19 September 2023

Europe: Norway-based Capsol Technologies says that it has signed contracts for two new feasibility studies for carbon capture installations at ‘large cement plants’ in the EU. If successful, the plants will proceed to the installation of Capsol Technologies’ CapsolEoP carbon capture systems. Nordic Daily News has reported that the technology reduces the energy consumption of carbon capture by 50%, and lowers its costs by 25%, according to the supplier.

The new contracts bring Capsol Technologies’ number of cement industry carbon capture contracts to four, and its total contracts to nine, with a potential CO₂ capture capacity of 10Mt/yr.

CEO Jan Kielland said "We are pleased that our solution is gaining attention, as demonstrated by an increasing number of incoming requests for sales engineering and engineering studies, and look forward to being a major contributor in the path to net zero for cement.”

India: JK Lakshmi Cement has concluded a deal to acquire a 21% stake in solar power plant engineering company Amplus Helios. Amplus Helios was founded as a special purpose vehicle for the construction of a 50MW captive solar power plant at JK Lakshmi Cement’s 1.7Mt/yr Durg cement plant in Chhattisgarh. The Free Press Journal has reported that the solar power plant will cost US$26m.

India: Ratings agency ICRA says that the cement industry in India will reach a renewable energy reliance of 40% across its operations in the 2025 financial year. The Hitavada newspaper has reported that this will involve the construction of 537MW-worth of new renewable power capacity. During the 2023 financial year, which ended on 31 March 2023, producers used 35% renewable energy. ICRA said that they can expect to make costs savings of US$240m/yr from 2025 through the scale-up of renewables, including solar, wind and waste heat recovery. This would correspond to a 15 – 18% reduction of estimated energy costs for the 2025 financial year.

Over the same two-year period, ICRA forecast blended cements to rise to 81% of cement sales in the 2025 financial year, from 78% in the 2023 financial year.

Jamaica: Caribbean Cement plans to increase its exports of its cement. The Gleaner newspaper has reported that the company announced its successful despatch of a 3400t shipment of cement to Turks and Caicos on 16 September 2023. The shipment consisted of 2267 jumbo bags of its higher early strength cement.

Managing director Yago Castro reassured Jamaicans that Caribbean Cement would continue to prioritise the domestic market. He continued “However, there is a market out there for us. We will actively look for opportunities to reallocate the spare capacity to the export market."

Mexico: Cemex’s CEO Fernando González joined a panel of other business representatives at the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly on 18 September 2023. The United Nations Global Compact, the UN’s 9500 member-strong stakeholder platform for sustainable business, hosted the panel. González and fellow panellists discussed issues including sustainable finance, global fairness and the effects of climate change.

González said “Our company is committed to building a better future: one that is more sustainable, circular and creates a supportive environment for people to thrive. The UN Sustainable Development Goals provide a great blueprint to effect this change, but progress is not happening fast enough. The public and private sectors must join to map an equitable transition to the sustainable world of tomorrow.”

Cemex is an Early Mover in the UN’s Forward Faster climate change accountability initiative and co-leads the UN Global Compact’s Sustainable Supplier Impact Programme in support of small and medium-sized enterprises’ sustainability transition.