Displaying items by tag: Alternative Fuels
Sumitomo Osaka Cement’s Ako cement plant to receive future disaster waste from Hyogo Prefecture
18 November 2021Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement has secured an agreement with Hyogo Prefecture for the future reception and processing of the prefecture’s waste from disasters such as earthquakes. The company says that the agreement will facilitate the rapid reception of such materials and to best support clean-up efforts.
President Hironori Morohashi said “We will continue to strengthen our cooperative relationship with Hyogo Prefecture and work to form a sustainable society and develop and improve the region.”
Titan Cement increases sales and profit as earnings drop in first nine months of 2021
11 November 2021Greece: Titan Cement has recorded sales of Euro1.26bn in the first nine months of 2021, up by 5% year-on-year from Euro1.2bn in the first nine months of 2020. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 4.3% to Euro220m from Euro229m, while its net profit rose by 41% to Euro81.9m from Euro58m.
During the third quarter of 2021, Titan Cement’s US low-carbon cement sales reached 50% of its total US cement sales. It also continued with hydrogen enrichment pilot studies in its cement kilns in Bulgaria and Greece.
Argos commits to 29% CO2 emissions reduction by 2030 and carbon neutral concrete by 2050
27 October 2021Colombia: Cementos Argos has announced its new commitment to reduce the CO2 emissionsfrom its cement operations by 29% over a period ending in 2030. The company has additionally committed to producing all of its concrete CO2-neutrally by 2050. It said that its strategy will comprise several carbon mitigation techniques, including maximised alternative fuel (AF) substitution, clinker factor reduction, energy optimisation, clean technology upgrades and a diversification of its range of its cement range to include more sustainable products.
Chief executive officer Juan Calle said "We are determined to face this important challenge and we are convinced that we can build the future we have planned and achieve a more prosperous, inclusive and low-carbon world if we work together with determination to accelerate this transition." He added "We will continue to strive to implement tangible actions, achieve measurable progress each year and deliver information about out opportunities and progress transparently."
Titan Cement signs Business Ambition for 1.5°C pledge
14 October 2021Greece: Titan Cement has signed the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)’s Business Ambition for 1.5°C pledge. In so doing, it joins the UN’s Race to Zero campaign for collaboration towards a global zero-CO2 future. The Group’s decarbonisation plans consist of an increased reliance on alternative fuel (AF), accelerated energy efficiency improvement efforts and a shift to low-carbon products and processes.
Titan Cement said “Through the participation in European and international consortia, as well as through collaborations in research and development projects, Titan will continue to develop low-carbon cementitious products and pilot carbon capture technologies in its plants, actively contributing to the industry’s ambition for a carbon-neutral future.”
Forty cement and concrete companies commit to the Global Cement and Concrete Association’s Roadmap to Net Zero
12 October 2021World: Forty cement and concrete producers, representing 80% of concrete production outside of China in 2020, have together affirmed their commitment to the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA)’s Roadmap to Net Zero concrete decarbonisation strategy. The roadmap’s seven-point plan consists of increased cement plant efficiency, which should eliminate 22% of emissions, increased concrete production efficiency (11%), adjustments to cement and binders (9%), decarbonisation of raw materials (11%), carbon capture and storage (CCS) (36%), a transition to renewable energy (5%) and the natural recarbonation of concrete (6%).
Besides full decarbonisation by 2050, the strategy provides for a 25% reduction in the global concrete sector’s CO2 emissions by 2030 and the elimination of 4.9Bnt of CO2 emissions by 2030 alone. The GCCA called the new commitment a ‘significant acceleration’ of cement and concrete producers’ on-going decarbonisation efforts, and said that it represented ‘the biggest global commitment by any industry’ to carbon neutrality. Acknowledging the burden on cement producers, the GCCA called on downstream companies and governments to support the industry’s transition.
GCCA member China National Building Material (CNBM) CEO Cao Jianglin said “This is a landmark for industry co-operation in decarbonisation. As part of a global industry, it will need collaboration across our sector to achieve it. As one of the leading cement and concrete producers in China, we will play our part in decarbonising the industry.”
Oman: Oman Cement Company will spend US$300m on the new 10,000t/day Line 4 as part of the upcoming upgrade and expansion of its Rusayl cement plant in Muscat governorate. The Oman Observer newspaper has reported that Switzerland-based PEG Resources will carry out the work. Oman Cement Company CEO Salem bin Abdullah al Hajri said that the new line will help Oman to achieve cement self-sufficiency by 2024.
The company said “The new 10,000t/day production line will be the largest in Oman and will have more cost-effective production, for the company to sustain its success and competitiveness in the local and international cement markets in a long run.” It added “The company will focus on utilising state-of-the-art production technology resulting in lower power consumption, potential for waste heat recovery (WHR), higher fuel efficiency, realisable use of alternative fuels (AF), improved productivity and the best environmental standards.”
Oman Cement Company is also expanding the Rusayl plant’s Line 3 by 25% to 5000t/day from 4000t/day, prior to decommissioning its other two lines.
Cimpor to establish solar power plants at its cement plants
06 October 2021Portugal: Cimpor has announced plans for the establishment of 1MW solar power plants at each of its three cement plants in Portugal. The Dinheiro Vivo newspaper has reported that the measure comes under a planned Euro130m investment package in upgrades to its cement operations before 2030. The plans include the expansion of the solar power plants to a total capacity of 10MW by 2025. Additionally, the producer will install two waste heat recovery (WHR) plants with a combined capacity of 8MW at its Alhandra and Souselas cement plants. The company is aiming to reduce its indirect CO2 emissions by 30%. It also has an alternative fuel (AF) substitution rate target of 70% by 2030 - compared to 3% in 2020, when it used 150,000t of AF.
Cimpor has previously invested a total of Euro7.2m in dedicated sustainability-related measures.
Holcim Russia envisions 15% emissions reduction by 2030 and carbon neutral cement production by 2050
05 October 2021Russia: Holcim Russia has committed to realising a 15% CO2 emissions reduction in its cement production between 2019 and 2030 to 475kg/t from 561kg/t. It plans to further reduce its cement’s CO2 emissions to 453kg/t by 2050, and to implement further measures to ensure its net carbon neutrality at that time.
Corporate relations director Vitaly Bogachenko said “The company's goal is to drastically reduce carbon emissions, and there are two working solutions for this. The first is the use of alternative fuels (AF) obtained from different types of waste: residues of municipal solid waste after sorting and extraction of all useful fractions from them, used tyres and others. The presence of biomass in them makes such fuels carbon neutral, so emissions during production are significantly reduced. The second solution is to replace carbon intensive raw materials. For example, instead of limestone, we use slags. The 'recipe' for cement is completely different: thanks to the new composition and the lower temperature during the firing process, the carbon footprint in the production of cement is reduced.”
Hanson and the Mineral Product Association complete hydrogen-fuelled cement production trial
30 September 2021UK: The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has announced the successful completion of a trial of cement production using a net-zero fuel mix consisting of hydrogen and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) at Hanson’s Ribblesdale, Lancashire, cement plant. The RDF in the mix consists of meat and bone meal (MBM) from the food industry and glycerol from biodiesel production.
Increased alternative fuel (AF) substitution is one of seven key levers in the MPA’s Roadmap Beyond Net Zero emissions reduction strategy. The association says that the fuel will eliminate 180,000t/yr of CO2 emissions from the Ribblesdale plant’s operations when fully implemented. The project received Euro3.71m in government funding.
Hanson’s environmental sustainability manager Iain Walpole said “We are delighted to be involved with this world-leading project, which is a further example of our commitment to cutting CO2 emissions.” He added “It will also contribute to our ambition of supplying net zero carbon concrete by 2050.”
Poland: Lafarge Poland has laid the foundation stone for the Euro100m new kiln line at its Małogoszcz cement plant. The replacement of the three existing kilns and installation of an alternative fuel (AF) line aims to reduce the plant’s CO2 emissions by 20% and its energy consumption by 33%. The company, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based Holcim, aims to make the cement plant into one of the European Union’s most modern. China National Building Material (CNBM) subsidiary Nanjing Kisen International Engineering will carry out the work, which is scheduled for completion in early 2023.
Project director Krzysztof Byczyński said “One of the three kilns has already been demolished and in its place a new kiln will be built with the necessary installations. Preparatory works for the construction of a new kiln are currently underway.”