Displaying items by tag: Sustainability
India: Four UltraTech Cement cement products have received Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) certification. UltraTech Cement's ordinary Portland cement (OPC), Portland pozzolana cement (PPC), Portland slag cement (PSC) and Portland composite cement (PCC) all successfully underwent lifecycle assessment studies in line with EPD requirements.
The Aditya Birla subsidiary said that 70% of its cement sales consist of blended cement. It offers over 70 different GreenPro certified products across its range.
Betolar launches Geoprime concrete products in India
11 October 2022India: Finland-based Betolar has launched its first concrete products manufactured using Geoprime on the Indian market. Geoprime is an additive designed for use in cement-free concrete production with ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS). The new concrete product range consists of precast blocks, paving slabs and tiles, and is currently on display at World of Concrete India in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Betolar's India managing director Abhishek Bhattacharya said "We are happy to introduce our first products to our customers for the Indian markets. We have now moved from laboratory tests into the production phase, and can show concretely how well this solution works. It is great to hear the feedback from the concrete industry in the region to our sustainable solution. Decarbonisation of the concrete industry is a very current and important topic."
Seratech's carbon-neutral cement wins Obel Award 2022
10 October 2022UK: Denmark-based architecture fund Henrik Frode Obel Foundation has named Seratech as winner of its Obel Award 2022. The award recognises architectural contributions to global development. Seratech has developed an olivine-based composite cement produced using CO2 from flue emissions, which can sequester double the CO2 of ordinary Portland cement (OPC). When used as 40% of a blend with OPC, it is able to completely offset the emissions of concrete production.
Team member Barnaby Shanks said "The beauty of the idea is that you can just use it as normal concrete. There are other carbon-neutral materials, but they can be limiting because they can only be precast, cured in a lab in special conditions and shipped elsewhere. We want people to retain the freedom to use concrete the way that they are used to. We don’t want to limit people in any way because we’ll just lessen the amount of impact we can have."
Nigerian parliament orders Obajana cement plant closure
06 October 2022Nigeria: The House of Assembly of the Nigerian parliament has ordered Dangote Cement to suspend its operations at the Obajana cement plant until the company presents 'credible evidence' of its acquisition of the plant from the government. The Premium Times newspaper has reported that the state and Dangote Cement concluded a deal for transfer of ownership of the plant in 2002. Kogi State Commissioner Kingsley Fanwo says that Dangote Cement has failed to show evidence of its payment for the asset.
Local people petitioned the state for an enquiry into the plant's legal status after it allegedly created industrial pollution 'bordering on' a hazard. Protestors have reportedly 'driven out' staff from the plant.
St1 to establish synthetic methanol plant at Finnsementti's Lappeenranta cement plant
05 October 2022Finland: Energy provider St1 plans to establish a 25,000t/yr renewably powered synthetic methanol plant at Finnsementti's Lappeenranta cement plant in South Karelia. St1 hopes to develop a replicable and scalable synthetic methanol production concept at the site. When commissioned in 2026, the installation will create 20 jobs and produce synthetic methanol for use in maritime and road transport. The Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has granted Euro35.4m-worth of funding to the project.
Heliogen secures US$4.1m grant for solar-fired cement production
04 October 2022US: Heliogen is among recipients of a total US$24m in US Department of Energy funding for solar thermal power projects. The department granted it US$4.1m-worth of funding for a project in which it will calcine limestone at 950°C using the heat of the Sun. Heliogen hopes to apply the methods it is developing to prevent the direct emissions of cement production.
JSW Cement secures US$48.9m sustainability-linked loan
03 October 2022India: JSW Cement has taken a loan of US$48.9m with which to finance its planned 47% capacity growth to 25Mt/yr from 17Mt/yr. MUFG Bank India provided the loan subject to sustainability-linked criteria. Press Trust of India News has reported that the producer’s subsidiary Shiva Cement is in the process of establishing a US$183m 1.36Mt/yr clinker plant and 1Mt/yr grinding plant in Odisha’s Sundergarh District.
Indian Institute of Technology – Madras study quantifies emissions and energy savings of limestone calcined clay cement
03 October 2022India: Research by the Indian Institute of Technology – Madras (IIT Madras) has concluded that limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) production emits 40% less CO2 than ordinary Portland cement (OPC) production, and is 20% less energy intensive. United News of India has reported that the Switzerland-based Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation supported the study.
Ramco Cements commissions Kolumigundla cement plant
29 September 2022India: Ramco Cements has commissioned its new US$366m Kolumigundla cement plant in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool District. The Hindu Business Line News has reported that the plant has a clinker capacity of 2.25Mt/yr. It will be equipped with a 12.2MW waste heat recovery plant, 6MW-worth of which will be commissioned in October 2022, with the remainder to follow in 2023. A dedicated fossil fuel-fired power plant and 35km-long railway siding will follow some time in the 2024 financial year.
US: Thailand-based Siam Cement Group (SCG) has invested in Rondo Energy, developer of the Heat Battery. The cement company aims to help its various business lines to decarbonise their operations through deployment of Rondo Energy’s technology. Rondo Energy said that the partnership will support and earlier expansion of its product’s footprint across Southeast Asia and worldwide.
Rondo Energy chief executive officer John O’Donnell said “Rondo is excited to be working with SCG. Rondo’s technology opens a new pathway for SCG to achieve their deep decarbonisation goals and simultaneously reduce their operating costs. SCG’s deep capabilities in execution and quality will enable Rondo to deliver reliable energy infrastructure rapidly and at scale. Together, Rondo and SCG have the global footprint to deliver deep decarbonisation projects, including heat as a service projects in Southeast Asia and worldwide.”