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Nigeria: A survey conducted in Delta State between January and April reveals that the prices of some building materials, including cement, had risen 6% due to the rise in transportation costs. A 50kg bag of Elephant brand cement which was sold for US$8.03 in January was later sold for US$8.53/bag.
UK: Lucideon has benefited from a newly published standard by the British Standards Institution (BSI) for alkali-activated cementitious material and concrete. The materials technology company has been developing and applying its proprietary MIDAR technology based on alkali-activated cements for several years. A recognised building standard gives it a stronger route to market in Europe.
“With the help of our materials experts, manufacturers can develop products using alkali-activated cement technology. This could potentially improve the performance and reduce the raw material costs and carbon footprints of products,” said Rebecca Law, a development scientist at Lucideon.
Lucideon develops materials technologies for a range of industries including construction, healthcare and nuclear sectors. MIDAR is a technology that binds alkalis and aluminosilicate materials, such as those from waste streams including fly ash and blast furnace slags, to form a rigid inorganic material. This technology can be used to make solid or aerated building products.
Portugal: Cimpor has appealed a judgement by the Supreme Administrative Court cancelling permits to burn alternative fuels at its Souselas cement plant. The North Central Administrative Court cancelled the environmental licences, originally granted by the former Environment Minister Nunes Correia, in March 2016.
Italy: Buzzi Unicem’s cement sales have grown by 3% year-on-year to 5Mt in the first quarter of 2016 from 4.9Mt in the same period in 2015. Overall net sales rose by 5% to Euro540m from Euro513m. Its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 87% to Euro50.8m from Euro27.2m. It attributed the increase in sales to a strong performance in the US where cement sales grew by 16.3% in the quarter. Elsewhere cement sales fell in Russia and Ukraine.
Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines lobbies for government projects to use blended cement 09 May 2016
Philippines: The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CEMAP) has asked the government to use more blended cement in its infrastructure projects to meet its emissions targets. “In the Philippines, the private sector uses more than 80% of blended cement. The government, on the contrary, does the opposite. It uses 80% Portland cement,” said CEMAP president Ernesto Ordoñez in an interview with local press.
In October 2015 the Philippines submitted to the United Nations its initial commitments to address climate change that included a 70% reduction of carbon emissions by 2030. The reduction is targeted to come from the energy, transport, waste, forestry and industry sectors.