08 February 2017
Australia: Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) has released a new standard for cement, concrete and concrete products, and is now welcoming applications for certification. The new Cement, Concrete & Concrete Products Standard covers three distinct sub categories - cement and supplementary cementitious materials (such as blended cements and alternative non-Portland cements), concrete (including ready-mix and concrete manufactured in temporary batching plants on site) and concrete products (such as masonry, precast concrete, pipes, roof tiles, and autoclaved cellular concrete). It seeks to support and reward manufacturers who make efforts to minimise the environmental, health and social impacts of cement and concrete production.
The GECA standard is intended to enable manufacturers to provide assurance to procurers and specifiers seeking products with a lower environmental impact that their product meets strict sustainability criteria. The standard is currently under review for recognition under the Green Building Council of Australia’s (GBCA) Green Star ratings tools and is recognised by the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia’s (ISCA) ratings system. GECA is a non-profit organisation and part of the ecolabelling initiative that helps consumers identify environmental aspects of products.
Smuggled cement from Nigeria dropping price in Cameroon 08 February 2017
Cameroon: Cement illegally smuggled across the border from Nigeria to northern Cameroon has lowered the price of cement by 20% in the north of the country. Dangote branded cement is allegedly being smuggled into the country despite a ban on imports, according to the Business in Cameroon journal. The situation is causing a price disparity of up to 40% between the north and the south of the country. Cameroon restricted imports of cement following the construction of new plants.
Quinn Cement to build Euro2.9m port facility at Warrenpoint 08 February 2017
UK/Ireland: Quinn Cement is planning to build a Euro2.9m port facility at Warrenpoint Harbour in County Down in Northern Ireland, UK. The 7500t terminal will be operated over a 10-year period in conjunction with the Warrenpoint Harbour Authority, according to the Irish Independent. Final commissioning for the project was approved in late January 2017. The investment is intended to compliment the company’s update to its terminal in Rochester, Kent in England and to help the company ‘cope’ with the UK’s decision to leave the European Union.
Cementos Moctezuma completes second line at Apazapan plant 08 February 2017
Mexico: Cementos Moctezuma has completed its second production line at its Apazapan plant near Veracruz. The unit now has a cement production capacity of 2.75Mt/yr following an investment of over US$150m. Miguel Ángel Yunes Linares, Constitutional Governor of Veracruz, Efraín González Flores, Municipal Constitutional President of the Municipality of Apazapan, Fabrizio Donegà, General Manager of Moctezuma Corporation and others attended a ceremony to mark the operational start-up of the new line in late January 2017. Following the expansion, the cement producer has a production capacity of 8Mt/yr in the country.