Global Cement News

US: Solidia Technologies has entered a technology licensing agreement with CalPortland. The deal grants CalPortland limited rights to use Solidia’s patents, which can reportedly reduce the carbon footprint of cement and concrete by up to 50%. The limited licenses will allow CalPortland to use the Solidia technology to develop low carbon solutions. CalPortland also purchased certain laboratory and plant assets from Solidia.

CEO of Solidia Technologies, Russell Hill, said "CalPortland's unwavering commitment to decarbonisation of the cement and concrete industries makes it a great partner for continuing the vast development and research advanced by Solidia more than a decade ago."

India: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has decided to continue its partnership with Dalmia Cement, allowing the company to receive an additional 70,000t of refuse derived fuel (RDF) from a temporary transit station at Gadakana. This decision comes as part of ongoing efforts to manage the substantial amount of RDF generated from daily waste processing, according to the New Indian Express.

An official from the civic body said "As the waste-handling site receives around 450t/day of garbage, we have agreed to allow Dalmia to take another 70,000t of waste. Previously, we had signed a contract with the company to send 70,000t of RDF to its Rajgangpur factory for co-processing within nine months. In the last six months, around 50,000t of waste has been sent."

India: The Jaipur Heritage Municipal Corporation has successfully converted around 6000kg of seized single-use plastic into a revenue-generating resource by selling it to cement plants. The plastic was collected over the past three to four months from local markets as part of an anti-plastic campaign, according to the Press Trust of India.

Commissioner Abhishek Surana said "Disposal of the seized single-use plastic was a major issue. We assessed that a supply chain exists in the system and installed refuse derived fuel machines at dumping yards to shred the plastic and sell it to cement manufacturing plants. It has also started generating revenue for the corporation."

Ireland: CRH has completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Adbri, having bought the remaining 57% of ordinary shares not owned by Barro under the deal.

Switzerland: Holcim plans to invest around US$278m in its three Swiss cement plants to reduce the use of fossil fuels in cement production and comply with future limits set by the Swiss Air Quality Control Ordinance. The ‘Phoenix’ project alone is expected to cost between US$78 and US$111m, according to Clemens Wögerbauer, chief commercial and sustainability officer at Holcim Central Europe West.

The Phoenix project will reduce the use of lignite for heating cement kilns. A gasifier will be constructed to process waste materials like residual wood, paper sludge and plastics into synthesis gas for heating the kilns. Additionally, a catalyst powered by the kiln's waste heat will be used to reduce nitrogen and ammonia emissions, aligning with future Swiss environmental targets. The Siggenthal plant is expected to reduce its CO₂ emissions by over 30,000t/yr from its current output of 450,000t/yr.

The new facility is scheduled to start operating in 2028 and may be replicated in other Holcim cement plants if successful. The Phoenix initiative will increase the proportion of alternative fuels used from the current 57% to 80%, targeting over 85%.