Displaying items by tag: Electricity
Breedon Group increases ten-month sales in 2021 compared to 2019
25 November 2021UK: Breedon Group has told investors that its consolidated sales in the first ten months of 2021 were Euro1.24bn, up by 31% compared to their levels in the corresponding period of 2020. The group said that its ‘layered hedging policy’ mitigated key commodity cost pressures during the period. As such, it raised its 2021 full-year underlying earnings before interest, depreciation and taxation (EBIT) forecast to more than Euro145m.
Austria: W&P Zement says that it has commissioned an expanded 18GWh Wietersdorf hydroelectric power plant chain on the River Görtschitz in Carinthia. The chain consists of two new power plants and an existing one which the company optimised during a Euro12m project begun in October 2019. Together, the plants will supply 25% of the producer’s Wietersdorf cement plant’s electricity needs.
Technical director Florian Salzer said “With six modern Francis turbines, 18GWh of green electricity are generated in three power plants along the Görtschitz.” He added “That roughly corresponds to the supply for 3600 four-person households.”
Grupo Argos named in Dow Jones Sustainability Index
15 November 2021Colombia: Dow Jones has named Grupo Argos in its Sustainability Index 2021, the company’s ninth time appearing in the ranking. It achieved its highest ratings in materiality, risk management, environmental reporting, climate change strategy, social reporting and human rights. The group said that the listing constitutes its recognition as the most sustainable cement company in the world. Its sustainable initiatives include offering collection of its used cement bags, supplying all the electricity for its Colombian operations from renewable sources and currently having three credit facilities linked to environmental, social and governance indicators.
Legal and sustainability vice-president Maria Isabel Echeverri said “At Argos, we are greatly satisfied with this result which places us as a world benchmark in sustainability and reassures our commitment to closing gaps and implementing best practices in social, environmental, financial and corporate governance matters. This drives us to continue moving forward in creating social value to build the dreams of housing and infrastructure for millions of people.”
Buzzi Unicem increases nine-month sales and cement volumes in 2021
08 November 2021Italy: Buzzi Unicem’s consolidated sales rose by 5.6% year-on-year to US$2.54bn in the first nine months of 2021 from US$2.41bn in the first nine months of 2020. It recorded consolidated cement sales of 23.4Mt, up by 7.5% from 21.7Mt in the corresponding period of 2020. Sales growth in Eastern Europe - especially the Czech Republic and Poland - and the US offset a partial slowdown in Italy, particularly in the third quarter of the year.
The group expects global construction activity to generally remain level into the fourth quarter of 2021. It forecast “favourable” volume and price effects in its full-year results for 2021. It nonetheless noted “growing concern” at rising energy, fuels, logistics, raw materials and services costs in various regions. It forecast group recurring earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) not in excess of 2020 levels.
Iranian cement sector preparing for gas shortages in the winter
03 November 2021Iran: The Cement Industry Employers' Association has confirmed that cement plants will store heavy fuel oil to cope with a potential shortage of gas in the winter. The association told the Iranian Labour News Agency that plants had been granted permission to store up to 15 days worth of heavy fuel oil following negotiation with the Ministry of Oil. Fuel storage is a sensitive issue locally due to the potential for misuse in the black market. The cement sector faced gas and electricity shortages earlier in 2021.
Pakistan: Fauji Cement says that two planned cement plant projects will increase its total cement production capacity by 64% to 10.5Mt/yr by mid-2023, from 6.4Mt/yr at present. The producer plans to establish a 2.05Mt/yr cement plant at Dera Ghazi Khan. After its commissioning before mid-2023, the plant’s capacity will more than double to 5.65Mt/yr. Subsidiary Askari Cement is expanding its 2.8Mt/yr Nizampur cement plant’s capacity by 73% to 4.85Mt/yr. The group estimates that the total 4.1Mt/yr-worth of new capacity will increase its national cement market share to 13% from 6.7%. It says that this will make it the second largest cement company active in Northern Pakistan, after Bestway Cement.
Fauji Cement said that it is well positioned for growth. It generated 70% of the power consumed in its operations in 2020 itself.
China to set cement production energy efficiency benchmark
25 October 2021China: The government plans to implement a benchmark level of energy efficiency for cement plants by 2025 in order to realise its national goal of no CO2 emissions growth by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Local press has reported that the government has yet to set a specific benchmark for the cement industry. The corresponding figure for aluminium production will be 13,000kWh/t.
Cementos Portland Valderrivas may suspend cement production at Morata de Tajuña plant due to high costs
22 October 2021Spain: Cementos Portland Valderrivas has warned the increased operating costs may force it to suspend production at its 2.8Mt/yr El Alto cement plant in Morata de Tajuña near Madrid. EuroNews has reported that energy prices more than doubled month-on-month to Euro300/MWhr on 21 October 2021 from Euro100/MWhr on 21 November 2021. Grinding operations use half of the plant’s electricity consumption.
Operations director Luis Herrers said "Because the cost of electricity has shot up by 300%, we have crossed a red line. Our production cost has exceeded our selling price.” He added “We are in a critical situation right now."
Nepal Electricity Authority completes switching station for Huaxin Cement and Vaidya Group’s Rorang cement plant
18 October 2021Nepal: The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has completed and commissioned a switching station to supply power for Huaxin Cement and Vaidya Group’s upcoming Dhading cement plant in Rorang. The Republic newspaper has reported that, when operational, the plant will receive 20MW of power via the switching station. Two transmission lines with capacities of 33kV and 11kV connect the facilities.
The US$125m Dhading cement plant awaits commissioning following the completion of its construction in August 2021.
Finland: The VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Finnsementti have revealed work on the Decarbonate project to test a 12m electrically-heated rotary kiln. Other partners on the initiative included Nordkalk and UPM. Precalcination was tested as well as the projection of quick lime. The eventual goal is to use electricity from renewable sources to power the kiln and then capture the CO2 released for utilisation.
The Decarbonate project has been exploring CO2 capture and utilisation concepts that can be commercialised. It has run for two years since late 2019 and has funding of Euro1.2m. It has also looked at oxyfuel and electrolysis experiments.