Displaying items by tag: Partnership

Switzerland/Germany: Holcim has announced the launch of a strategic partnership with inductive charging technology developer Magment to test and commercialise magnetisable concrete technology for use in roads. The technology will power and charge electric vehicles as they drive on roads fitted with Magment. Another possible application is in industrial floors, to charge robots and forklifts.

Holcim’s Global Innovation Center head Edelio Bermejo said: “At Holcim we are innovating to put concrete at the centre of our world’s transition to net-zero. With Magment, we are excited to be developing concrete solutions to accelerate electric mobility. Partnering with start-ups all over the world, we are constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation to lead the way in sustainability.”

Mexico/UK: Cemex has partnered with UK-based carbon capture equipment supplier Carbon8 Systems to evaluate possible uses of the supplier’s Accelerated Carbonation Technology (ACT) in the group’s cement production. Operators can use the equipment to produce carbon-infused sustainable materials from thermal residues. Cemex says that one possible application will be in the production of supplementary cementitious materials. Under the partnership, Carbon8 Systems will evaluate a range of Cemex’s byproducts for possible use, beginning at its Rüdersdorf cement plant in Germany and Rugby cement plant in the UK. It will also evaluate the suitability of alternative lightweight aggregates produced using ACT for sale in each market.

Executive vice president sustainability, commercial, and operations development Juan Romero said "This initiative with Carbon8 Systems is another example of the work we are doing with partners across industries, academia, and startups to tap into the latest innovation and disruptive technologies to achieve our ambition of delivering net-zero CO2 concrete globally to all of our customers."

Colombia: Cementos Argos and Saint-Gobain have launched a joint venture in the area of lightweight construction materials. The new business will supply the Colombian market with mortar and ‘a wide range’ of other products. Cementos Argos says that the venture will combine Saint-Gobain’s global mortars technology and know-how with its own strong leadership and local presence to accelerate the evolution of the construction market towards a sustainable future. It added that the undertaking aims to strengthen both parties’ leadership and regional growth. They expect to conclude the deal in early 2022.

Taiwan: Asia Cement Corporation plans to establish further offshore wind power plants under an extension of its partnership with Germany-based power company RWE. SNL Energy Finance Daily News has reported that the partners are investigating potential sites in Changhua, Hsinchu and Taichung.

China: Australia-based FCT Combustion has announced a formal alliance with air pollution control partner Enelco Environmental Technology (EET). Together the companies will target the Chinese cement, steel, glass and other markets. EET has become the exclusive China representative of FCT Combustion, with which it shares its capabilities and resources in the service of Chinese customers.

The two companies have set up a joint office in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. A workshop in Bengbu, Anhui province will support its work. FCT Combustion and EET also plan to launch local technical support, engineering and procurement teams for customers in China.

FCT Group chief executive officer Adriano Greco said “We have great respect for our growing customer base within China and believe that it is important to establish a locally based business unit so that we can deliver the best outcomes and customer experiences, providing customer service and engineering according to the local culture and language, as well as local procurement to offer the most cost-effective solution.”

World: Three cement producers - Cemex, Dalmia Cement and Holcim – are founding members of COP26’s First Movers Coalition public-private partnership. The partnership plans to use its global purchasing power to create markets for emerging CO₂ emissions reduction technologies, in order to accelerate and scale collective impact towards the global realisation of emissions reduction targets.

The coalition expects technologies currently on the market to account for 82% of CO₂ emissions reduction before 2030 and 50% before 2050, while it expects future technologies to account for 15% before 2030 and 46% before 2050.

Germany: Cemex Zement’s Rüdersdorf, Brandenburg, cement plant is to host a new 100t/day carbon capture installation. Cemex Zement will collaborate with UK-based Carbon Clean on a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study for the project. The system will combine captured CO₂ with sustainably sourced hydrogen in order to produce green synthetic hydrocarbons. The partners aim to increase the system’s CO₂ capture capacity to 300t/day by 2026, before finally scaling it up to 2000t/day.

Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia regional president Sergio Menendez said “This project with Carbon Clean is the latest development in Cemex’s plan to achieve carbon neutrality at the Rüdersdorf cement plant by 2030, through our pioneering carbon neutral alliance with expert industrial consortiums. Carbon capture will play a fundamental role in the efforts to succeed at this goal and ensure our operations are more sustainable.”

France: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies has renewed its strategic partnership with research and testing organization Scientific and Technical Centre for Building (CSTB). CSTB has provided Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies with certification for its clinker-free cements since 2017.It evaluates the products' performance, durability and safety.

The producer said "Hoffmann Green Cement's research and development strategy is to continually invest in the development of new low-carbon technologies. The signing of this partnership agreement will allow the company to benefit over time from optimised deadlines in the processing of its files for the evaluation of its current and future technologies."

UK: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has launched Concrete Action for Climate (CAC) in partnership with the World Economic Forum. The GCCA says that CAC will support industry, civil society, governments and investors to coordinate global climate actions towards 2050 net-zero targets. The initiative represents 40% of the global concrete and cement industry through the GCCA and will bring it together with external expertise and influence. It will achieve its aims by helping to help deliver and coordinate global climate action, stimulating demand for sustainable materials and ensuring appropriate financing and public policy is in place to help the sector reduce its carbon footprint, according to the association.

CAC chair Dominik von Achten said, “Concrete is vital to the development of the modern world, being used to develop key infrastructure like safe homes, bridges and hospitals, as well as supporting the transition to clean energy. Strong action to improve the sustainability of cement and concrete is already underway, but the industry needs to engage and collaborate with others to help drive collective action towards achieving carbon neutral concrete for the world. Today’s launch of the CAC platform is a great example of such collective action. It’s encouraging and exciting to see influential, global organisations from across the world come together to support the cement and concrete industry on its path to carbon neutrality.”

France: Social housing association Podeliha has awarded a cement supply partnership to Hoffman Green Cement Technologies. The subsidiary of Action Logement group operates in the Pays de la Loire region.

Managing directors Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmann said, “We are delighted with the signing of this partnership which is beneficial both for the current commercial dynamic of Hoffmann Green Cement and more generally for the development of low carbon solutions in the construction sector in the Pays de la Loire region. Podeliha is a benchmark leader in social housing in Pays de la Loire. The promotion of low carbon footprint cements without clinker among many players in the construction and ecosystem of Podeliha is a strong support for the development of Hoffmann Green in its region. This convention also proves that it is possible to reconcile social housing and high environmental performance in the construction sector.”