Displaying items by tag: Slag

UK: UK-based startup Cocoon has raised €4.9m in pre-seed funding to develop technology that repurposes byproducts from electrified steel furnaces into a ‘near-identical replacement’ for blast furnace slag, according to the company. The modular technology integrates into existing steel-making processes without disrupting operations or requiring high capital expenditure, reports UK Tech News. Cocoon targets a 50% replacement of cement in concrete, aiming to reduce emissions for producers. Initial tests are underway at a steel plant in northern England, followed by another in the US.

Cocoon CEO Eliot Brooks said "We’re turning a byproduct with little use into a valuable product that the market badly needs and can be easily integrated into existing supply chains. By repairing a broken link in the circular economy, Cocoon provides steel makers with a new revenue stream while meeting the low-carbon material needs of the concrete industry. For every 1t of Cocoon’s slag-based cementitious material used, 1t of CO₂ can be avoided."

Brooks hopes Cocoon's climate technology will be integrated into a pilot plant by late 2025.

Australia: The new Geelong grinding plant, situated near Lascelles Wharf in Victoria, has commenced operations. It has the capacity to grind 1.3Mt/yr of granulated blast furnace slag and clinker. It will utilise slag to reduce landfill waste and substitute cement in concrete products. According to Boral’s post on LinkedIn, the plant will provide direct and indirect job opportunities to help boost the Geelong economy.

UK: A steel and cement co-recycling process developed at the University of Cambridge has received US$2.9m in seed funding. Cambridge Electric Cement is utilising slag produced during the steelmaking process, which uses electric arc furnaces instead of blast furnaces, as clinker for cement. The researchers are conducting a US$8.4m trial called Cement 2 Zero to test the production process, aiming to produce 110t of recycled cement during the two-year program.

US: Heidelberg Materials has successfully converted its cement plant in Speed, Indiana, into a slag grinding facility. The facility ceased Portland cement production in 2023 following the opening of a new plant in Mitchell, Indiana, and now produces slag cement using domestically sourced slag granules. The Speed site has a grinding capacity of over 400,000t/yr and also functions as a distribution hub for the Mitchell plant's cement and other products.

Philippines: A new 7-hectare port and industrial complex, valued at over US$51m, is under construction in Lemery, Batangas. The complex includes the Sinisian Lemery Batangas port and industrial park, Lemery cement silo tank and Lemery oil terminal, with each component costing around US$17m.

The port will support Panamax-sized vessels with a draft depth of 15m, while the cement silo will hold 60,000t of bulk cement and slag. The project is expected to generate at least 200 jobs and help meet the country's fuel security needs amidst ongoing global supply chain disruptions.

Indonesia: Siam Cement Group (SCG) subsidiary PT Semen Jawa used 24,000t of alternative raw materials in its cement production during the first quarter of 2024. These circular materials included bottom ash, fly ash and slag. This corresponds to 3% of its total raw material usage. Meanwhile, the producer co-processed 15,000t of alternative fuel (AF) during the quarter, representing a 20% AF substitution rate.

SCG Indonesia director Warit Jintanawan said that the developments "Not only enhance production efficiency, but also significantly reduces our carbon footprint. This is a testament to SCG's commitment to supporting Indonesia's climate goals, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 32%, aligned with Enhanced National Determined Contributions."

China: A new study from Hong Kong Polytechnic University showcases sustainable cement production methods, focusing on low-clinker cements and alternative solutions for incinerator fly ash (IFA). The research demonstrates that using carbonated-washed IFA mixed with slag, coal fly ash, or metakaolin can replace 60% of Portland cement, forming ternary blended cement. This approach reportedly reduces the carbon footprint of cement production.

The study found that slag was the most effective, improving pore structure and increasing ettringite and hemicarboaluminate formation with a blend of 40% slag and 20% IFA. It achieved 90% of the compressive strength of pure Portland cement after 90 days.

The researchers said "This study demonstrated the promising potential of the blended cements to simultaneously divert IFA from landfills and reduce the clinker content of cement."

Finland: Boliden says it has a developed a 95% reduced-CO₂ alternative cement production process based on the use of slag. Nordic Daily News has reported that the process has received verification from ‘established players in the cement industry.’ A preliminary study is underway, wherein Boliden will establish a 250,000t/yr production plant. Additionally, the process extracts usable metal from slag.

UAE: Emirates Steel Arkan has concluded a partnership for the deployment of Finland-based Magsort’s technology in steel slag processing at its Al Ain cement plant. ZAWYA News has reported that the partners expect the technology to help reduce the plant’s limestone and fuel consumption. This will reduce its CO₂ emissions by 15%.

Emirates Steel Arkan CEO Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi said "Green solutions such as this will help decarbonise the sector's value chain."

Kyrgyzstan: The state-owned Bishkek heat and power plant has secured a US$437,000 contract to supply its waste ash and slag to two cement plants in Kemin, Chüy Region. The cement producers party to the contract will be responsible for extraction and transport, commencing in August 2024.

The Bishkek heat and power plant has previously invested US$280,000 in clearing its waste dump. The government says that it has also received interest from a China-based autoclave aerated concrete blocks producer in its waste.