Displaying items by tag: Spain
Spanish cement industry targets 43% emissions drop by 2030
24 December 2020Spain: The Spanish cement association Oficemen has targeted a 43% emissions drop by 2030 across its entire value chain compared to 1990 levels. The objective has been published as part of the association’s sustainability roadmap to 2050. It is a tightening of the previous target of 27% by 2030. Oficemen intends to meet the tougher reduction by using the so-called 5C approach - clinker, cement, concrete, construction and built environment, and (re)carbonation – as detailed by Cembureau, the European Cement Association. Oficemen also revealed that it is working with the Spanish Technological Platform for CO2 (PTECO2) on identifying potential locations for storing captured CO2. Hugo Morán, Secretary of State for the Environment, participated remotely with the launch event.
Oficemen also reports that Spanish cement consumption fell by 12% year-on-year to 12.2Mt in the first 11 months of 2020. Exports declined by 5%.
Cementos La Unión loses Arabian Cement Company arbitration case against Egyptian government
15 December 2020Egypt: The US-based International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) has ruled in favour of the Egyptian government in a compensation case raised by Spain-based Cementos La Unión concerning its Arabian Cement Company (ACC) subsidiary. The El Economista newspaper has reported that the company sought US$286m in compensation, due to the Egyptian government’s decision to retroactively impose new activity and electricity licences shortly after ACC built a new integrated cement plant in Suez Governorate. Cementos La Unión argued that the additional licences breached a bilateral agreement between Spain and Egypt covering investments that were already in place.
The company said that it will continue to pursue its claim, which is also progressing in Egypt.
Cemex to merge Cemex España with New Sunward Holding
07 December 2020Spain: Mexico-based Cemex plans to merge Spain-based Cemex España with Netherlands-based New Sunward Holding. The transaction will be registered in late 2020 or early 2021 and dated retroactively to 1 December 2020.
Cementos Cosmos plans 6.2MW solar power plant
03 December 2020Spain: Cementos Cosmos has partnered with France-based EDF energy to establish a 6.2MW solar power plant in Toral de los Vados, León, at a cost of Euro4m. The Diario de León newspaper has reported that the plant intends to use 9.0GWhr/yr of energy from the new unit. This will provide 15% of the electrical power requirements at the cement plant. The 14,000-panel project is scheduled for completion in mid-2021.
Cementos Portland Valderrivas Alcalá de Guadaíra cement plant celebrates Healthy Week
23 November 2020Spain: Against a backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, staff at Cementos Portland Valderrivas’ Alcalá de Guadaíra cement plant spent the working week of 16 – 20 October engaged in workshops and attending talks as part of the plant’s second annual Healthy Week. Workshops including stretching and health-affective communication, while talks covered areas including balanced diets and quitting smoking. The company says that throughout the week staff competed to offer the Best Healthy Proposal, by developing “ideas to implement actions that reinforce safety within the plant facilities and improve the factory in the field of health.”
Isigenere installs solar power plant at HeidelbergCement quarry
17 November 2020Germany: Spain-based Isigenere has installed a 739kW floating solar power plant on a lake at HeidelbergCement’s Dettelbach quarry in Bavaria. PV Magazine has reported that the 1900-panel solar power array, Bavaria’s largest, will power HeidelbergCement’s operations at the quarry.
Cementos Portland Valderrivas donates nappies and baby food to Alcala de Guadaira social services
13 November 2020Spain: Cementos Portland Valderrivas has made a donation worth Euro3000 of nappies and baby food to the Alcala de Guadaira Social Services Centre. The Association of Children's Resources Ropero del Socorro de la Hermandad de Jesus, Cáritas and the Red Cross will be responsible for distribution.
The company said that it was “aware of the severity of the crisis that Covid-19 is generating, so decided to contact the Alcalá de Guadaíra City Council to make itself available to them and find out in which area the greatest needs were located.” It said, “As a result of this coordination, it was agreed to donate basic children's products, such as food and nappies.”
FYM helps found chair on climate change at University of Malaga
06 November 2020Spain: HeidelbergCement subsidiary FYM has partnered with the University of Malaga (UMA) to create a chair on climate change at the institution. The position aims “to create and promote the study, research and development of new solutions to the climate emergency and its consequences for nature and daily life.” The company said that this consists in: “deepening the knowledge of the causes and consequences of climate change in Malaga Province, investigating the possibilities of its mitigation, especially through circular economic processes, encouraging research, development and innovation within the different lines of action in the fight against climate change, setting and substantiating industry targets and promoting understanding of the effects of climate change and the different forms of mitigation and adaptation.”
LafargeHolcim España and Carbon Clean sign carbon capture agreement
04 November 2020Spain: LafargeHolcim España has signed an agreement with Carbon Clean, ECCO2 and gas systems specialist Sistemas de Calor for the installation of a carbon capture and storage (CCS) unit at its Carboneras integrated cement plant in Almeria. The company say that the installation will start in 2022 to capture 10% of CO2 emissions with the eventual potential to capture 0.7Mt/yr of CO2 and achieve 100% decarbonisation at the plant. The producer will supply the captured CO2 to Sistemas de Calor for use in agricultural greenhouses, reducing the soil and water intensity of crop production.
Chief executive officer (CEO) Isidoro Miranda said, “Within the framework of our Ecological Transition Strategy, we are tackling climate change through innovative initiatives that allow us to develop low-carbon products and solutions. In our journey towards carbon neutrality, these types of collaborations are key. We hope that, working with our partners Carbon Clean, ECCO2 and Sistemas de Calor, we can develop this innovative circular model with the potential to revolutionise the cement sector and agriculture.”
On 20 November 2019 LafargeHolcim España committed a budget of around Euro20m to upgrades to reduce its cement plants’ CO2 emissions by 90,000t/yr.
Cementos Portland Valderrivas’ Alcalá de Guadaíra cement plant renews European Environmental Management System registration
02 November 2020Spain: Cementos Portland Valderrivas has renewed its Alcalá de Guadaíra integrated cement plant’s registration to the European Environmental Management System (EMAS). The company says that EMAS registration “encourages transparency in plant management and provides information verified and validated by an external body” to help it to comply with controls and self-controls in its Integrated Environment Authorisation (IEA).
Environment manager Pedro Lanagrán said, “The company maintains a very demanding environmental policy and is committed to innovation to achieve continuous improvement, relying on the application of the best available technologies.” He added, “We understand social responsibility as a transversal concept and are convinced that it is essential to reconcile economic and social progress with the protection of people and nature."