Global Cement News

India: A boiler explosion at UltraTech Cement’s Jaggaiahapet cement plant has reportedly killed two people. Venkatesh Avula and Arjun Paritala were working at the plant on the afternoon of 7 July 2024 when the disaster occurred. The New Indian Express newspaper has reported that 14 others workers sustained serious injuries.

District Collector Srijana Gummalla said that a preliminary inquiry indicated the cause of the blast to be a gas leak due to high pressure. She said “A detailed probe has been launched to ascertain the reasons behind the incident. Officials will carry out a thorough investigation and submit the report. Based on the report, necessary action will be taken against the factory management.”

India: Dalmia Bharat has expanded the capacity of its plant in Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, by an additional 1Mt/yr. The Kadapa unit's expansion, which cost US$25m, raises the company's total installed capacity to 46.6Mt/yr. The company plans to increase its total installed capacity to 110-130Mt/yr by 2031.

Thailand: Siam Cement Group has awarded JGC Corporation the pre-feasibility study for a carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) facility at a cement plant in Thailand. The study will determine the technology license, assess the required production capacity for CO₂ capture facilities and evaluate the economic feasibility of constructing a CCU facility, which will capture and convert CO₂ from SCG's cement plant emissions into new chemical products.

Germany: Alcemy, manufacturer of low-carbon ‘Cem X’ cement, has raised US$10m to scale up its cement decarbonisation solution. The funding round will support research and development and Alcemy's entry into new markets, including the US, in 2024.

CEO Leopold Spenner said "With this additional nearly US$10m in funding and support from Norrsken VC, in addition to our first-round investors, we're paving the way to a low-carbon construction industry, one project at a time."

Mexico: The Secretariat of the Environment (Sedema) has reported that over 5600 tyres collected from illegal dumps in the districts of Xochimilco and Gustavo Madero have been transported to a treatment plant to be used as an alternative fuel for cement production. This initiative is part of a strategy to manage tyre waste, supported by a collaboration with Geocycle Mexico. The effort aims to address public environmental issues caused by tyre disposal in public spaces and environmentally sensitive areas, potentially leading to wildfires. Sedema also plans to expand tyre collection through the Reciclatrón Program to promote comprehensive waste management and reduce the reliance on fossil fuels and mineral extraction.