Global Cement News

Spain: Mondi has launched the 'SolmixBag', a sustainable packaging solution, in collaboration with Cemex in the Balearic Islands of Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca. The single-layer paper bag is designed to store and transport dry mortar, dissolving in the mixing process and integrating with the cement to reduce waste. The Balearic Islands have strict legal requirements on landfilling, waste incineration and extended producer responsibility, which have reportedly initiated the partnership.

Commercial Director at Mondi, Fabio Barbieri, said "This is an exciting step in the trajectory of SolmixBag, which offers an easy and convenient solution to use on construction sites. The product launch brings our MAP2030 goals to life by effectively reducing waste, and also illustrates our collaborative approach.”

US: Queens Carbon has secured a US$14.5m grant from the US Department of Energy under its SCALEUP program. The funding will support the pilot of Queens Carbon's low temperature, ‘zero CO₂’ emission technology at an existing cement production site. Queens Carbon's supplementary cementitious materials, which replace 20-50% of the high-CO₂ binder in cement, will be produced at a pilot plant with a capacity of 10t/day.

CEO Daniel Kopp said “This SCALEUP grant is a tremendous step forward on our path to commercialisation. Partnering with the Department of Energy and a major cement industry player to deploy, operate, and optimise our 10t/day pilot plant will put us on an accelerated path to gigatonne-scale CO₂ reductions.”

Austria: Austria's cement industry produced approximately 4.4Mt in 2023, a 15% decrease from 2022. According to Holcim Austria CEO, Berthold Kren, there will be another double-digit decline in 2024. Kren highlighted a significant downturn in construction sectors, with a notable drop in housing permits. Infrastructure construction in eastern Austria is also decreasing, aligning with broader negative economic trends affecting the industrial construction sector.

India: UltraTech Cement says that it will acquire a 23% stake in The India Cements. The Press Trust of India has reported the value of the deal as US$226m. The transaction is scheduled for completion by the end of July 2024.

Switzerland: Holcim plans to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based software at 100 production plants by 2028. The company will use the technology for predictive maintenance, in order to increase operational efficiency and resilience. It has installed the system at 45 plants to date. C3 AI is providing its predictive software products, and the group is also piloting generative AI techniques.

Holcim CEO Miljan Gutovic said "AI is a transformative technology that will revolutionise our industry. Already widely embedded across Holcim, AI catalyses operational efficiency and enhances customer service.”