Displaying items by tag: Sustainability

Egypt: LafargeHolcim Egypt supplied 8200t of its ECOPlanet reduced-CO₂ cement for construction of Alamein Downtown Towers in Alamein City. The producer said that the cement reduced the project's carbon footprint by 45% compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The government contracted China-based China State Construction Engineering Corporation for construction of the five-tower development. Three of the buildings will be residential, while the remaining two will house business and events facilities.

Colombia: The Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) has validated Grupo Argos Subsidiary Cementos Argos’ CO₂ emissions reduction goals. Cementos Argos aims to reduce its Scope 1 and Scope 2 CO₂ emissions in line with a well-below 2°C climate change scenario by 2030. Its strategy includes increasing co-processing of alternative fuel (AF), reducing its cement’s clinker factor, optimising its heat and electricity consumption, investing in cleaner technologies, increasing the share of renewable power it uses and diversifying its product range to include more low-carbon products.

Philippines: Republic Cement has won seven awards at the Presidential Mineral Industry Awards 2023. The producer’s Bulacan cement plant won the Platinum Achievement Award, while its Batangas, Iligan and Teresa plants all claimed Quarry Operations (Non-Metallic) Awards. The Bulacan plant also won the Best Forest Mining Award in the Non-Metallic category, in which the Iligan plant was second runner-up. Lastly, Bulacan cement plant won the Safest Mine (Non-Metallic) Award.

Republic Cement’s CEO Roman Menz said "Throughout our 67 years of service towards building the nation, Republic Cement has always been deeply and wholly committed to responsible mining. It is through responsible mining and our daily commitment to safety and sustainability that we are able to support robust communities and a thriving environment, towards a greener and stronger republic."

Algeria: The National Centre for Cleaner Production Technologies (CNTPP) has signed a cooperation agreement with Lafarge Algeria. The arrangement is intended to provide government assistance towards producing cement more sustainably at the manufacturer’s plants, according to Le Quotidien d'Oran newspaper. The CNTPP is an organisation setup by the Ministry of Environment to support industrial and commercial companies.

Canada: Lafarge Canada’s Brookfield plant in Nova Scotia has switched to Portland Limestone Cement (PLC) production. The unit will now manufacture the company’s OneCem PLC product. It is the cement producer’s third plant to transition to PLC production in 2022 following the Bath plant in Ontario and the Richmond plant in British Colombia.

Andrew Stewart, the Vice President of Cement at Lafarge Canada (East), said, “We have been steadily moving the needle forward when it comes to cement decarbonisation and we will continue to honour our commitment in progressing our greener portfolio in Eastern Canada over the coming years.”

Nigeria: The CDP has raised its rating for Dangote Cement to B from B- previously. The improved score indicates that the cement producer made continued efforts to mitigate the environmental impact of its business and has improved its sustainability reporting. It is the fourth time the company has submitted data to the CDP and the second consecutive year it has improved its rating.

Michel Puchercos, the chief executive officer of Dangote Cement, said, “The CDP rating upgrade clearly illustrates the growth we have achieved in our commitment to transparency on climate and environmental issues. This year, our Alternative Fuel Project has reached an advanced stage and aims to leverage waste management solutions and reduce CO₂ emissions. As of the first nine months of 2022, we co-processed 101,553t of waste representing a 77% increase over last year.”

India: Visaka Industries plans to invest US$15.7m in the construction of a new cement boards plant in West Midnapore, West Bengal. United News of India has reported that the plant will produce the company's Vnext fibre cement board product. When commissioned in August 2023, it will increase Visaka Industries' Vnext boards production capacity to 72,000t/yr. The producer will equip the plant with an ATUM Solar Roof integrated solar power unit, eliminating 840,000t/yr of Scope 2 CO₂ emissions. Visaka Industries plans to employ 500 people at the plant, and additionally support its host community in Shalbani Dakhinshole through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

Thailand: Siam Cement Group (SCG) will invest US$2.89bn in new renewable power infrastructure across its businesses. Major growth areas include 3000MW of solar power generation capacity. This will increase group solar capacity by a factor of 15. Saur Energy News has reported that the renewable power projects will support the company’s on-going decarbonisation investments in cement and other businesses.

SCG is committed to achieving a circular business model and net zero CO₂ emissions by 2050.

Europe: Cembureau has welcomed a satisfactory conclusion to talks over the new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) under the European Union (EU) Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Negotiators from different EU institutions agreed to a gradual CBAM implementation, which will officially commence in October 2023. Free allocations of ETS credits to the EU cement sector and other industries will phase out between 2026 and 2034. During this transition period, CBAM duties will apply to imported products in proportion to EU production not covered by free allocation.

Cembureau's chief executive Koen Coppenholle said “The agreements on CBAM and ETS are essential to create a global level playing field on CO₂ and support our sector in its transition to carbon neutrality. It is positive that the EU institutions strengthened some key aspects of CBAM. We however regret that the adopted texts do not provide a structural solution for exports. Some EU countries export up to 50% of their domestic cement production and these will be at risk should no concrete export solution be found before 2026.”

Coppenholle added “Looking ahead, we need to focus on CBAM implementation and its water-tightness, to ensure the mechanism fully equalises CO₂ costs between EU and non-EU suppliers. It is also essential that policymakers support EU industries like cement, which are confronted with unsustainably high energy costs at a time some of our trading partners are launching massive subsidy programmes. CBAM, ETS and a strong innovation fund are essential parts of the puzzle, but we look forward to European Commission proposals for a truly ambitious industrial policy, as requested by the European Council in its meeting of 15 December 2022.”

Ireland: CRH has announced the launch of its new innovation investments company CRH Ventures. The new subsidiary has funds of US$250m and will focus on the technologies that address the construction sector's core challenges. The group said that CRH Ventures' investment decisions will assess potential for decarbonisation, automation and the development of advanced sustainable building products, among other factors.

CRH's CEO Albert Manifold said "The launch of CRH Ventures demonstrates our continued commitment to investing in new technologies that will shape the built environment of tomorrow. CRH Ventures will serve as a valuable partner to start-ups and entrepreneurs, which will benefit from the technical capabilities, knowledge and expertise of a global industry leader, to pilot and scale new technologies and innovations that will enable safer, smarter and more sustainable construction.”