Displaying items by tag: Award
Global: Heidelberg Materials has launched the sixth edition of the Quarry Life Award, encouraging global participation to develop sustainable quarry management solutions. Open to researchers, students, communities, non-government organisations (NGO) and nature enthusiasts, the competition offers a prize fund of around €300,000 and aligns with the company's commitment to the Global Goal for Nature. Partnering with organisations like BirdLife International, the initiative aims to enhance biodiversity at extraction sites. Since its inception in 2011, the Quarry Life Award has spurred over 450 projects aimed at biodiversity protection. The 2025 edition will see Heidelberg Materials open its quarries for selected projects, with Türkiye, Egypt, Kazakhstan and Indonesia joining as new participants.
Chief sustainability officer Nicola Kimm said "The Quarry Life Award is a key element of our biodiversity strategy, which relies on strong partnerships with stakeholders to engage across science, industry, and local communities. To truly move from biodiversity loss to gain, a concerted effort is needed by everyone, working together in the recovery of nature at a landscape scale."
Cemex receives four Wildlife Habitat Council awards
11 June 2024North America: The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) has recognised Cemex’s conservation efforts in Mexico and the US with awards for four of its projects. These included its restoration of desert habitats at Cerro Jardín, Xoyatla and Coayuca in Atotonilco, Mexico. Cemex said that all of the projects advance its Future in Action strategy of sustainable excellence through circularity, climate action and water and biodiversity management, in line with becoming a net zero company by 2050.
Germany: Ratings agency EcoVadis has awarded drives supplier Flender its Platinum medal for its performance across environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement metrics.
CEO Andreas Evertz said "With our commitment to sustainability and social responsibility, we have already achieved significant milestones. This excellent rating confirms our very good progress in the right direction. We are pleased with this but are also aware that there is still a long way to go. We aim to be pioneers in sustainability and inspire others - with full dedication and alongside our strong partners.”
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne recognised as Energy Transition Changemaker for LC3 limestone calcined clay cement project
19 December 2023Switzerland/UAE: The COP28 UAE Presidency named École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) among its Energy Transition Changemakers in the Heavy Emitting Sectors category. EPFL won the prize for its LC3 limestone calcined clay cement, which replaces 50% of clinker content with calcined kaolinite clay and limestone. LC3 cement reduces CO2 emissions by 40% compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC), and is a readily available solution that can be scaled worldwide. EPFL noted the special importance of LC3 cement for CO2 reduction efforts in developing countries, and sees it as having the potential to eliminate 500Mt/yr of global CO2 emissions by 2030. In a post to LinkedIn, the LC3 Project said that nine plants around the world currently produce LC3 cement, with a further 20 planned before 2025.
Holcim wins two awards for Lägerdorf carbon capture project at COP28
13 December 2023Germany/UAE: Holcim has claimed two sustainability awards at the COP28 climate conference for its work on the Carbon2Business carbon capture project at its Lägerdorf cement plant in Germany. Holcim won a COP28 Presidency’s Energy Transition Changemaker award and the Outstanding Project award for Germany at the COP28 Mission Innovation Net-Zero Industries Awards. The COP28 Presidency Energy Transition Changemaker initiative fosters deployment of scalable innovations to accelerate decarbonisation. Holcim was among 39 winners across four different industries. Meanwhile, the Mission Innovation Net-Zero Industries Awards are the first global competition in recognition of projects that have revolutionised industries, disrupted the status quo and set new benchmarks for decarbonisation in energy intensive sectors.
Holcim’s chief sustainability officer Nollaig Forrest said “It's great to close COP28 with two awards for our Carbon2business project in Lägerdorf. This is just one of our six carbon capture, storage and utilisation projects in Europe enabling us to produce at least 8Mt/yr of fully net zero cement by 2030.” Forrest added “These awards recognise companies for their collaboration and innovation, and at COP28 Holcim continued to create momentum with our partners across the building value chain to accelerate decarbonisation.”
Cemex is a Top 100 Corporate Startup Star
13 December 2023Mexico: The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Mind the Bridge have named Cemex among construction industry sustainability leaders at the Top 100 Corporate Startup Stars 2023. The designation recognises work towards world-class open innovation and sustainability practices and successes in establishing collaborations between corporations and start-ups.
Gonzalo Galindo, head of Cemex’s venture capital arm Cemex Ventures, said “Fostering innovation, one of Cemex’s core values, is a fundamental aspect of our company culture and central to our commitment to our customers and communities in which we are present. We’re thrilled to be considered among some of the world’s most innovative companies in this year’s Corporate Startup Stars list, and will continue to disrupt the status quo and foster the construction industry revolution.”
US: Germany-based drives supplier Flender has received the Supplier Excellence Recognition Award 2023 from engineering firm Caterpillar. The award recognises suppliers that demonstrate a commitment to excellence and drive a zero-defect culture. Caterpillar said that Flender exceeded 95% delivery reliability, with zero defects, during 2023. Contracts included gearboxes, remanufactured gearboxes, spare parts and couplings for Caterpillar’s 7495 Rope Shovel. The 7495 Rope Shovel is used in quarrying, including in the cement industry.
Caterpillar’s senior vice president strategic procurement and planning Pam Heminger said “Caterpillar’s reputation for world-class products and services stands on the shoulders of our global and diverse team – and that team includes our international and diverse supply network. By working together, we can deliver on our purpose to help our customers build a better, more sustainable world.”
Flender wins German Sustainability Award 2024
28 November 2023Germany: Flender claimed the German Sustainability Award 2024 for mechanical engineering at a ceremony in Düsseldorf on 23 November 2023. The award recognises the outstanding contribution of the supplier’s drives for wind energy and industrial applications, including cement, to the German energy transition. Germany is committed to 80% renewable energy use nationally by 2030, and 100% by 2035.
CEO Andreas Evertz said "My sincerest thanks go to the Flender team and our partners. This award is a very special milestone for us. It is a testament to the passion and commitment of our global team in tackling these critical challenges. Furthermore, it serves as additional inspiration and motivation towards our ambitious objectives. Ultimately, the awards themselves are secondary to the meaningful achievements we attain together. The industry has a duty to take the lead in addressing the climate, environmental and social challenges."
Itacamba wins Sustainability Seal for Yacuses cement plant upgrade
22 November 2023Bolivia: The Federation of Private Entrepreneurs of Santa Cruz (FEPSC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) awarded the Sustainability Seal to Itacamba on 11 November 2023. Local press has reported that the award recognises the successes of the producer’s upgrade to the grinding unit at its Yacuses cement plant. The upgrade reduced the energy footprint of the plant’s cement by 1.5kWh/t and eliminated 0.3% of its total CO2 emissions.
Portland Cement Association announces winners of 2023 Safety Innovation and Chairman's Safety Performance Awards
28 September 2023US: The Portland Cement Association (PCA) has announced the winners of its 2023 Safety Innovation and Chairman's Safety Performance Awards.
The Safety Innovation Award Program recognises companies that have developed innovative practices, projects and programs that improve safety at cement plants in the US. Entries are judged in five areas: innovation, ease of use and ease of construction, effectiveness and risk prevention. The recipients were:
- Distribution: Continental Cement, Continental Port Allen Terminal, Chesterfield, Missouri
- Quarry: CalPortland Company, CalPortland Oro Grande Plant, Oro Grande, California
- Pyroprocessing: GCC of America, GCC Tijeras Plant, Tijeras, New Mexio
- General Facility: Mitsubishi Cement Corporation, Mitsubishi Cushenbury Plant, Lucerne Valley, California
The Chairman’s Safety Performance Awards are given to member cement plants that did not have a reportable injury or illness during the year. Fifteen plants achieved this in 2023, which represented more than 10% of all active cement facilities in the US and its territories. The recipients were:
- Argos USA, Atlanta, Georgia
- Argos USA, Newberry, Florida
- Argos Puerto Rico Corp, Dorado, Puerto Rico
- Ash Grove Cement Company (CRH), Durkee, Oregon
- Ash Grove Cement Company (CRH), Midlothian, Texas
- Buzzi Unicem USA, Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Buzzi Unicem USA, Maryneal, Texas
- CalPortland Company, Rillito, Arizona
- GCC of America, Odessa, Texas
- Heidelberg Materials, Bellingham, Washington
- Martin Marietta Materials, New Braunfels, Texas
- Martin Marietta Materials, Midlothian, Texas
- Martin Marietta Materials, Tehachapi, California
- National Cement Company of California, Kern, California
- St Marys Cement (Votorantim), Detroit, Michigan