Global Cement News

US: Terra CO₂ plans to build its first commercial-scale supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) plant in Texas. The plant will have a production capacity of 240,000t/yr. Asher Materials secured an exclusive market license to operate the plant. Terra CO₂’s SCM can replace up to 40% of cement content in concrete. Asher Materials will produce the materials from silicate rock from existing local aggregates operations.

Terra CO₂ chief science officer DJ Lake said "From start to finish, we've designed a system to create large-scale impact in the real world. Our game-changing production process converts affordable, abundant and local raw materials to cementitious material that meets rigorous performance standards.” Lake continued “True sustainability will come from deep innovations in materials and technology and not from incremental improvements to the existing cement supply chain."

Nigeria: Dangote Cement plans to raise its alternative fuel (AF) substitution rate across its Nigerian operations to 25%. The Punch newspaper has reported that the producer consumed 34,800t of AF during the first half of 2023.

Obajana cement plant head of sustainability Eseosa Ighile said “We are working towards installing AF feeding systems in all our operation lines by 2024.”

Belarus: Belarusian Cement Plant produced 940,000t of cement during the first half of 2023. The figure corresponds to a year-on-year rise of 3.1%. The Respublika newspaper has reported that the company more than doubled its exports of cement to 719,000t – 76% of its production. Russia was the main destination for the producer’s cement exports. Belarusian Cement Plant recorded a capacity utilisation rate of 94% throughout the six-month period.

US: Holcim US has rebranded its businesses in Boston, Massachusetts, to unite them under the Holcim name. Resources News has reported that Lafarge Cement, which operates the Charlestown cement terminal, as well as building materials producer Aggregate Industries, will rebrand as Holcim US.

Holcim US’ Northeast and Great Lakes regional senior vice president and general manager Domenico D'Aqui said "With the integration of local legacy operations into Holcim, the Boston area will see expanded benefits of construction projects made from innovative materials, such as ECOPact reduced-CO₂ concrete, that not only build needed infrastructure but also meet ambitious sustainability targets."

Japan: Cement plants consumed 70Mt-worth (50%) of total limestone shipments in Japan during the 2023 financial year, which ended on 31 March 2023. Nikkei Industry Summary News has reported that limestone is the only mineral resource for which Japan is self-sufficient. However, it reported that the country’s cement sector is exposed to effects from the global coal market. Producers expect that the rising price of coal from China may diminish their earnings due to increased costs.