Displaying items by tag: Product
Holcim Philippines launches ECOPlanet slag cement
25 November 2021Philippines: Holcim Philippines has announced the launch of its ECOPlanet slag cement. It says the product has a 30% lower carbon footprint than other general purposes products. The company will sell 40kg bags of cement in both paper and plastic bags.
Holcim Philippines president and chief executive officer Horia Adrian said, “Winning with purpose requires delivering our customer promise while also caring for the planet.” He added, “We see a growing interest in building greener structures in the Philippines. ECOPlanet enables us to provide our partners with the best balance of delivering strength and durability while helping make construction more respectful of the environment. It is another key step in our promise to build greener, smarter and for all in the Philippines.”
Uganda: Security provider G4S has installed solar powered laser security systems for Hima Cement at one of its plants and several mines. The system was commissioned in March 2021 and it uses chargeable solar cells in perimeter security towers. G4S says that the system will improve sustainability and reduce costs compared to conventional alternatives. Where sensors detect a breach, security guards will investigate using electric bikes. The supplier says that the bikes facilitate more covert operations compared to motor vehicles, in addition to having sustainability benefits.
Head of technology Samuel Tebandeke said “We wanted to challenge ourselves to think of a better solution for our customer. We knew that we wanted to introduce electronic perimeter security to enhance the protection for the three mines and the cement plant we protect. Other providers were proposing laying many kilometres of cabling underground to provide power for their electronic perimeter monitoring, but our team decided to investigate a greener solution.”
Bashundhara Group launches Bir cement
17 November 2021Bangladesh: Bashundhara Group has launched its new Bir brand cement. The promotion coincides with the 50th anniversary of Victory Day at the end of the Bangladesh Liberation War. The product joins Bashundhara Group's range, which includes King Brand cement and Bashundhara cement. The company says that its cements are currently in use in 25 major projects across the country.
Managing director Sayem Sobhan Anvir said “Bashundhara Group has always been involved in the development of Bangladesh and we’ll continue to do so in the future.” He added, “Bir Cement is the new addition of Bashundhara Group. This new brand cement will be used in building sustainable infrastructure in our country and for the future of Bangladesh.”
SigmaRoc receives Environmental Product Declaration for Greenbloc cement-free concrete block
12 November 2021UK: SigmaRoc has announced the ratification of its Greenbloc cement-free concrete block’s environmental credentials with an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). The EPD is a Type III environmental declaration with ISO 14025, providing full-lifecycle information on the product’s impacts. Greenbloc, an ultra-low carbon alternative to traditional concrete blocks, is the first product of its kind.
Managing Director Michael Roddy said “With the launch of Greenbloc, we believe that we can now offer architects, contractors and housebuilders a competitive, reliable and – thanks to our EPD certification – proven low-carbon alternative to ordinary Portland cement (OPC) blocks. Making the switch from traditional blocks to Greenbloc can reduce the embodied carbon of a typical three-bedroom house by 73%, saving the equivalent of 2.7t of CO2 per dwelling. It is also worth noting that we have obtained additional third-party test results against the declaration of performance certificate.” He added “The world is changing for the better, and technology is facilitating greater accessibility to materials that can bring about meaningful change for the construction industry. The reception for Greenbloc has already exceeded all expectations, and we are incredibly excited for the potential it has to offer.”
Titan America’s Pennsuco plant to achieve 100% Portland limestone cement production as early as 2023
12 November 2021US: Titan America says that 100% of its Pennsuco cement plant in Medley, Florida’s, cement production will be lower-carbon Portland limestone cement (PLC) by ‘as early as 2023.’ The cement, called Type IL, has 15% reduced CO2 emissions compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC), according to the company.
Mid-Atlantic regional president Kevin Baird said “We are serving large customers in E-Commerce, cloud services and infrastructure. These customers are committed to sustainable development and are demanding solutions for green construction. Low carbon cement, such as our Type IL, is one of the ways we are meeting the needs of our customers for these projects.”
Holcim increases nine-month sales, earnings and profit in 2021
29 October 2021Switzerland: Holcim’s consolidated sales rose by 16% year-on-year to Euro18.7bn in the first nine months of 2021 from Euro16.1bn in the first nine months of 2020. The company’s recurring earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) rose by 33% to Euro3.3bn from Euro2.48bn. Its operating profit rose by 38% to Euro3.11bn from Euro2.26bn.
The group increased its cement sales by 7.8% to 150Mt from 139Mt. Volumes in Asia Pacific were 51.7Mt, up by 17% from 44.2Mt; volumes in Europe were 35Mt, up by 4.1% from 33.7Mt; volumes in Middle East Africa were 27.2Mt, up by 11% from 24.5Mt; volumes in Latin America were 20.5Mt, up by 18% from 17.3Mt and volumes in North America were 15.1Mt, up by 1.5% from 14.9Mt.
CEO Jan Jenisch said “I’m pleased that we have achieved a record quarter of profitable growth once again. I congratulate my teams for their exceptional resilience as they continue to successfully navigate the challenges posed by the pandemic in a dynamic business environment. On the back of their performance we have revised our recurring EBIT growth guidance from 18% to at least 22% on a like-for-like basis.” He continued “Most importantly, our colleagues have kept their focus on our key long-term value creation drivers to become the global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions. We are picking up momentum in our strategic portfolio transformation, with the divestment of our business in Brazil, the announcement of nine bolt-on acquisitions so far this year and the expansion of our Firestone GacoFlex range from Mexico to Colombia and Ecuador.”
LafargeHolcim Bangladesh launches Holcim Shokti cement
28 October 2021Bangladesh: LafargeHolcim Bangladesh has launched a new early strength rapid set cement known as Holcim Shokti. The company said that the product is the first on the Bangladeshi market to use rapid set technology to enhance its early strength by 50% within 48 hours, reduce its setting time by 15 – 25% and optimise water requirements. The producer estimates that project costs will fall by US$16.4/t of Holcim Shokti cement used compared to those of projects using ordinary Portland cement (OPC).
Holcim Shokti cement is available across Bangladesh in bagged form.
RHI Magnesita to become majority shareholder in Sormas Refrakter
22 October 2021Turkey: 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 Cement launches ECO reduced-CO2 cement production
19 October 2021Trinidad & 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.