Displaying items by tag: Government
Russia: Switzerland-based Holcim has written to multiple Russian government ministries to challenge a court ruling changing the benefactors of its Russian business. Local press has reported that the producer is subject to attempted assets raiding, with multiple anonymous submissions to the Russian Federal Tax Service requesting structural changes to its legal entities in Russia.
Holcim decided to leave the Russian market in March 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine.
Mexico: Beumer Group has won a contract to supply Cooperativa La Cruz Azul’s cement plants with 14 new 5500 – 6000 bag/hr palletisers. The cement company made the decision to modernise palletising operations at its plants following a law change requiring cement to be packaged in 25kg bags, instead of 50kg, from the start of 2023. Beumer Group plans to deliver the first five palletisers in the third quarter of 2022. The other nine machines will follow by 2023.
The supplier said “Cruz Azul and Beumer Group have had a trustful and successful partnership for decades. The system provider has convinced with its highly developed and sustainable technology and a sophisticated concept, which will enable the cement manufacturer to achieve the required performance in its packaging terminal” It continued “Covid-19 presented a particular challenge in this project. Due to the pandemic, it was not possible for Beumer experts to be on site with the customer in person. All concepts were discussed, debated and agreed online and with the support of the local group company in Mexico City.”
Lafarge Canada secures government funding for Exshaw cement plant carbon capture installation
21 July 2022Canada: The provincial government of Alberta has signed a contribution agreement for US$3.87m in funding towards Lafarge Canada’s planned carbon capture installation at its Exshaw cement plant. The cost of the system is US$20.9m. Offshore Energy News has reported that it is one of 11 carbon capture projects in the province which Alberta Minister of Energy Sonya Savage said will be operational by 2030. Ultimately, project partners plan to establish a CO2 sequestration hub and transport network connecting the capture sites of various industry partners.
Colombia: Federación Interamericana del Cemento (FICEM) and the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) have announced their next steps to accelerate the decarbonisation of cement production in Latin America and the Caribbean. The partners have named Colombia as the region’s first Net Zero Accelerator host country. The initiative works to identify barriers to decarbonisation and to recommend policy changes to make an immediate impact. Along with fellow Net Zero Accelerator host countries Egypt, India and Thailand, Colombia brings the total coverage of the initiative to 10% of global cement capacity.
GCCA chief executive officer Thomas Guillot said “The urgency of addressing climate change becomes clearer every day. Last year, our industry made a breakthrough Net Zero global commitment to reduce our carbon footprint, and we are now driving action in Latin America to make real change in one of the regions predicted to use the most concrete and cement in the coming decades. Our Roadmap Accelerator programme, previewed today by our members and affiliate (FICEM) at Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week, highlights the tailored policies and tools we will use to ensure that Net Zero concrete and cement is achieved by 2050.”
St Mary’s Cement obtains extension for McInnis cement plant dust emissions compliance order
21 July 2022Canada: The Canadian government’s Environment and Climate Change department has granted an extension to St Mary’s Cement to an order regarding alleged sticky dust emissions from its McInnis cement plant. The Journal de Québec newspaper has reported that the producer now has until 8 August 2022 to submit its observations on the situation. Environment and Climate Change Canada has identified 12 different equipment failures as contributors to the alleged illegal emissions. On 20 July 2022, it had received a total of 80 reports from the public about the situation.
Australia: Hallett Group plans to establish a slag cement grinding plant in Port Augusta, South Australia. Magnet News has reported the cost of the project as US$83.9m, towards which the producer has received US$13.4m in government funding. The plant will produce cement using South Australian ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) from Nyrstar’s Port Pirie and Liberty Primary Steel’s Whyalla steel refineries and fly ash from the site of the former Port Augusta power plant. Its operations will be 100% renewably powered. An accompanying new distribution facility at Port Adelaide will ship the cement to markets. The project will create 50 new jobs.
When the Port Augusta grinding plant becomes operational in 2023, its products will reduce regional CO2 emissions by 300,000t/yr, subsequently rising to 1Mt/yr, according to the company’s expansion plans.
Hallett Group chief executive officer Kane Salisbury said "We're talking about 1% of the entire country's 2030 [CO2 reduction] commitment, delivered through this project." Salisbury added "We're looking at turning South Australia into a global leader in manufacturing green cement."
UK: Aggregate Industries and Coomtech have partnered to develop low-energy kinetic drying technology for pulverised fuel ash (PFA) from power plant. The partnership will see Aggregate Industries use Coomtech’s kinetic dryers in its PFA processing, as part of its effort towards increasing the volume of waste materials incorporated in its products to 3Mt/yr from 1.5Mt/yr by 2025. The project has attracted funding from the UK government Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
Chief commercial officer Chris Every said “We’re delighted to have the support of Aggregate Industries in this grant project. Coomtech is especially pleased to have the business’ ongoing technical and commercial input to the project operation and analysis of performance. In addition, the opportunity to work together with a brand that is leading the way in creating new materials that will prove fundamental to the future of the construction sector and meet net zero objectives.” Every continued “The added benefit of our new drying technology is its flexibility - providing the potential to dry a wide range of materials being considered to aid the greening of the cement industry, including limestone, ground blast furnace slag (GBFS), natural pozzolans and other crushed and milled minerals that can offer an activated character to combine in cement and concrete mixes.”
Burundi: The government of Burundi says that it is ready to sign a credit letter with Dangote Cement for the establishment of a cement plant in the country. In this way, the government hopes to provide a long-term solution to the on-going national cement shortage. In the meantime, the government urged Dangote Cement to devise ‘modalities for the supply of construction materials’ into the country.
Burundian delegates at a meeting with Dangote Cement on 8 July 2022 said that Northwest Burundi is endowed with abundant limestone reserves.
Palpa Cement Industries exports cement to India
11 July 2022Nepal: Palpa Cement Industries has exported cement produced at its 3000t/day Sunwal cement plant to India. Indo-Asian News Service has reported that the shipment consisted of 3000 bags of the company’s Tansen brand cement. The producer says that it will continue with daily despatches to India, subject to demand.
The Nepal government offers 8% subsidies to cement exporters which use Nepali raw materials.
China: Conch Cement has explained that neither its subsidiary Xuancheng Conch, nor any officers of the company, are subject to investigation or penalties for tax evasion. The producer said that a local media outlet had reported false allegations to this effect.
Conch Cement said "Xuancheng Conch has met all payment obligations for taxation in strict compliance with the relevant laws and regulations of the People's Republic of China."