06 June 2025

Greece: Titan Greece has obtained Enterprise Greece’s strategic investment status for its upcoming 1.9Mt/yr-capacity IFESTOS carbon capture project at the Kamari cement plant in Boeotia. The status also extends to an upcoming Business Park adjacent to the plant. The IFESTOS project is currently at the stage of basic design and environmental studies, with a final investment decision due in 2026. An anticipated 750 direct and indirect jobs will result from the construction and operation of the carbon capture unit.

Titan Cement Group’s Europe regional executive director Yanni Paniaras said "IFESTOS’ inclusion underlines the importance of the project for Greece. Preparation continues apace.”

US: Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed an AI tool to compare studies of alternative raw materials for cement production. A collaborative team from the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub and MIT’s recycling research programme, Olivetti Group, published its findings in the Nature journal. The team mined 5.7m academic publications to identify 14,434 alternative raw materials. These belonged to 19 ‘types,’ including bottom ashes, fly ashes, calcined clays and slags, as well as less homogenous types such as biomass ashes, glasses and mine tailings. The study more than doubles the number of fly ashes and slags recorded on a database of this kind. The tool then provides a unified assessment of cementitious reactivity and pozzolanicity, also accounting for variables in particle size and amorphous content.

India: Grasim Industries accepted bids worth US$117m in an issue of bonds on 5 June, Reuters has reported. The bonds reportedly have a maturity of five years.

Germany: Screencore has announced the appointment of WBI Baumaschinen as their distributor for Germany. AggNet News has reported that WBI Baumaschinen will offer Screencore’s entire product portfolio, with a focus on stockpilers, trommels and pugmills. It will also provide a comprehensive aftermarket package, including parts, servicing and technical support.

Screencore director Ciarán Ryan said "The Screencore range fits seamlessly into WBI's existing product lines and allows them to offer a true total solution to their customers."

India: Dalmia Cement (Bharat) plans to raise US$122m through the issue of bonds maturing in seven and 10 years. Reuters has reported that the sale includes a greenshoe option of US$34.9m. The producer will receive coupon and commitment bids for both options from 11 June 2025.