Displaying items by tag: Energy
JK Cement to acquire stakes in four energy companies
31 October 2023India: JK Cement has advanced its diversification into the energy sector with four new acquisitions. The Free Press Journal has reported that the cement producer has signed agreements to acquire stakes in CleanMax Matahari, Fourth Partner Energy, Nay Energy and Renewable Energy V.
Nexe Group commissions upgraded Našice cement plant
23 October 2023Croatia: Nexe Group has completed a US$3.3m upgrade to its Našice cement plant. SeeNews has reported that the project consisted of efficiency-increasing upgrades to the plant and other buildings at the site, and the construction of a solar power plant. The producer says that this will reduce the 600,000t/yr-capacity cement plant’s total energy consumption by 1.56GWh/yr.
The Našice cement plant is the site of an on-going expansion and carbon capture system installation project.
Lafarge Canada’s Exshaw cement plant to run on 34% solar energy
06 October 2023Canada: Lafarge Canada has engaged Canadian Utilities on a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) basis to supply solar energy for its Exshaw cement plant in Alberta. Under the agreement, the Exshaw cement plant will receive 100% of energy generated at the 38.5MW Empress solar power plant in Cypress County. The VPPA lasts until 2036, and covers 34% of the Exshaw plant’s energy consumption up to that time.
Lafarge Canada (West) president and CEO Brad Kohl said "We're continually assessing ways we can reduce our environmental impact while actively pursuing sustainable solutions within our operations." He concluded "Our collaboration with Atco underscores our commitment to adopting renewable energy at our plants and sites, which is key to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels."
Honduras: Cementos Argos Honduras has commissioned a 1.6GWh/yr solar power plant at its Choloma grinding plant in Río Blanquito. Grupo Argos’ energy subsidiary Celsia built the plant, which consists of 2160 photovoltaic modules. The La República newspaper has reported that the installation cost US$1.2m. It will supply 25% of the Choloma grinding plant’s energy consumption, and reduce its total CO2 emissions by 23%.
Cementos Argos Honduras CEO Luis Eduardo Tovar said "This partnership marks a significant milestone in our efforts to address climate change and revitalise our ecosystems, while generating significant impact in communities with new employment and investment opportunities.”
Capsol Technologies wins two further carbon capture contracts in Europe
19 September 2023Europe: 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: 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.
India: Solar power plant developer Oriana Power has received a US$4.2m order to supply a solar power plant to a cement producer in Rajasthan. The supplier says that it will build a 7MW ground-mounted array at the site of cement plant belonging to the producer. The engineering, procurement and construction will take until the end of January 2024.
Rondo Energy raises US$60m from investors
18 August 2023US: Heat Battery developer Rondo Energy has concluded a financing round with US$60m raised in investments, Renewables Now News has reported. Investors included Siam Cement Group and Titan Cement Group, as well as Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Energy Impact Partners, the Climate Innovation Fund, Rio Tinto, SABIC, Aramco Ventures, SDCL Energy Efficiency Income Trust and John Doerr. Rondo Energy’s Heat Battery is a means of connecting cement plants and other industrial facilities to a constant supply of electricity ultimately derived from renewable energy sources.
CEO John O'Donnell said “Our Strategic Investor Advisory Board will help Rondo focus on the simplest, fastest ways to power their operations with low-cost clean energy and shape our priorities for ongoing research and development.”
Peru: Grupo Gloria subsidiary Cemento Yura plans to transition its Yura cement plant from using coal to alternative fuels (AF) in its cement production. Additionally, the producer will build a 30MW solar power plant at the site. The Gestión newspaper has reported the total value of the upgrades as US$50m. Both projects are scheduled for commissioning in mid-2025.
In the 2023 financial year, which ended on 30 June 2023, Peruvian cement despatches fell by 8% to 12.6Mt.
India: Prism Cement has taken delivery of a pendulum cooler supplied by Germany-based IKN at its Prism cement plant in Maharashtra. The new equipment will replace the 6.1Mt/yr plant's existing air beam technology cooler. The supplier says that this will help to improve the efficiency of waste heat recovery (WHR) processes at the plant.