Global Cement News

Mexico: Cemex has signed a five-year agreement with India-based HCL Technologies for information technology (IT) services related to employee services, increased automation and analytics. HCL will work on IT managed services, infrastructure and application services and end-user support. It will also collaborate with Neoris, a subsidiary of Cemex, on customer services and supply chain resiliency. HCL will use its DryICE and Software products, along with various other automation products.

“Cemex selected HCL Technologies because we have a vision of working smarter to cater to the global company’s fast-growing operations,” said Fausto Sosa, vice president of Information Technology of Cemex.

Taiwan: Zhang Anping, the chair of Taiwan Cement, has expressed doubts about the strength of the Chinese market in the short term. Whilst being interviewed by the state-owned Central News Agency at a community event, he said that increased raw material and energy prices looked set to remain high until at least mid-2022. The price of coal in China had more than tripled in 2021 before easing somewhat. He also raised the risks of growing global market uncertainty from an anticipated rise in interest rates in the US by the Federal Reserve and the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

Philippines: Holcim Philippines has signed a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the union at its Norzagaray cement plant in Bulacan. Under the agreement employees have pledged to support the company’s efforts to drive performance. The CBA is effective until 2026 with the economic provisions in the third and fourth year of the deal open to renegotiation by 2024.

Horia Adrian, the president and chief executive officer of Holcim Philippines, said “Bulacan made tremendous operational and sustainability improvements this year due to the hard work and dedication of its people including members of Holcim Philippines Employees Association (HPEA). With this CBA’s closing, we can refocus on further transforming our Bulacan plant into one of the best sites in the Holcim Group and the country. My sincerest thanks to HPEA for your support and the sustained dialogue that allowed us to finalise this agreement.”

Australia: Boral says that its emissions reduction targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) as being consistent with the levels required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Boral released its targets in August 2021 when it said it intends to reach net-zero emissions by no later than 2050. It subsequently joined the SBTi’s Business Ambition for 1.5°C and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Race to Zero campaign.

The Australia-based building materials company plans to reduce its Scope One and Two emissions by 46% by 2030. It also plans to decrease its relevant Scope Three emissions per tonne of cementitious materials by 22%. It intends to do this by: transitioning to 100% renewable electricity by 2025 and increasing alternative fuels usage at its Berrima plant kiln; growing the proportion of revenue from its lower carbon concrete product range and optimising the efficiency of its cement plant; reducing transport emissions in its own and contractor fleet; prioritising lower carbon intensity suppliers; and exploring and testing emerging carbon capture use and storage technologies.

Boral’s Chief Finance and Strategy Officer, Tino La Spina, said “Boral is determined to become a leading innovator in sustainability through decarbonisation of cement and concrete and increasing our contribution to a more circular economy” He added “We continue to support our customers in their transition to net zero, broadening our range of high performing lower carbon concrete products to cater for all building and infrastructure applications, and offering Climate Active−certified net carbon neutral concrete.”

Honduras: Cementos Argos plans to expand the production capacity of its 1Mt/yr Piedras Azules cement plant by 35%. The plan is part of a group of planned projects, including solar power and alternative fuels, with a total investment value of US$23m. The company expects to complete all of the work before 2024. It says that the expanded operations will generate 500 new direct job opportunities.

The company will increase its energy supply from the Comayagua solar power plant to 25% of the plant’s requirements from 20% at present. It will also establish a new 1.2MW solar power plant at Río Blanquito. The cement producer will also strengthen its industrial waste co-processing operations with the aim of achieving 12% refuse-derived fuel (RDF) substitution rate by 2030, the equivalent of 5500t/yr. If reached, this will reduce the company’s carbon footprint in the country by 14%.

Chief executive officer (CEO) Luis Eduardo Tovar said "This investment is a vote of confidence of Argos in Honduras and represents our commitment to the country's economic reactivation and our firm determination to contribute to the consolidation of prosperous and sustainable communities based on competitive and visionary initiatives.” He continued “We will continue our efforts to promote the development of Honduran families through the creation of social value at a national level."