Italy: Buzzi Unicem says that it has implemented a number of measures to enable it to deal with any economic downturn resulting from the financial impacts of the coronavirus outbreak. The Il Sole newspaper has reported that the company’s strategies fall under two headings, namely increasing efficiencies and improving products and services. As such, the company is targeting a medium-term increase of Italian cement plant capacity utilisation of 70 - 75% from 55 - 60%, while also increasing its product range to offer custom concrete blends “to best suit the needs of the customer.”

US: Cemtech Materials will produce cement using bauxite residue supplied under a new contract signed with New Day Aluminium Holdings subsidiary Noranda Alumina. Noranda Alumina has executed a letter of intent with Cemtech to sell it 60,000t of bauxite residue starting in the fourth quarter of 2020. The bauxite will be used in the cement production process as the raw material for iron, replacing other current iron bearing raw materials.

Noranda Alumina chair and chief executive officer (CEO) David D’Addario said, “We are focused on continuously improving the sustainability of our business and reducing our environmental footprint on our path to a zero residue refinery, and look forward to helping our partners in the cement industry to achieve their aligned goals.”

The deal follows a beneficial use approval from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. Noranda Alumina is located in Gramercy, Louisiana. It produces smelter grade alumina for the production of aluminium and chemical grade alumina for non-metallurgical applications.

Kazakhstan: Germany-based Gebr. Pfeiffer says that it has secured a contract for the supply of an MVR 5000 C-4 vertical grinding mill to SemeyCement’s 1Mt/yr integrated Semey cement plant in East Kazakhstan. Gebr. Pfeiffer says that the 200t/hr capacity mill will have a drive power of 4000kW and be equipped with an SLS 4500 BC classifier. Delivery of the vertical roller mill is scheduled for autumn 2021.

US: Solidia Technologies and France-based Chryso have announced a collaborative partnership for the further development of the Solidia ‘ultra-low’ CO₂ concrete product. The companies plan to use their “combined expertise to improve the sustainability performance and material properties” of the concrete.

“Incorporating Chryso’s exclusive water-reducing admixtures adapted to the specific chemistry of Solidia Concrete, will further reduce water consumption in the curing process,” said Tom Schuler, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Solidia Technologies.