Global Cement News

Australia: Adbri has entered into an agreement to obtain a new limestone carrier for its South Australian cement operations, to replace its MV Accolade II vessel currently in operation there. Specifically, the new carrier will supply raw materials for the Birkenhead cement plant. It is 100% battery electric capable. Adbri has hired marine transport company CSL to supply and operate the vessel. The contract will last until 2043, with the option for two five-year extensions.

Adbri chief executive officer Mark Irwin said “The new vessel will support Adbri to increase cement volumes at Birkenhead, while also supporting the production of lower carbon products such as EvoCem cement, which uses limestone as a clinker substitute.” He continued “The new vessel is expected to start operations with a hybrid system, where electric power will replace about 25% of its diesel fuel. This is expected to reduce Scope 1 emissions by about 40% compared to the current emission intensity seen in the Accolade II operation. By 2031, we aim to achieve 100% electric power capability, further reducing Scope 1 emissions to less than 10% of the current emission intensity seen in the Accolade II operation. This milestone is a crucial step forward in our on-going net zero emission journey.”

France: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies and the Scientific and Technical Centre for Building (CSTB) have extended their current strategic partnership for a further three years. The partners plan to assess current and future technologies, in particular with regard to clay-based cement technologies, such as Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies’ H-EVA and H-P2A cement products.

Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies co-founders Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmann said "We are convinced that our extended partnership and shared planning will keep on providing us with optimised timeframes for certifying our promising future clay-based technologies, such as H-EVA and H-P2A. We look forward to bringing these new technologies to market, as they, like our current technologies, benefit from very strong interest."

UK: Cemex’s corporate venture capital and open innovation unit Cemex Ventures has increased its stake in green hydrogen production technology developer HiiROC. Cemex Ventures described hydrogen as a ‘breakthrough approach’ to CO₂ reduction in the cement sector.

Head of Cemex Ventures Gonzalo Galindo said "This news comes at a critical moment, when COP28 has brought the world together to address and refocus the climate agenda and buckle down on the responsibility of governments and private corporations to deliver on their decarbonisation objectives ahead of 2030. With our increased investment in HiiROC, we are especially proud to be number one in the use of hydrogen in the cement sector and are committed to keep scouting new ways to deploy hydrogen at a grand scale at Cemex’s 60 cement and grinding plants.”

Canada: A provincial offences court has fined Heidelberg Materials Canada US$142,000 for ‘failing to take every precaution reasonable in circumstances under which three contractors were injured at its Picton cement plant. The workers were reportedly injured in a flash fire while replacing the plant’s jet air blower, after company engineers mistakenly overrode digital signals on both open valves between the gas supply and the area where the repair was taking place.

Greece: The EU Innovation Fund has awarded a Euro234m grant to Titan Group for its IFESTOS carbon capture and storage (CCS) project. Titan Group said that the project, the largest initiative of its kind in Europe, marks a ‘monumental leap forward’ in its decarbonisation journey. The company hopes that the project will help to promote the deployment of carbon capture technology in Greece and beyond.

IFESTOS director and project leader Aris Tsikouras said “This agreement solidifies our group’s role as leaders in driving transformative change in industrial decarbonisation across Europe. IFESTOS encapsulates our commitment to sustainability and innovation, forging a path toward a cleaner, greener and more resilient future for the industry, in line with EU climate policy.”