Displaying items by tag: Europe

Greece: Titan Cement International, the parent company of Titan Group, has changed its legal name to Titan, following shareholder approval. The ticker symbol TITC remains unchanged on Euronext and the Athens Exchange. The company said that the simplified name reflects a ‘unified, forward-looking identity’ aligned with the group’s global presence, purpose and strategic priorities. The company has also adopted a new domain, www.titanmaterials.com.

Chair of the group executive committee Marcel Cobuz said “Our evolution into a truly diversified building and infrastructure materials company and our ongoing commitment to sustainability and innovation are embodied in this identity update. The new name and web domain presence better communicate our capabilities and ambition, as we shape the future of building materials everywhere we operate.”

Greece: Titan Group has been named by Time Magazine as one of the most sustainable companies in the world, rising 158 positions to 150th in the annual list of 500 companies. Titan Group said that it is the highest-ranked building materials company and one of only a handful on the list. Time Magazine and data firm Statista assessed companies based on external ratings, commitments and various environmental and social Key performance indicators (KPIs) disclosed in externally-assured reports.

Leonidas Canellopoulos, Chief Innovation and Sustainability Officer at Titan Group, said "Being named one of the world’s most sustainable companies by Time for the second year in a row is a powerful endorsement of our growth strategy in action. Sustainability is woven into every decision we make – from bold innovation in new products and decarbonised processes to transparent execution.”

Italy: France-headquartered nuclear reactor developer Newcleo has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Federbeton, the Italian cement association, to explore the company's technologies and potential synergies with the cement industry.

Newcleo says the lead-cooled advanced modular reactors (AMRs) that it is developing will offer carbon-free energy and could play a strategic role in helping heavy industries to achieve carbon neutrality. Through the MoU, Newcleo and Federbeton will also explore opportunities for research and development in the field of high-performance construction materials, designed to meet the requirements of next-generation nuclear technologies.

"The agreement between Newcleo and Federbeton confirms the construction materials industry's strong commitment to achieving climate neutrality," the partners said in a joint statement. "This collaboration addresses the dual challenge of decarbonisation and energy efficiency."
The agreement with Federbeton follows other partnerships that Newcleo has signed with key players in hard-to-abate sectors, including Danieli (for green steel production), Maire (for green chemical plants), Fincantieri (for naval propulsion), and Saipem (for offshore nuclear platforms).

France: 80 FNSCBA-CGT (National Federation of Construction, Wood and Furniture Workers) members protested outside CRH subsidiary Eqiom’s Lumbres cement plant in northern France to denounce the ‘outrageous’ working and living conditions of Chinese workers employed there, according to construction union BWI.

Eqiom signed a contract with China-based firm CBMI, which employed 250 Chinese workers to upgrade the plant by building a low-carbon kiln to reduce CO₂ emissions and energy consumption, which reportedly cost more than €200m. However, there are claims that the workers live in a campsite near the cement plant, sleeping in ‘overcrowded’ tents and working 12 hours a day, six days a week. The protesters have called for the full enforcement of French labour legislation and transparency regarding the Chinese workers’ wages and working conditions.

FNSCBA-CGT general secretary Mathieu Dougoud said “We cannot remain silent on the exploitation of foreign workers. It is important to stand up to defend these workers, their jobs and our national collective agreements. We only urge Eqiom to provide the documents certifying that these Chinese workers are indeed under the aegis of the French labour code.”

In a statement sent to Global Cement Eqiom said "The K6 project is carried out in strict compliance with all applicable French legislation, including labour law, and in line with the values of our company. The latest checks carried out by the competent authorities attest that the project is in full compliance with French law."

China: NovaAlgoma Cement Carriers (NACC) has placed another order for a HeatPower 300 waste heat recovery system from Climeon on a second cement carrier, to be built at Zhejiang Xinle Shipbuilding Co. and delivered in 2027.

The 38,000t vessel will run exclusively on green methanol and is expected to cut CO₂ emissions by over 60% compared to conventional vessels, reportedly avoiding around 180,000t of CO₂ emissions over 10 years. The HeatPower 300 will generate up to 300kW of carbon-free electricity from engine cooling water and exhaust gases.

EU: The European Commission intends to withdraw a proposal aimed at combating so-called ‘greenwashing’, by ensuring companies’ environmental claims are accurate, substantiated and independently verified, according to MSN News. The proposal was initially presented in March 2023, as part of the broader European Green Deal legislative framework and was expected to go ahead in a matter of days, after reported ‘successful talks.’

Poland’s EU Council presidency said it is “ready to enter constructively into the trilogue and go ahead as planned until there is a clear decision from the Commission.”

A Parliament negotiator said “It is unacceptable that the Commission blatantly interferes with the progress made by co-legislators on this file.”

The Commission has not confirmed whether its College of Commissioners has formally decided to withdraw the proposal. Beyond the immediate legislative impact, the move raises broader questions about the Commission's authority to retract its own proposals. A 2015 Court of Justice ruling allows proposal withdrawals under strict conditions, such as in the case of institutional deadlock or the proposal becoming obsolete. Neither case appears to apply to the Green Claims Directive.

UK: Heidelberg Materials UK has opened a railway line connecting its Horton limestone quarry in North Yorkshire to the rail network. The move reinstates the movement of materials by rail, following a transition to road transport upon the original closure of the railway line in 1965. Heidelberg Materials UK expects to supply 1650t/yr of stone for use as aggregates in the construction industry in North West England.

US: Holcim completed its 100% spin-off of its North American business Amrize through a dividend-in-kind distribution of one Amrize share per Holcim share owned as of 20 June 2025. The move creates two independent, publicly traded companies, each with its own management and operational focus, according to the company.

Holcim CEO Miljan Gutovic said “This is an exciting moment for Holcim and Amrize as we begin a new chapter as independent companies. I thank all employees for contributing to the many remarkable achievements of Holcim including the exceptional execution of the spin-off. We wish Amrize success in the future under the leadership of its chair and CEO Jan Jenisch.”

Shares of Amrize began trading today [23 June 2025] on the SIX Swiss Exchange and New York Stock Exchange under the ticker ‘AMRZ.’

Sweden: Cemvision has developed a patent-pending beneficiation process to upcycle electric arc furnace (EAF) and basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slags into high-performance supplementary cementitious material (SCM), while recovering valuable metals.

Third-party testing found the material performs as well as or better than ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS). Cemvision recovers 99% of the iron oxide content from EAF slag for reuse in steelmaking, as well as other metals like chromium.

The output will support Cemvision’s Re-Ment Massive and Rapid products as clinker-replacing SCMs. The process was piloted with metallurgical research institute Swerim.

Cemvision CEO Oscar Hållén said “This is a game-changer not only for the cement industry but for steel producers as well. Our process enables high-performing cement products from materials that would otherwise be treated as waste. With this innovation, we're proving that decarbonisation and circularity can go hand in hand, and at scale.”

Denmark: FLSmidth has agreed to sell its cement equipment manufacturing division FLSmidth Cement to Pacific Avenue Capital Partners (‘Pacific Avenue’). No value for the sale has been disclosed. FLSmidth says that Pacific Avenue has ‘deep experience executing industrial carve-outs and shepherding them to the next stages of their growth journeys.’ It added that it was confident that the partnership would usher in a strong future for FLSmidth Cement, its customers, employees, and other stakeholders. This is Pacific Avenue’s initial foray into the cement industry.

FLSmidth’s Cement and Mining businesses have been together for many years. The company says that, for much of that time, there were distinct advantages to having one company serving both industries. However, in recent years, the two industries have diverged. The sale includes all related employees, assets, intellectual property and technology. Certain legacy contracts and the Air Pollution Control (APC) asset will be retained by FLSmidth.

The acquisition is expected to close in the second half of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval from the relevant authorities. The business will continue to execute its current strategy with the same services and support offered to its customers. The company says that FLSmidth Cement will become a stand-alone entity with more resources and capital available.

Jason Leach, Partner at Pacific Avenue Capital Partners, said “We are excited to acquire FLSmidth Cement, a global leader providing mission critical equipment and aftermarket solutions in the cement sector. The business has a rich history and strong brands, including Fuller, Pfister and Ventomatic. We believe that cement will continue to play a crucial role in global economic development, and that FLSmidth Cement’s product innovation will play an important role in the decarbonisation of the industry.”