Global Cement News

India: Dalmia Cement will set up a new cement plant in Madhya Pradesh with a capacity of 4Mt/yr, at a cost of US$475m. This plant will reportedly be the first in the country to operate entirely using renewable energy, according to Group Managing Director Punit Dalmia.

Canada: Climate technology company CarbonCure Technologies has announced that it has ‘saved’ over 500,000t of CO₂ across 7.5m truckloads of concrete. CarbonCure uses a technology that injects captured CO₂ into fresh concrete, which is mineralised and permanently stored, and which enables concrete producers to reduce cement usage while maintaining strength. The solution integrates into existing concrete plant operations, allowing for both environmental benefits via a reduced CO₂ footprint and cost savings through reduced cement consumption, according to the company. The company also claims that for every 1t of CO₂ that is mineralised in ready mix concrete, another 50t of CO₂ is ‘avoided’ by reducing emissions from cement adjustments.

CEO of CarbonCure Technologies Rob Niven said “This milestone reflects the strong sustainability leadership of CarbonCure’s innovative concrete producer partners. Together, we are proving that reducing the carbon footprint of concrete is not just a goal for the future — it can happen, and it is happening, today at scale.”

India: UltraTech Cement has entered a collaboration agreement with the Institute for Carbon Management (ICM) at the University of California (UCLA) to develop new technology that aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from cement production. The partnership will see the construction of a demonstration plant at one of UltraTech's integrated cement plants. Further details on the technology are available in Global Cement’s news story from 15 October 2024.

Mexico: Cruz Azul, owned by Cooperativa Cruz Azul, has reportedly incurred losses exceeding US$1.26bn due to the control of its cement and concrete plant in Tula, Hidalgo by a dissident group over the past four years, according to Noticias Financieras news. The company has expanded production capacity in four other plants and announced new investments in Campeche to mitigate production issues at the Tula plant. Legal director Rafael Anzures Ortiz said that the group is holding the facilities hostage, reportedly affecting over 4000 jobs. He said that the plant has the capacity to produce 35-40% of the company's total cement volumes, but no cement has been produced in the last four years, despite the salaries of more than 1000 workers at the plant being guaranteed.

Rafael Anzures Ortiz said "We have been very emphatic in requesting the state government to go to court and to seek compliance with the law so that this plant can start operating again and this entire economy can be reactivated."

US: Bagged concrete and cement mixes producer Quikrete has submitted an acquisition offer to cement, concrete and aggregates company Summit Materials. Summit Materials is reportedly valued at over US$7bn. The company confirmed to Reuters that its board is in initial discussions over a non-binding acquisition proposal.

Summit Materials combined its business with Cementos Argos subsidiary Argos USA in January 2024.