical chemistry at the Johannes Kepler University Linz.

Semperit develops and produces specialised rubber products for the industrial and medical sectors, selling them in over 100 countries around the world. Its products for the cement industry include conveyor belts. The company has its headquarters in Vienna.


India: UltraTech Cement has commissioned the new 2Mt/yr Line 2 of its Bara grinding plant in Uttar Pradesh. The additional capacity will help the company to serve the growing Central Indian cement market. Its total installed capacity is now 115Mt/yr, up by 2.9% year-on-year from 111Mt.

UltraTech Cement says that the Bara grinding plant, which opened in January 2020, operated at 80% capacity utilisation in the 2020 financial year.


Nepal: Huaxin Cement Narayani has ignited the kiln at its 1Mt/yr Dhading cement plant in Bagmati. Construction of the project started in 2019 but it was delayed by flooding, disputes over land ownership and the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic. China-based Huaxin Cement originally signed an agreement with the Investment Board Nepal in 2018 to build the plant for US$140m.


South Korea: A TEC says that it has installed and commissioned a ReduDust dust treatment plantin the chlorine bypass system of Ssangyong Cement’s Donghae cement plant in Gangwon. The ReduDust plant will recover salts from dust, enabling the producer to reuse the dust in its cement production. The supplier says that it will yield 35,000t/yr of useable dust. Ssangyong Cement already uses an A TEC Rocket Mill grinding unit in its alternative fuel (AF) production at the Donghae cement plant.


US: The United States Geological Service (USGS) reported total cement deliveries of 89.7Mt in the first 10 months of 2021, up by 3.5% year-on-year from 86.7Mt in the corresponding period of 2020. Imports over the period totalled 13.8Mt, up by 17% from 11.8Mt.

10-month clinker production was 65.1Mt in 2021, up by 0.5% from 64.8Mt in the first 10 months of 2020.


Nigeria: Dangote Cement plans to buy back 1% of its issued shares under its on-going share buyback programme. The Business Post newspaper has reported that the group launched the first tranche of the programme in 2020. At that time, it bought back 0.2% of its shares. Dangote Cement will make the currently planned purchase when the second tranche commences on 19 January 2022.


Pakistan: Power Cement has signed an agreement with Burj Solar Energy for the procurement of electricity on a fixed tariff for the next 20 years. The supplier plans to build a 7MW solar power plant to support the deal. The unit is expected to be operational by mid to late 2022. Power Cement said it took the decision to cut growing electricity costs.


Burundi: The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism has asked the Burundi Cement Company (BUCECO) to hold a consultation with the government about price rises the company announced at the end of December 2021. It also requested that the cement producer suspend the change in prices, according to the Le Renouveau newspaper. In correspondence the ministry reminded the company that it had benefited from tax and customs breaks previously agreed with the government under the Burundian Investment Code.


Egypt: Capriole subsidiary EGY Crete plans to establish a concrete products plant in Beni Suef Province by 2024. The plant will produce paving slabs, among other products.


India: Sagar Cements has announced the commissioning of its 1.5Mt/yr Jajpur grinding plant in Odisha. The plant commenced operations in early January 2022, slightly behind its scheduled December 2021 commissioning date. Jajpur Cements received clearance for the plant in September 2020 and invested US$41m in its construction.


India: Axis Bank subsidiary Axis Securities has predicted a 4 – 6% year-on-year drop in Indian cement sales volumes during the third quarter of the 2022 financial year, which ended on 31 December 2021. The Hindu newspaper has reported the reasons for the predicted drop as extended monsoons, especially in the south of the country, and a construction ban in the National Capital Region due to pollution. Monthly sales grew slightly year-on-year in December 2021.

Axis Securities has also forecast a revival of demand in the fourth-quarter, driven by infrastructure and housing projects. Overall, it expects national demand for cement to grow by 8 – 9% in the 2022 financial year.


China: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies has secured a Chinese patent for its high performance alkaline activation (H-P2A) geopolymer technology. The patent will enable it to begin to market its clinker-free cement in the country.

Co-founders Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmann said "We are very proud to extend the intellectual property of our H-P2A technology to a market with such great potential as China. The achievement of this first milestone marks our commitment to raising the barriers to entry in as many markets as possible around the world."


UK: Ecocem has reported the successful delivery of the first batch of its Exegy ultra-low CO2 concrete at the site of the upcoming EcoPark South waste management hub at Edmonton EcoPark in London. Infrastructure construction company Taylor Woodrow carried out the work. Ecocem says that Taylor Woodrow used Ecocem Ultra concrete from the new Exegy range, reducing the carbon footprint of the project’s concrete by 70%.

Ecocem says that it has secured contracts for the supply of Ecocem Ultra concrete to the sites of the upcoming Grand Paris Express transport link and Paris Athletes’ Village in Paris in Paris, France.


France: Holcim has entered into an agreement to acquire speciality building products supplier PRB Group. PRB Group produces coatings, insulations, adhesives and flooring systems. Holcim says that the company’s product range compliments its own and expands its reach in the high-growth repair and refurbishment market. PRB Group employs 700 people its five plants, 26 warehouses and its research and development centre. Its estimated net sales in 2022 are Euro340m.

Holcim chief executive officer Jan Jenisch said “We are off to a strong start to the new year, on our way to welcoming the PRB Group into the Holcim family. This is another exciting step in the expansion of solutions and products, advancing our Strategy 2025 – Accelerating Green Growth. I am highly impressed by the outstanding achievements of the Laurent family as well as by the expertise and passion of the entire PRB team. I look forward to warmly welcoming all employees into Holcim and to invest in our next era of growth together, with a continued focus on innovation, sustainability and branding.”


Montenegro: State-owned energy supplier Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG) has proposed the gradual shutdown of its Pljevlja coal-fired plant and its replacement with a new cement plant. The company said that such a plant would eliminate Montenegro’s 750,000 – 800,000t/yr of cement imports.

The first stage of the Pljevlja power plant’s shutdown will only commence once a replacement power facility is online. Currently, the plant supplies 40% of the country’s energy. Its closure is part of Montenegro’s plan to accede to the EU as soon as 2025.


India: Locals in Odisha’s Malkangiri district gathered in the town of Katamataru on 9 January 2022 to protest plans for the establishment of a new Dalmia Cement (Bharat) cement plant in the area. The New Indian Express newspaper has reported that protestors allege that the state government did not conduct the proper tendering procedures for the proposed plant. More than 2000 people, wielding traditional tribal weaponry, gathered at an assembly. They resolved not to vote at upcoming village council elections if the government continues not to listen to their objections.


US: Lehigh Hanson has finalised arrangements for its acquisition of ready-mixed concrete and aggregates producer Corliss Resources. The company sold 300,000m3 of ready-mixed concrete and 2Mt of of aggregates in 2021. Its operations cover the Greater Seattle, Washington, area.

Dominik von Achten, chair of Lehigh Hanson’s parent company, Germany-based HeidelbergCement, said “The acquisition of the Corliss operations is a great strategic fit with our already strong presence in cement, aggregates and ready-mixed concrete in the Pacific Northwest. The transaction significantly enhances our vertically integrated position in one of the fastest growing US markets. We welcome the 230 Corliss employees to the HeidelbergCement family and look forward to accelerating their growth together."


Kazakhstan: Cyprus-based International Cement Group has announced the temporary closure of its cement plant in Almaty region. Reuters news has reported the reason for the suspension as nationwide political unrest.


Australia: James Hardie has sacked its chief executive officer (CEO) Jack Truong following a course of behaviour in his interactions with 30 – 50 employees which ‘extensively and materially’ breached the company’s code of conduct. After executive chair Mike Hammes cautioned him to change his ways, Truong continued to behave in a manner not consistent with the code over a period of ‘several months.’ The company said that it hired a consultancy and external counsel to confront the issues arising from employees’ complaints, however “Sincere change did not occur.” It added that there were no allegations of Truong having committed discrimination.

Bloomberg News has reported that the former CEO said “I was blindsided by the termination and unequivocally reject the assertions.”

Truong took over as CEO in February 2019. 3M CEO Harold Wiens replaces him.


Senegal: SOCOCIM Industries, a subsidiary of France-based Vicat, has signed a contract with France-based Fives Group for an upgrade to its Rufisque cement plant in Dakar. Under the contract, Fives Group will supply a new 6500t/day kiln line for the 3.5Mt/yr plant. The supplier said that the line will be optimised for alternative fuel (AF) substitution. It said that the companies share mutual trust, 200 years of history and a commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of the cement industry.


Bangladesh: UAE-based Ras Al Khaimah Cement is considering the acquisition of Chimera Investments’ and IHC Holding Company’s stakes in manufacturing and export holding company Apex Holding. Reuters news has reported that the board of Ras Al Khaimah Cement has yet to approve any agreement.


Mexico: Cemex’s total dispatches of its Vertua reduced-CO2 concrete in Mexico reached 284,000t in 2021. After launching the product in its home country on 8 December 2020, the company supplied it to 3820 sites throughout 2021. Cemex says that it enters 2022 with 1580 orders outstanding.


India: NCL Industries has reported an 11% drop in its cement production in the third quarter of the 2022 financial year (1 October 2022 – 31 December 2022) to 561,000t from 633,000t in the corresponding period of the 2021 financial year. The company’s cement dispatches also fell by 11% in the period, to 558,000t from 625,000t. Meanwhile, its cement board production grew by 16% to 19,900t and dispatches of cement boards remained level year-on-year at 19,100t.


Pakistan: Fauji Cement has taken out a loan of US$212m from a consortium lead by Habib Bank Limited. The Business Recorder newspaper has reported that the funding will go towards cement plant expansion projects with a total cost of US$339m. Fauji Cement plans to expand its plant in Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab, while its subsidiary Askari Cement plans to expand its plant in Nizampur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The company says that the projects will together increase its installed cement production capacity to 10Mt/yr.


Spain: LafargeHolcim España has announced the launch of a joint venture called ECCO2 with Carbon Clean and Sistemas de Calor. The joint venture will develop carbon capture technology for use at the producer’s Carboneras cement plant in Almería. It will then seek to market captured CO2 from the plant for use as a gas in local agricultural greenhouses. When commissioned in early 2023, the carbon capture system will have the capacity to capture 10% of the Carboneras plant’s CO2 emissions.


Switzerland/Germany: Holcim has announced the launch of a strategic partnership with inductive charging technology developer Magment to test and commercialise magnetisable concrete technology for use in roads. The technology will power and charge electric vehicles as they drive on roads fitted with Magment. Another possible application is in industrial floors, to charge robots and forklifts.

Holcim’s Global Innovation Center head Edelio Bermejo said: “At Holcim we are innovating to put concrete at the centre of our world’s transition to net-zero. With Magment, we are excited to be developing concrete solutions to accelerate electric mobility. Partnering with start-ups all over the world, we are constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation to lead the way in sustainability.”


Oman: The German University of Technology in Oman (GUTech) has 3D printed a 190m2 house in Halban, Al Batinah South governorate, using conventional concrete. Trade Arabia News has reported that the structure is the world’s largest 3D printed building. GUTech applied Denmark-based Cobod’s D.fab product to print the building using Mexico-based Cemex’s concrete in five days.


UK: Building materials group Ibstock has announced its commitment to achieving a 40% CO2 emissions reduction by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2040. The commitment covers scope 1 and 2 emissions, building on the company’s existing sustainability roadmap commitments to create a framework of targets and critical milestones. Ibstock says that these will include investment in more efficient production processes and in high quality environmental projects to offset residual carbon. Additionally, it plans to develop a strategy to reduce indirect scope 3 CO2 emissions in 2022. It will publish full details of all targets in its 2021 full-year results in March 2022.

During 2021, Ibstock invested Euro138m in the construction of two net zero facilities in West Midlands and West Yorkshire and procured 100% of its electricity from renewable sources. Ibstock is the parent company of Ibstock Concrete, which produces concrete roofing, walling, flooring and lintels at 14 sites across the UK.