23 June 2022

World: The total volume of CO₂ emissions released during cement production have more than doubled over the past 20 years, a study has revealed. In 2021 CO₂ emissions from the manufacture of cement came to 2.6Bnt, more than 7% of all emissions, according to Robbie Andrew, a greenhouse gas emissions scientist at the CICERO Center for Climate Research in Norway and the Global Carbon Project. In 2001 the CO₂ emissions from cement production were just 1.2Bnt.

Driven by China, the global cement sector’s CO₂ emissions have now more than tripled in the 30 years since 1992, recently increasing by 2.6% a year. The drivers are not just that more cement is being made, but that the CO₂ intensity of production has risen by 9.2% per tonne, according to the International Energy Agency. This is due to a switch from production in mature markets to developing ones, with China again a dominant factor.

Canada: Holcim subsidiary Lafarge Canada has announced that its Bath cement plant in Kingston, Ontario, is in the process of converting to the production of Holcim’s OneCem product, a low CO₂ Portland Limestone Cement (PLC) alternative. The plant currently makes general use (GU) cement.

"As the leader in the cement industry in eastern Canada, we are committed to developing our green portfolio and advancing towards a sustainable future, with OneCem as a step on the journey," said Andrew Stewart, Vice President for Cement at Lafarge Eastern Canada.

Robert Cumming, Head of Sustainability & Public Affairs for Eastern Canada, said "From 2018 to 2021 we have saved more than 140,000t of CO₂ by converting GU cement to OneCem in our plants across Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia - the equivalent to taking 42,891 cars off the road. With the recent conversion of the Bath Plant's GU production to OneCem, these numbers will continue to grow."

Canada: Lafarge Canada’s Richmond cement plant, one of the largest in British Columbia, has temporarily cut production, exacerbating a cement and concrete shortage in Vancouver, where some building firms have been forced to halt projects. The Richmond plant has been operating at limited capacity since a fire in the pre-heater tower on 31 May 2022.

Local press reported that the Richmond plant was ‘undergoing electric repairs to an isolated area,’ according to an emailed statement from the company. The company added "We expect to resume full production capacity shortly and are leveraging our strong production and supply network in an effort to minimize impact to our customers."

US: Eco Material Technologies, a producer of sustainable cementitious materials, has opened its Kirkland Pozzolan Mine in Yavapai County, Arizona. The 40-hectare site is one of the largest natural pozzolan mines in the US.
"We are excited for the opening of the Kirkland Pozzolan Mine, which will benefit not only Yavapai County but all of Arizona as well as the surrounding region," said Grant Quasha, CEO of Eco Material Technologies. "Without the support of elected officials, including Governor Doug Ducey, Senator Mark Kelly, State Senator Karen Fann and State Representative Quang Nguyen, we would not be celebrating this milestone achievement."

The event also recognised the hard work and dedication of the plant's employees, as well as Eco Material's contributions to the area including bringing wireless internet service to the surrounding community, planting new trees and generating significant tax revenue for the state.

France: Low-CO₂ cement manufacturer Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies has signed an exclusive partnership with IBAU Hamburg to build all future Hoffmann Green Cement units.

As the general contractor for the second production site (H2) currently under construction at Bournezeau, France, IBAU Hamburg also will be responsible for the exclusive management and construction of the third production site (H3) in Dunkirk, France. It will also build international sites, to be established at a number of locations in Europe and, subsequently, outside of Europe. IBAU Hamburg will handle the entire construction process for each project, from the design stage to the completion of the unit. All of the units will be built entirely with Hoffmann Green decarbonated and clinker-free cement.

Liberia: The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has announced a US$21.1m financing package for Fouta Cement, Liberia's second-largest cement supplier. The IFC said the move is to help increase local manufacturing and infrastructure development in Liberia and reduce the country's reliance on imported construction materials.
The financing package will help Fouta Cement to build and operate a 0.35Mt/yr clinker grinding plant in Monrovia, the Liberian capital. The financing package consists of a loan of up to US$5.4m from IFC's own account, a US$10.8m loan from the International Development Association's Private Sector Window Blended Finance Facility (IDA PSW BFF), and a loan of up to US$5m to be mobilised from Bank of Africa United Kingdom.

“IFC's partnership with Fouta Cement comes at a critical time for Liberia as it recovers from the economic effects of Covid-19 and seeks to meet the longstanding infrastructure needs of the country,” said Sérgio Pimenta, IFC's Vice President for Africa. “The investment is also IFC's largest in Liberia in recent years and is a strong show of support for the country's private sector and growth.”

Uzbekistan/Kazakhstan: Uzbekistan-based Bekabadcement, part of United Cement Group (UGC) Holding, has become a partner in a key project to build a 350km international transport corridor connecting Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, to be financed by the Asian Development Bank.

The company’s products are well known domestically for their use in the construction of major infrastructure facilities, such as the construction of transport corridors and modernisation of irrigation systems in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as the rebuilding of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.