Displaying items by tag: Spain
Update on synthetic fuels, June 2023
28 June 2023Cemex highlighted its Clyngas project at its Alicante cement plant in Spain this week. The project will produce synthesis gas (syngas) from different types of waste for direct injection into the burner at the plant during the combustion process. It is being run in conjunction with Waste to Energy Advanced Solutions (WTEnergy), a company that Cemex invested in at the end of 2022. It is also receiving Euro4.4m in funding from the European Commission (EC) as part of its innovation fund for small scale projects. The initiative estimates that it will save over 400,000t of equivalent CO2 during the first 10 years of the project's life by replacing petroleum coke with syngas.
Clyngas is another example of Cemex’s innovation with alternative fuels for cement and lime. It follows on from the group’s work with hydrogen injection into cement kilns. As presented at the 15th Global CemFuels Conference 2022 it has been using hydrogen in low volumes as a combustion enhancer in more than 20 plants worldwide. However, it was also looking into using hydrogen more directly as a fuel and as a feedstock for other alternative fuels. WTEnergy’s gasification process could potentially link up to this as it converts waste streams such as wood chips, agricultural waste, refuse derived fuel (RDF), solid recovered fuel (SRF), dry sewage sludge, meat and bone meal, poultry litter and plastics into syngas. WTEnergy then proposes that its gasification process and/or the syngas can be used for power generation and thermal applications. In the case of the Clyngas project it will be the latter, as the gasification process will be used to boost the burnability characteristics of RDF with a high biomass content. One part of this to note is that the syngas can potentially be used to manufacture hydrogen. This would be a useful capability for a cement company, for example, that was already using alternative fuels and was now considering further decarbonisation by switching to using hydrogen.
A few other cement companies have been looking at synthetic fuels too, but this has generally been as a by-product of carbon capture and utilisation. This week Lafarge France, for example, said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Axens, EDF and IFP Energies Nouvelles for a synthetic fuel production trial. Its plan is to build a unit that will produce synthetic kerosene using captured CO2 from a carbon capture installation at Lafarge France's Saint-Pierre-La-Cour cement plant. The kerosene will then be sold to airlines. Other examples of cement companies looking at using captured CO2 to manufacture synthetic fuels include Finnsementti’s pre-engineering study with Aker Carbon Capture to consider producing methanol as a fuel for transport, Holcim’s and TotalEnergies’ various plans of what to do with the CO2 captured from the-to-be upgraded Obourg cement plant and Cemex Deutschland’s ambitions for its Rüdersdorf plant.
As can be seen above there are different types of synthetic fuels and cement companies are at the research and pilot stages. Although there isn’t a commonly accepted definition of what a synthetic fuel is, the general meaning is that of a fuel made from feedstock using a chemical reaction as opposed to, say, a refining process. The wide variety of potential synthetic fuels puts the confusion over the different types of hydrogen into perspective. However, this may be a problem for a later date if usage by cement companies becomes more serious.
What is a problem, though, has been the EC’s planned legislation to phase out the use of industrial CO2 in synthetic fuels by 2041. Cembureau, the European cement industry association, warned in late 2022 of the issues this would pose for industries trying to find a way to utilise their CO2 emissions where storage was too difficult or expensive. Its view was that while synthetic fuels using industrial CO2 are not fully net-zero, as the captured CO2 is later released into the atmosphere, it is a necessary short to medium term step for sectors trying to make the transition. Companies trying to build industrial-scale chemical plants for synthetic fuels need running periods of 20 to 30 years to achieve payback. As of March 2023 Cembureau was still concerned about the implication of proposed regulations, specifically with regards to the proposed criteria for which synthetic fuels could be used, based on their greenhouse gas emissions savings (at least 70% compared to the regular fuels being replaced). It directly linked this to synthetic fuels projects being launched by the cement sector that might be adversely affected by the new rules. The EC published the legislation in late June 2023 and it is set to become legal in mid-July 2023.
Using synthetic fuels either as a fuel or a by-product from cement production is an area of interest currently with the projects detailed above and others in progress. One vision for their use in Europe, at least, is that they might offer a route for carbon capture for cement plants without access to the logistic networks necessary for sequestration. Whether they find a place in cement manufacture either on a transitional basis or over a longer term should become clearer over the coming decade. Yet the EC’s new rules are likely to slow this process down as at least some of the planned pilots may become unviable in Europe. Other jurisdictions around the world take note.
Spain: Cemex España has secured Euro4.4m in EU funding for an upgrade to its Alicante cement plant in Valencia. The project will launch the use of Clyngas synthetic gas as alternative fuel (AF) at the plant. Thermochemical conversion specialist WtEnergy, a subsidiary of Cemex Ventures, will supply the syngas. The partners say that this upgrade will reduce CO2 emissions by 400,000t per decade.
Parent company Cemex said "This project is part of Cemex’s Future in Action programme, which seeks to achieve sustainable excellence through climate action, circularity and natural resource management, with the primary objective of becoming a net-zero CO2 company."
Spain: Cemex España and ecology company Cinclus have extended their quarry rehabilitation partnership to a national level. Under the extended collaboration, the partners will implement restoration plans for all of Cemex España’s quarries, in line with the cement producer’s Biodiversity Action Plans.
Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos recorded consolidated sales of US$1.18bn during the first quarter of 2023, corresponding to year-on-year growth of 18%. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) also rose, by 85% to US$158m. Cement sales volumes fell in Brazil and Bolivia, but rose in Spain. The producer noted 'pressure' from high raw materials, freight and fuel costs in Brazil.
CEO Osvaldo Ayres Filho said "Price management implemented globally to face cost inflation contributed to the positive results in the quarter, despite the still volatile and uncertain scenario in the global economy. The company remains firm and aligned with its strategic plan, financially solid and prepared for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead."
Spain: Cementos Molins' consolidated sales were Euro342m during the first quarter of 2023. This corresponds to a rise of 25% year-on-year from first-quarter 2022 levels. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 47% to Euro86m, while its profit rose by 70% to Euro37m.
At the end of the period, Cementos Molins had financing lines amounting to Euro642m, 61% with maturity after 2026. It reduced its net debt by 43% year-on-year and by 26% quarter-on-quarter.
Spain: Heidelberg Materials’ subsidiaries HeidelbergCement Hispania, Cementos Rezola and Hanson have rebranded as Heidelberg Materials. HeidelbergCement Hispania used the Hanson brand for the production and sale of concrete and aggregates. Cementos Rezola (also known as FYM) was used for the manufacture and sale of cement. The marketing exercise follows the change in name of parent company Germany-based Heildelberg Cement to Heidelberg Materials in September 2022.
Heidelberg Materials in Spain operates two integrated cement plants, six quarries and four ready-mixed concrete plants.
Slight improvement in Catalonian cement consumption
26 April 2023Spain: Cement consumption grew by 4% in Catalonia in the first quarter of 2023 to reach almost 600,000t. This slight improvement after the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic reflects continued pessimism in the autonomous region’s construction sector. This has been accentuated in recent months by the stoppage of real estate developments due to the uncertainty that inflation causes in costs and the increase in the price of money, which has slowed down the granting of mortgages.
While an 8.3% year-on-year improvement in sales was seen in March 2023, a large portion of this this improvement is due to artificially low consumption in March 2022 when there was a cement trucker strike.
Spain: Cement consumption grew by 7% year-on-year to 3.69Mt in the first quarter of 2023 from 3.46Mt in the same period in 2022. The Spanish cement association Oficemen noted that March 2023 had been a strong month for growth, especially due to a transport strike in March 2022, and that elections may have also helped due to a subsequent boost in infrastructure spending. Despite this, exports fell by 6% to 1.34Mt from 1.43Mt.
CICSA Group to acquire CADERSA
05 April 2023Spain: Italy-based CICSA Group has concluded a deal to acquire chains supplier CADERSA. CADERSA serves the Iberian and Central and South American markets, including the cement industry. CICSA Group said that the acquisition will 'complete' its range of chain solutions for bulk materials handling applications. It noted CADERSA's 'deep' expertise, ranging from round steel link chains to pin and bush chains.
The group said "Through this operation, we leverage clear synergies and great product complementarity, while accessing new markets and new industries."
Votorantim Cimentos España launches biodiversity management plan at Alconera cement plant
04 April 2023Spain: Votorantim Cimentos España’s has begun its implementation of a biodiversity management plan at its Alconera, Extremadura, cement plant in collaboration with sustainability charity Fundación Tormes-EB, local press has reported. The plan will analyse existing and potential habitats across square areas of the entire site of the 1.6Mt/yr plant. Votorantim Cimentos España and Fundación Tormes-EB have previously collaborated on biodiversity projects at two other sites in neighbouring Andalusia since 2017.
Votorantim Cimentos España’s director of sustainability Mario Pinto said "We consider it strategic to implement biodiversity management plans in our facilities because it means guaranteeing the conservation, improvement and enhancement of the natural wealth of industrial land, and confirms the compatibility of cement production with the protection of the natural environment and local ecosystems.”
The subsidiary of Brazil-based Votorantim Cimentos gained control of the Alconera cement plant upon its acquisition of Cementos Balboa in late 2021.