September 2024
Fremantle Ports commences work on Kwinana Bulk Terminal cement terminal 28 September 2022
Australia: Fremantle Ports has broken ground on its construction of a new US$35.1m cement terminal at Kwinana Bulk Terminal in Western Australia. Business News Western Australia has reported that contractor COVA-Haywards will build a 40,000t-capacity clinker storage dome at the site. The terminal will supply BGC and Cockburn Cement's local grinding operations. Commissioning is scheduled for 2024.
State development minister Roger Cook said"It will significantly improve our capability to move clinker faster, more safely and with very significant environmental benefits, and provide the capacity for the port facility to accommodate future trade growth. It's a great example of planning assets to integrate the state-owned port with adjacent private facilities, with benefits for all."
Ciments Calcia sets date for start of construction of new production line at Airvault plant 28 September 2022
France: HeidelbergCement subsidiary Ciments Calcia plans to lay the first stone of a major upgrade project at its Airvault cement plant on 5 October 2022. The event will mark the start of the construction phase of a new 4000t/day clinker production line, according to La Nouvelle République newspaper. The Euro300m project will be built by Germany-based ThyssenKrupp.
Heidelberg Materials considering shutting plants in Germany based on future energy prices 28 September 2022
Germany: Heidelberg Materials says it is considering shutting down plants in Germany due to the high cost of gas and electricity. In comments reported by Reuters chief executive officer Dominik von Achten said, "If power prices won't come down sustainably, we would have to take individual plants in Germany completely off the grid. That's what we have prepared for." He added that the company is shifting production to times and days when power prices are lower including at the weekend. However, changing staff shift patterns has required ongoing discussions with labour unions.
The building materials company expects its energy bill to rise by around half year-on-year to over Euro3bn in 2022. It has called on the German government to place a cap on energy prices despite measures the company has already taken to protect itself from soaring costs, such as using alternative fuels.
Three cement producers among Spanish pollution top 10 in 2021 28 September 2022
Spain: Sustainability Observatory's Decarbonisation 2022 report has named FCC, Cemex and Holcim on a list of Spain's top 10 CO2 emitters. Construction conglomerate FCC, parent company of Cementos Portland Valderrivas, was the seventh largest contributor the country's CO2 emissions during the year. Mexico-based Cemex placed joint eighth with energy provider Iberdrola at 2.4Mt-worth of CO2 emissions in 2021, followed by Switzerland-based Holcim with 2Mt.
Spanish CO2 emissions grew by 5.1% year-on-year in 2021, and by 3% across industries subject to emissions credit trading, which include the cement sector. Together, the top 10 emitters accounted for 57% of these industries' emissions, and 19% of total national emissions.
Titan Cement Group’s H2CEM green hydrogen project included in EU Hy2Use initiative 27 September 2022
Greece: Titan Cement Group says that its H2CEM green hydrogen projection has received inclusion under the EU Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) Hy2Use. Hy2Use consolidates funding for hydrogen electrolysis, transport and storage development projects across Europe. Titan Cement Group’s H2CEM project consists of Euro60m-worth of new green hydrogen production installations at its Drepano, Efkarpia and Kamari cement plants. The installations will produce hydrogen through electrolysis using renewable energy sources. The producer says that use of the hydrogen as cement fuel will reduce the plants’ CO2 emissions per tonne of cement by 8%, corresponding to 160,000t/yr of emissions. H2CEM is Hy2Use’s only cement plant project.
Titan Cement Group aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Innovative Ash Solutions launches supplementary cementitious material made from incinerator waste 27 September 2022
UK: Innovative Ash Solutions, a joint venture of Levenseat and Organic Innovative Solutions, has launched a new air pollution control residue (APCR)-based supplementary cementitious material (SCM). The supplier produces the material at its Lanarkshire treatment facility using APCR local from municipal solid waste (MSW) and wood biomass incinerators. Innovative Ash Solutions has received planning permission for a 54,000t/yr industrial-scale APCR-based SCM plant, and plans to establish a total of three plants in the UK, one of which will reach a capacity of 500,000t/yr. It has also signed an exclusive licensing agreement with an Australia-based importer for the material.
The SCM is designed to replace pulverised fly ash (PFA), of which the UK imported 325,000t in 2019, more than four times its 2012 import volumes of 76,000t.
Innovative Ash Solutions director Robert Gren said “We are excited to bring this new product to market. Innovative Ash Solutions is the first and, so far, the only company in the UK to have achieved ‘End of Waste’ accreditation for a PFA replacement for this type of use. Our research shows there is potential to produce more than 500,000t/yr of PFA replacement from UK APCRs every year, which would reduce the need for importing materials and support the decarbonisation of cement and concrete products.”
Builders Association of India cleared to challenge alleged cement cartel 27 September 2022
India: A court has ruled that the Builders Association of India (BAI) is an interested party, and thus able to complain to the Competition Commission of India (CCI), over alleged cement sector cartelisation leading to cement price rises. BusinessLine Online News has reported that the BAI believes high Southern Indian prices to be unaccountable except as an outcome of cartelisation.
The CCI launched its on-going cement cartel investigation in 2019.
Holcim Costa Rica renews gender equality certification 27 September 2022
Costa Rica: The Costa Rica Institute of Technical Standards (INTECO), with confirmation of the National Institute for Women (INAMU), has renewed Holcim Costa Rica’s Management System for Gender Equality in the Workplace certification. This recognises the company’s commitment to promoting the role of women in its operations. Holcim Costa Rica requires the candidate pool for new positions to consist of 50% men and 50% women. This has helped its realise representation of 52% women across its corporate offices, and 35% in all leadership roles. Its CEO Andrea Lara said that the producer assures its employees a work environment characterised by respect, fairness and an absence of harassment or discrimination.
Lara said “Both men and women have the same opportunities. The position is awarded to the most qualified man or woman for the position.”
Madhya Pradesh police raid fake cement operation in Gwalior 27 September 2022
India: Police raided a Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, fake cement bagging plant on 26 September 2022. The Free Press Journal newspaper has reported that the officers arrested multiple suspects and recovered 200 bags of fake cement and 5000 bags of raw materials for fake cement mixing.
UltraTech Cement had previously reported to police that counterfeit cement bearing UltraTech Cement branding was circulating in the district.
Ramco Cements to inaugurate 2Mt/yr Nandyal cement plant 26 September 2022
India: Ramco Cements plans to inaugurate its upcoming Nandyal cement plant in Kalvatala, Andhra Pradesh, on 28 September 2022. The Sakshi Post newspaper has reported that the plant will have a cement capacity of 2Mt/yr. Ramco Cements’ planned total capital expenditure (CAPEX) investments during the 2023 and 2024 financial years (1 April 2022 – 31 March 2024) are expected to reach US$154 – 167m.
Two West Bengali welders fell to their deaths at the site of the upcoming Nandyal cement plant on 25 September. The welders had been working on a conveyor system when it snapped. The Times of India newspaper has reported that both workers died immediately. Police have informed their relatives and are conducting post-mortems.