Displaying items by tag: Product

Turkey: Sormas Refrakter has agreed to sell 85% of its shares to RHI Magnesita for Euro38.8m. The Turkey-based refractory manufacturer has a production capacity of 60,000t/yr. The companies expect to conclude the deal in the first half of 2022

RHI Magnesita said "With an enlarged product portfolio, further potential exists from this opportunity to deliver full-line service solutions to customers in Turkey.”

Trinidad & Tobago: Trinidad Cement has launched production of its new reduced-CO2 cement, called ECO, at its Claxton Bay cement plant. Trinidad & Tobago Government News has reported that the company invested US$73,800 in the development of the product.

Sweden: Cementa has announced that its Stockholm cement terminal will no longer receive deliveries of its Slite brand cement and will instead begin solely stocking the company’s fly ash cement from 1 December 2021. The producer says that the transition will reduce the carbon footprint of the terminal’s products by 30,000t/yr. Slite cement will continue to be available from the nearby Köping and Oxelösund cement terminals.

US: GCC plans to fully convert production at its 0.35Mt/yr Trident Plant in Montana to Portland Limestone Cement (PLC) in early 2022. The cement producer estimates that the plant’s production change will reduce its CO₂ emissions by almost 25,000t/yr.

“We believe that our industry must continue to provide the homes, roads and infrastructure that shape our world while, simultaneously, addressing the challenge of climate change,” said Ron Henley, president of GCC’s US division. “PLC is one piece of the puzzle to reduce greenhouse gases. Concrete made with PLC is a resilient material that easily meets the needs of our customers for generations to come.” He added that GCC signed the Global Cement and Concrete Association’s (GCCA) net zero pledge earlier in 2021.

UK: Global building materials supplier Cemex UK has launched its Buildings Made Better range of renovation and refurbishment products and services. The company says that the range offers customers easy access to low carbon, energy efficient or water-conserving building solutions. It includes a wide selection of existing and new products including its Vertua low carbon concrete. The producer said that the solutions support the construction phase and the whole lifecycle of the building.

Cemex Materials West Europe quality and product technology director Steve Crompton said “The renovation of existing buildings can lead to significant energy savings for all, as buildings account for over 40% of energy consumed. More than 220m buildings in Europe, representing approximately 85% of the building stock built before 2021, will mostly still be standing in 2050, yet currently only 1% of buildings undergo energy-efficient renovation each year. The energy performance of buildings is a major area for improvement in public policies, for new build and the renovation of the existing stock. From residential housing, to public buildings and urban schemes, across the board, we’re demonstrating to our customers that by improving the built environment, we can significantly improve our natural environment too.”

He added “Concrete has a critical role to play in the transition to a low-carbon economy. We have the aspiration to deliver net zero CO₂ concrete globally by 2050, which will contribute to the development of climate-smart urban projects, sustainable buildings and climate resilient infrastructures. By bringing together a comprehensive range of sustainable products that support the important area of retrofit, we are offering our customers easy access to the right products for the job whilst keeping the environment front of mind.”

US: Lehigh Hanson has launched a new bag design for its EcoCemPLC product, a Portland Limestone Cement. Features of the refreshed packaging design for EcoCemPLC include the ‘reduced carbon footprint’ icon, featured prominently in the new bag design to emphasise EcoCemPLC’s carbon-reduction benefit. The newly designed bag will be released to retail and dealers in October 2021.

“The new bag design and transition to EcoCemPLC is about more than aesthetics - it’s about clearly communicating the proven benefits of EcoCemPLC to sustainably minded customers,” said Alex Car, president of Lehigh Hanson’s Northeast Region.

Australia: Researchers from Murdoch University in Western Australia have developed a cement-free concrete called Colliecrete. ABC News has reported that the concrete comprises of 80 – 90% fly ash. Other ingredients are bauxite residue and recycled aggregates. Developer Ramon Skane said that customers can make Colliecrete ‘anywhere, at room temperature.’

Algeria: Saoura Ciment has begun sulphate-resistant cement production at its Saoura cement plant near Béchar. The Groupe des Ciments d'Algérie (GICA) subsidiary made the move as part of efforts to diversify its production. It plans to supply the product to public works projects in the region, where its resistance to high soil salinity will prove useful. The cement will be available from all four of the plant’s commercial outlets in and around Bechér.

In August 2021, Saoura Ciment produced 180,000t of cement. It exported 25,000t to Mali, Mauritania and Niger during the month.

France: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies has launched H-Iona clinkerless cement, its first cement to be made available to retail customers in bagged form. Dow Jones Institutional News has reported that H-Iona cement production’s CO2 emissions are 150kg/t, according to the producer. It claims that this is just 17% that of ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies produces H-Iona, primarily from ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and gypsum, heat-free at its fully automated Bournezeau plant.

Co-founder Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmannsaid "By launching H-Iona, the lowest carbon cement on the European market, Hoffmann Green Cement is following its continuous innovation approach.” They added “This is the first low-carbon cement to have received CE marking. Thanks to this ground breaking technology, we are democratising access to low-carbon cement.”

US: LafargeHolcim US says that the integrated 2Mt/yr Midlothian plant in Texas will become the first cement plant in the country to fully convert to Portland Limestone Cement (PLC) production. The unit will switch to producing the company’s OneCem product, a blended cement manufactured with up to 15% of finely ground limestone. The move is intended to help LafargeHolcim US and its customers meet sustainable construction goals and lower carbon emissions.

“This is an important, but not unique, step for us. We were the first to produce OneCem, a PLC product, in one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country, and fuel our industry’s step towards a zero carbon future,” said Patrick Cleary, senior vice president of sales, LafargeHolcim US Cement.

The company is promoting OneCem as an alternative to Ordinary Portland Cement in terms of concrete workability, set time, durability and strength development. It can be incorporated into a broad spectrum of applications that will support foundational structures. The product is available in the Western and Southern regions of the US and the company plans to ‘rapidly’ expand production.