Displaying items by tag: Partnership

UK: Cemex UK has launched its partnership with The Pallet LOOP, with the first load of LOOP’s reusable pallets carrying Rugby Cement products from the company’s plant in Rugby. The FSC-certified pallets are designed for multiple trips and are supported by a national collection service offering customers €2.30–€4.61 for each pallet returned. The Pallet LOOP offers €2.30 for pallets that are damaged or dirty but repairable, and €4.61 for those returned in good condition. Cemex is the first cement producer to adopt the system.

The national sales manager for bagged cement at Cemex UK, Vicki Elliott, said “The Pallet LOOP’s business model mirrors our commitment to circularity with its award-winning reuse scheme. For decades, wasted and abandoned wood pallets have posed a real challenge across the supply chain. It is great to see such a fresh and dynamic approach effectively tackling the long-standing issue of single-use pallets. We look forward to expanding the service across the full Cemex portfolio in future roll outs.”

Managing director at The Pallet LOOP Andy Williamson said "The departure of the first load of Rugby Cement products on our LOOP pallets is another major milestone for us, for Cemex and for the wider building materials sector. By rewarding customers for every pallet they return, we’re making sustainability pay - helping companies in the construction industry lower costs while also reducing waste and their carbon footprint."

Japan: Austria-based UNTHA shredding technology has appointed Sun Earth as its official partner for regional sales, system design and service of its industrial shredders in Japan. The agreement expands UNTHA’s global presence to around 40 countries. The partnership responds to rising demand for environmental technologies in Japan, particularly for waste-to-energy and recycling applications. UNTHA’s XR, ZR and RS shredder models will support the production of refuse-derived fuels and the recycling of valuable materials.

Spain: Cemex has signed a collaboration agreement with Enagás, through its subsidiary Scale Green Energy, to develop logistics solutions for the maritime transport of captured CO₂ from cement production, aiming to accelerate industrial decarbonisation. The partnership will explore options for transporting captured CO₂ via pipeline. It includes developing a full CO₂ value chain, from capture at Cemex facilities to maritime shipment in liquefied form aboard a new vessel designed by Scale Green Energy, to eventual delivery to a licensed storage site in southern Europe. Scale Green Energy plans to design a next-generation vessel with a capacity of 20,000m³ for the transport of liquefied CO₂, enabling flexible and efficient transport to multiple Mediterranean storage hubs.

Jesús Saldaña, general manager of business development and investee companies at Enagás, said “This alliance to develop comprehensive logistics for the maritime transport of captured CO₂ represents an opportunity for Enagás and Cemex to jointly lead innovation to help decarbonise the industry, boosting its competitiveness, and for Spain to play a leading role in achieving the European Commission's goal of capturing 50Mt of CO₂ by 2030.”

Benjamín Cabrera, director of cement and technology operations at Cemex Spain, added “To advance the decarbonisation of the cement industry, it is essential to develop large-scale logistics solutions that allow us to manage large volumes of CO₂ safely, efficiently, and competitively. This agreement lays the foundations for a pioneering infrastructure that will connect Cemex plants in Spain with the main storage hubs in the Mediterranean.”

Denmark: TotalEnergies, through its subsidiary TotalEnergies E&P Denmark, has signed a Farm-Down Agreement with CarbonVault, the Danish affiliate of German cement producer Schwenk, for the Bifrost carbon capture and storage (CCS) project. Under the deal, TotalEnergies will operate the project with a 45% interest, while CarbonVault will hold 35% and state-owned oil and gas company Nordsøfonden 20%. The Bifrost Project covers two offshore CO₂ storage licenses located about 200km west of the Danish coast and forms part of TotalEnergies’ broader North Sea CCS portfolio. Schwenk has identified Bifrost as its preferred solution for storing future emissions, aligning with its European decarbonisation strategy.

Arnaud Le Foll, senior vice president new business – carbon neutrality at TotalEnergies, said “We look forward to working with our new partner to ensure the successful deployment of the Bifrost Project, a cornerstone of Denmark’s national ambition to establish a European hub for CO₂ storage.”

Completion of the transaction remains subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Thailand: The Thai Cement Manufacturers Association (TCMA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the government of Saskatchewan in Canada, represented by the Ministry of Trade and Export Development, to strengthen cooperation in sustainable industrial development and decarbonisation. The agreement focuses on energy transition and advanced carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technologies, with potential pilot projects to be explored under the Saraburi Sandbox project. A joint working group will be established to drive implementation and progress will be reviewed annually.

Nopadol Ramyarupa, vice chair and acting chair of TCMA, said “This collaboration aims to accelerate the Thai cement industry’s progress toward achieving the Net Zero 2050 goal by facilitating collaboration on technological advancements on green energy transition and CCUS technologies. Furthermore, if a pilot project can be established in Saraburi Sandbox, it would be beneficial in supporting Thailand’s green economy. It could serve as a role model on industry decarbonisation and inspire the regional and beyond.”

Warren Kaeding, Minister of Trade and Export Development, Saskatchewan, said “This partnership demonstrates how Saskatchewan’s expertise in clean energy and innovation is creating global opportunities. The collaboration with TCMA provides not only an opportunity to share knowledge and experience with Thailand and ASEAN but also reinforces Canada–Thailand relations in advancing greenhouse gas reduction, a critical global agenda, alongside expanding trade and investment opportunities between our countries.”

Mauritania/Algeria: Ciment du Nord has signed a supply agreement with Algeria’s state-owned Groupe Industriel des Ciments d’Algérie (GICA). The deal marks the first direct partnership between the two companies and will set clinker export volumes to Mauritania, with pricing terms still reportedly under negotiation.

“Thanks to this agreement, we will import the raw materials needed to manufacture cement directly from Algeria. The Mauritanian market is important, and this partnership will have a positive impact,” said Mohamed Abdallah Ould Zein, CEO of Ciment du Nord. Ould Zein added that the agreement is expected to strengthen Mauritania’s cement industry by securing direct clinker supply from Algeria and reducing reliance on intermediaries.

UK: Cemex UK has announced a partnership with The Pallet LOOP to roll out reusable pallets for its Rugby Cement products from October 2025. The company said that it is the first cement manufacturer to adopt the LOOP system. The initiative forms part of Cemex’s ‘Future in Action’ strategy to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Initially, the LOOP pallets will be used for the core Rugby packed range, including Premium Cement (paper and plastic bags), High Strength and Sulphate, with expansion across the portfolio planned for later phases.

Vicki Elliott, national sales manager for bagged cement at Cemex UK, said “This is a significant step forward for the cement industry. We’ve supported The Pallet LOOP from day one, signing its charter back in 2022. Now, we’re proud to be the first in our sector to integrate this solution into our supply chain. It’s about doing the right thing, as simply as possible: reducing waste, cutting carbon and helping our customers make more sustainable choices.”

The Pallet LOOP addresses the construction sector’s reliance on single-use pallets, of which fewer than 10% are reused, generating over 250,000t/yr of wood waste, according to the company. The Pallet LOOP’s FSC-certified pallets are built for multiple trips and backed by a nationwide collection service that offers financial incentives for returns.

Norway: thyssenkrupp Polysius will supply the kiln system for SMA Mineral’s quicklime plant, designed to operate without CO₂ emissions using SaltX’s electric calcination technology. The pilot facility is scheduled for completion in 2027, and will produce 40,000t/yr of quicklime. The project has received €24m in funding from Norwegian state enterprise Enova.

thyssenkrupp Polysius CEO Christian Myland said “We are proud to contribute to this landmark project that sets a new standard for sustainable lime production. Our collaboration with SMA Mineral and SaltX Technology demonstrates how industrial partnerships can accelerate the transition to net-zero emissions. This project is a testament to our commitment to engineering solutions that drive decarbonisation.”

The partnership between SaltX Technology and thyssenkrupp Polysius follows the signing of a Letter of Intent in February 2025.

UK/Norway: UK-based marine carbon capture firm Seabound has launched an onboard carbon capture project in partnership with Hartmann Group, InterMaritime Group and Heidelberg Materials Northern Europe. The solution equips the UBC Cork, a 5700 gross tonne cement carrier, with Seabound’s calcium looping carbon capture system. This system captures up to 95% of CO₂ and 98% of sulphur emissions from the ship’s exhaust using calcium hydroxide to absorb the CO₂ and convert it into limestone that is stored onboard until returning to port. The captured carbon will be offloaded at the Port of Brevik for use at Heidelberg Materials’ Brevik cement plant, host of the first industrial-scale carbon capture facility in the cement sector.

The project is co-funded by the Eurostars partnership on Innovative SMEs, part of Horizon Europe through the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation. This funding supports collaborative research and development projects in a range of industries, including maritime transport.

CEO of Seabound Alisha Fredriksson said “We’re proud to partner with industry leaders like Heidelberg Materials and Hartmann to deliver scalable carbon capture solutions. We’re especially excited to be advancing this work in Brevik, a strategic location that’s rapidly establishing itself as a global hub for CCS with Heidelberg’s world-first facility and the Northern Lights pick up point. Together, we’re demonstrating how onboard carbon capture can accelerate emissions reductions in carbon-intensive sectors.”

Lars Erik Marcussen, Logistics project manager at Heidelberg Materials Northern Europe, said “Shipping cement is emissions-intensive, and Seabound’s system gives us a clear path to reduce those Scope 3 emissions while enhancing our circular use of captured CO₂. This project also brings us one step closer to decarbonising the logistics/transport part of our operations.”

South Korea/Algeria: The Korea Cement Association and the Algerian Cement Industry Group (GICA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to expand cooperation following a delegation visit to the country, led by vice president Lee Chang-ki and Hanil Cement Dan-yang plant head Jeon Jae-cheol. Chosun Biz news reported that Algeria ‘requested for help’ from Korea, and that the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy promoted the resumption of the Korea-Algeria economic Joint Committee meetings, which had been suspended since 2007.

Lee Chang-ki announced the ‘2050 Carbon Neutral Strategy for the Korean Cement Industry’, and the parties had the opportunity to visit Algerian cement plants and discuss future cooperation. The two parties agreed to form an operating committee to oversee implementation over the next two years.