Global Cement News

Spain: Cemex España will install a carbon capture system at its Alicante cement plant in Valencia, as part of its efforts to make the unit a 'benchmark pioneer low-CO₂' cement plant. The producer holds a contract with ET Fuels for the supply of 45,000t/yr of CO₂ captured at the facility for methanol production.

Chief executive officer Fernando González said “Our goal of reaching net-zero CO₂ emissions is achievable and will be driven by collaboration and innovation. Our decarbonisation roadmap includes reducing emissions to the lowest possible level through proven levers such as clinker substitution and alternative fuels. New levers, such as rapidly developing CCUS initiatives, must effectively tackle the remaining CO₂ emissions to hit our ambitious 2050 objectives.”

Europe: Cemex’s annual CO₂ emissions from its European operations fell by 41% in 2022 compared to 1990. It added that it had cut its emissions in the region by 12% between 2020 and 2022. The group attributed the decline to the success of its climate action strategy to date, including a large investment in a new alternative fuels facility in the UK, investments in solar power plants in Germany and Poland and the roll-out of its Vertua reduced-CO₂ products across the region.

Regional president Sergio Menendez said "As we begin to implement the next stages in our climate action strategy, we now expect to exceed our 2030 aspiration of hitting a 55% CO₂ reduction in our European operations. While we are progressing important carbon capture projects and policy advocacy for our ultimate net zero target, these 2030 interim aspirations are not reliant on this technology.” he continued, “This is certainly a challenging target, but I am confident that with innovative thinking, close collaboration between our different business areas and further development of our regulatory framework, it is both feasible and profitable. This sustained effort is vital if we are to meet our global, primary objective of becoming a net-zero CO₂ company by 2050. We will continue to provide regular updates on our progress.”

Nepal: Hetauda Cement Udyog has resumed operations at its Hetauda cement plant after receiving a 1600t delivery of imported coal. República News has reported that importers sourced the coal from Bhutan, India, Indonesia and Pakistan. The Hetauda cement plant had been out of operation since 10 February 2023 due to a lack of coal. The producer said that the latest delivery will last it until 11 March 2023. The producer had ordered 8000t of coal.

India: Orient Cement says that it has 'mutually terminated' a memorandum of understanding with Adani Group subsidiary Adani Power Maharashtra for a sublease of land in Tiroda in Maharashtra. Orient Cement had planned to establish a grinding plant on the land. It is located at the site of Adani Power Maharashtra's Tiroda coal-fired power plant and belongs to the state-owned Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation. The parties signed the agreement in September 2021. The reason for termination was the parties' failure to meet its conditions, even despite extensions beyond the stipulated 365-day period in which to do so.

West Africa: Germany-based InterCem has successfully despatched its second InterHop hopper to West Africa. The hopper will handle clinker and raw materials for an unnamed customer there. The supplier says that the equipment offers an unloading rate of 14,400t/hr. It produced it in the UAE.