Global Cement News

US: Terra CO₂ has received a US$52.6m federal grant from the US Department of Energy to support the construction of a new plant in Magna, Utah, that will produce up to 240,000t/yr of supplementary cementitious materials using mining waste from the nearby Kennecott copper mine. This method reportedly aims to cut CO₂ emissions by 70% per tonne of traditional cement replaced, according to the company’s CEO Bill Yearsley. The project is expected to create 61 jobs.

Philippines: The Cement Manufacturers’ Association of the Philippines (CEMAP) has confirmed that local cement producers are prepared to meet the rising housing demand, as domestic production capacity has increased. According to CEMAP president Reinier Dizon, capacity has grown from 27Mt in 2014 to 50Mt in 2024, supported by expansion projects in the country.

Switzerland: Holcim has published its financial results, with a recurring operating profit of €1.6bn for the third quarter ending September 2024. The company reported a fall in sales for the period by 3% to €6.84bn from €7.03bn in 2023, and a nine-month sales figure of €19.1bn. Holcim has also made several new acquisitions, with six companies bought during the quarter, making a total of 17 so far in 2024. Holcim's North American market, its second largest, showed ‘strong market fundamentals’, according to the company, with ongoing work on 150 infrastructure projects. The company’s cement business reported revenues of €9.9bn in the first nine months of 2024.

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.”