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World: Lafarge has signed an agreement with Solidia Technologies to sell its low-carbon cement and CO2-cured concrete worldwide. Under the terms of this agreement, Lafarge will have the right to commercialise the process that reduces the carbon footprint of the end-to-end process by up to 70%. The commercial launch will initially take place in some key markets in North America and in Europe for the manufacturing of concrete elements such as paving stones, roof tiles and concrete blocks.
Solidia has developed a new binder made from similar raw materials to Ordinary Portland Cement and produced in a traditional rotary kiln. It is produced at lower temperatures and through a different chemical reaction that generates less CO2. Used afterwards in the manufacture of precast concrete, Solidia Cement hardens through the addition and absorption of CO2 in a patented curing process that reduces the overall carbon footprint by up to 70%. Produced at traditional precast concrete manufacturing facilities, Solidia Concrete reaches full strength in less than 24 hours.
Lafarge has worked with Solidia Technologies since 2013 to industrialise this technology. In April 2014, a joint group of Lafarge and Solidia scientists confirmed the reduced carbon footprint and commercial viability of Solidia cement during a full-scale trial at Lafarge's Whitehall cement plant in the US. The cement produced has subsequently been used by a variety of pre-cast customers in North America and Europe to further validate Solidia's curing technology and to produce blocks, pavers and roof tiles for commercial testing. In December 2014, Lafarge invested in Solidia Technologies and joined Solidia's Board of Directors.
China: Anhui Conch has reported that its net profit fell by 30.7% year-on-year to US$276m for the first quarter of 2015 from US$399m for the same period in 2014. Revenue fell by 11.1% to US$1.81bn from US$2.04bn. The major Chinese cement producer attributed to the fall in profit to a drop in product prices.
China: Profits made by the cement industry have fallen by 67.6% year-on-year to US$521m for the first quarter of 2015 according to statistics released by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). Cement output fell slightly by 3.4% year-on-year to 428Mt in the same period.
CRH appoints new Transformation Director
Written by Global Cement staff
29 April 2015
Ireland: CRH has said that its Group Finance Director - Maeve Carton - will become the company's new Group Transformation Director. The position is a new strategic group function within the company and Carton's new role will start in January 2016.
As Group Transformation Director, she will identify and implement the optimum financial and business model for the group in the years ahead. She will report to, and work closely with CRH's Group CEO Albert Manifold, and will continue to contribute directly to the board as an executive director.
The building materials group said that a search to appoint a new finance director for the group will start shortly. It is hoped that this process will be completed by the end of the year. Carton will continue as finance director until her replacement has been appointed, which will ensure an "effective transition process".
Europe: Holcim has adopted an automated dispatch processes and weighing technology in its Eastern Europe plants using logistics software from Schenck Process. Since the start of 2014 the LOGiQ software has automated process and data management relating to dispatch services in the company's 14 locations in the region. In January 2015 the software handled more than 10,000 transport orders. Four other locations are currently in the process of being connected to the dispatch automation system.
"The requirements for such integrated solutions fits in very well with Schenck Process not only because of its know-how in the field of weighing technology, its equipment and machinery but also in the area of software," explains Nino Stölzel, Sales Manager at Schenck Process.