Displaying items by tag: UK

UK: Heidelberg Materials UK has launched evoBuild, a global brand for low-carbon and circular cement, ready-mixed concrete, aggregates and asphalt products, in line with its parent company's sustainability strategy. According to the company, EvoBuild products either reduce CO₂ emissions by at least 30% or incorporate at least 30% recycled content.

This launch complements evoZero, the ‘world's first carbon-captured net-zero cement’, launched by Heidelberg Materials in November 2023. All eligible products from Heidelberg Materials UK will be integrated into the evoBuild portfolio ‘over the coming years.’

UK: Cool Planet Technologies has raised €23.7m in a funding round led by Taranis Carbon Ventures, with participation from CRH Ventures and BlueScopeX. This investment will support the development of Cool Planet's ‘low-energy, low-cost’ membrane-based carbon capture technology. It will also go towards the construction of a new membrane manufacturing facility at Holcim’s Höver cement plant near Hannover, Germany, capturing 10,000t/yr of CO₂.

CEO of Cool Planet Technologies Andrew Corner said “We are delighted to have the support of these three new major industrial investors and we want to thank our existing investors for their continued support. We believe that our technology will significantly reduce the cost of carbon capture and help to accelerate its adoption at scale. This investment will enable us to demonstrate both the potential of our technology at scale and how Cool Planet will become a leading player in providing affordable solutions to help decarbonise multiple industries.”

UK: Alternative fuel manufacturer WKE has expanded its product range with new pellet sizes, including 9mm and 6mm shortcut pellets for extended burn times and reduced leftover material in cement kilns, and a 16mm pellet for the biomass sector. This development aims to address specific industry challenges and meet growing demand in both UK and international markets.

CEO Ian Jones said "Our new range of pellet sizes represent a significant step forward in our mission to provide a cleaner, greener and cost-effective alternative to fossil fuels. By tailoring our products to meet the bespoke needs of sectors like cement, we can further support these heavy energy-use industries in reducing their dependence on fossil fuels, all while cutting their energy costs and tackling the enormous amount of material that ends up in landfill."

One unusual thing about coverage of cement in the media is the way that discussions often centre precisely on its absence – that is, on alternatives to cement. These alternatives boast unique chemistries and performance characteristics, but are all produced without Portland cement clinker. They are generally called ‘alternative cements,’ perhaps because ‘cement-free cement’ does not have such a commercially viable ring to it. This contradictory tendency reached a new high in the past week, with developments in alternative cement across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. Together, they hint at a more diverse future for the ‘cement’ industry than the one we know today.

Asia

In Indonesia, Suvo Strategic Minerals has concluded tests with Makassar State University of a novel nickel-slag-based cement. Huadi Nickel-Alloy Indonesia supplied raw materials, and tests showed a seven-day compressive strength of 37.5MPa. Suvo Strategic Minerals says that a partnership with Huadi Nickel-Alloy Indonesia for commercial production is a likely next step.

Europe

Cement producer Mannok and minerals company Boliden partnered with the South Eastern Applied Materials (SEAM) research centre in Ireland to launch a project to develop supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) from shale on 7 October 2024. The project will additionally investigate CO₂-curing of cement paste backfill for use in mines. Irish state-owned global commerce agency Enterprise Ireland has contributed €700,000 in funding.

UK-based SCM developer Karbonite expects to launch trial production of its olivine-based SCM with a concrete company in 2025. The start-up launched Karbonite Group Holding BV, with offices in the Netherlands, to facilitate this new phase. Karbonite’s SCM is activated at 750 – 850°C and sequesters CO₂ in the activation process, resulting in over 56% lower CO₂ emissions than ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Managing director Rajeev Sood told Global Cement that talks are already underway for subsequent expansions into the UAE and India.

Back in the UK, contractor John Sisk & Son has received €597,000 from national innovation agency Innovate UK. John Sisk & Son is testing fellow Ireland-based company Ecocem’s <25% clinker cement technology in concrete for use in its on-going construction of the Wembley Park mixed development in London.

At the same time, Innovate UK granted a further €3.23m to other companies for concrete decarbonisation. Recipients included a calcined clay being developed by Cemcor, an SCM being developed from electric arc furnace byproducts by Cocoon, a geopolymer cement technology being developed by EFC Green Concrete Technology UK and an initiative to develop alternative cement from recycled concrete fines at the Materials Processing Institute in Middlesbrough. Also included was the Skanska Costain Strabag joint venture, which is working on the London stretch of the upcoming HS2 railway. The joint venture, along with partners including cement producer Tarmac and construction chemicals company Sika UK, will test low-kaolinite London clay as a raw material with which to produce calcined clay as a cement substitute in concrete structures in HS2’s rail tunnels.

Middle East

Talks are underway between UK-based calcined clay producer Next Generation SCM and City Cement subsidiary Nizak Mining Company over the possible launch of a joint venture in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The joint venture would build a 350,000t/yr reduced-CO₂ concrete plant, which would use alternative cement based on Next Generation SCM’s calcined clay.

North America

Texas-based SCM developer Solidia Technologies recently patented its carbonatable calcium silicate-based alternative cement, which sequesters CO₂ as it cures.

Meanwhile, C-Crete Technologies made its first commercial pour of its granite-based cement-free concrete in New York, US. C-Crete Technologies says that the product offers cost and performance parity with conventional cement, with net zero CO₂ emissions. Its raw material is globally more abundant than the limestone used as a raw material for clinker. Other abundantly available feedstocks successfully deployed within C-Crete Technologies’ repertoire include basalt and zeolite.

Across New York State, in Binghamton, KLAW Industries has succeeded in replacing 20% of concrete’s cement content with its powdered glass-based SCM, Pantheon. KLAW Industries has delivered samples to local municipalities and the New York State Department of Transportation. Its success expands the discussion of possible circular cement ingredients from the industrial sphere into post-consumer resources.

In Calgary, Canada, a novel SCM has drawn attention from one of the major cement incumbents: Germany-based Heidelberg Materials. It invested in local construction and demolition materials (CDM)-based SCM developer EnviCore on 9 October 2024. The companies plan to build a pilot plant at an existing Heidelberg Materials CDM recycling centre.

Conclusion

Alternative cement developers are still finding the words to talk about their products. They may be more than ‘supplementary’ up to the point of entirely supplanting 100% of clinker. Product webpages offer ‘hydraulic binder,’ ‘pozzolan’ and even ‘cement.’ As alternative ‘cements’ are developed, they build on the work of pioneers like Joseph Aspdin and Louis Vicat. Start-ups and their backers are now reaching commercial offerings, on a similar-but-different footing to cement itself. None of these novel materials positions itself as the sole, last-minute ‘super sub’ in the construction sector’s confrontation with climate change. Rather, they are a package of solutions which can combine into a net zero-emissions heavy building materials offering, hopefully before 2050.

Related to this is the need for ‘technology neutral’ standards, as championed this week by the Alliance for Low-Carbon Cement and Concrete (ALCCC), along with 23 other European industry associations, civil society organisations and think tanks. The term may sound new, but the concept is critical to the eventual uptake of alternative cements: standards, the ALCCC says, should be purely performance-based. They ought not attempt to define what technology, for example cement clinker, makes a suitable building material. According to the ALCCC, Europe’s building materials standards are not technology neutral, but instead ‘gatekeep’ market access, to the benefit of conventional cement and the exclusion of ‘proven and scalable low-carbon products.’

At the same time, cement itself is changing. Market research from USD Analytics showed an anticipated 5% composite annual growth rate in blended cement sales between 2024 and 2032, more than doubling throughout the period from US$253bn to US$369bn. If you can’t beat it, blend with it!

For a further discussion of alternative cement and binders in Europe, see Global Cement’s interview with ALCCC co-ordinator Joren Verschaeve in the forthcoming November issue of Global Cement Magazine on 17 October 2024.

UK: The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has endorsed the UK government's commitment to finance the country’s first carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) sites, which could help make the creation of the nation's first net zero cement plant a reality. One of the projects hoping to receive funding is Heidelberg Materials’ Padeswood Cement Works in Flintshire, part of the HyNet North West cluster of industrial sites poised to implement CCUS. The government's support for CCUS not only progresses the decarbonisation efforts of the UK concrete, cement, and lime sectors, but also reduces the pressure to import cement from overseas, protecting the UK economy by sustaining local industry and jobs.

MPA executive director for energy and climate change Diana Casey, said “It is very positive to see the Government’s commitment to two carbon capture clusters and this news provides an important signal of intent to businesses and the investor community. While we await the specific detail of the package of support, the support announced for the HyNet cluster creates an opportunity to bring forward the UK’s first cement carbon capture plant.”

UK: The government has announced a €26.3bn investment to develop carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects in northern England. The investment will subsidise three projects to capture CO₂ from various sources, including Heidelberg Materials’ Padeswood cement plant, and support infrastructure for transporting and storing CO₂ in Liverpool Bay and the North Sea. The initiative also plans to establish the UK's first large-scale hydrogen production plant. The funding, promised over the next 25 years, aims to establish two carbon capture clusters in Merseyside and Teesside. The investment is expected to create ‘thousands’ of jobs, attract €9.5bn in private investment and advance the UK's climate objectives.

Heidelberg Materials UK CEO Simon Willis said “Today’s announcement from the government to drive ahead with investment in CCS clusters is a major milestone in the decarbonisation of UK industry and sets the construction sector on the path to net zero. As part of the HyNet North West decarbonisation cluster, we are bringing forward our plans for the CCS plant at a UK cement works at Padeswood in North Wales. The government’s backing of this critical technology means that the production of zero carbon cement before the end of this decade has taken a big step forward.”

One surprise at the end of August 2024 was that Türkiye-based Çimsa has agreed to buy a majority stake in Ireland-based Mannok. The subsidiary of Sabancı Holding signed a deal to acquire just under a 95% stake in Mannok Holdings based on an enterprise value of Euro330m for 100% of the shares. The final purchase price will be determined later in the process, as will a potential completion date subject to the usual regulatory approvals.

Çimsa has described the deal as its “third major global initiative in the past three years” following expansions in the US and Spain. Çimsa started production at its 0.3Mt/yr white cement grinding plant in Houston, Texas in 2019. It is currently planning to set-up a 0.6Mt/yr grey cement grinding plant, also in Houston, with operation expected to start by the end of 2024. Its Spain-based business received a boost in mid-2021 when it purchased the Buñol white cement plant in Valencia from Cemex. Outside of Türkiye the company also operates a few terminals in Germany and Italy. Of interest to this article it established a subsidiary for sales in the UK in mid-2023.

Mannok was previously known as Quinn Group before it was rebranded in 2020. In addition to cement the company sells a range of construction products including PIR (polyisocyanurate) insulation, aircrete thermal blocks, roof tiles and precast concrete. The company is headquartered at Derrylin in Fermanagh, Northern Ireland in the UK but it operates in both Ireland and the UK. It runs a 1.4Mt/yr integrated plant at Ballyconnell, County Cavan in Ireland, just across the border from Derrylin. With the 17th Global CemFuels Conference scheduled to take place next week in Dublin, it is worth noting that this cement plant had a recent upgrade of interest to the alternative fuels sector. In 2023 the company said that it had installed the world’s first FLSmidth Fuelflex Pyrolyzer at a cement plant following an earlier pilot of the system back in 2018. It is used to replace coal with solid recovered fuels (SRF) in the pre-calcination stage of cement production. Later in 2023 Mannok said that the equipment was reducing its CO₂ emissions by 58,000t/yr.

As reported in the October 2023 issue of Global Cement Magazine, cement from the Ballyconnell plant is sold in both Ireland and the UK. In 2022, 35% of its sales were in Ireland, 30% in Northern Ireland and the remaining 35% in the rest of the UK. The company uses a storage unit at Warrenport in Northern Ireland to despatch cement to a 8400t cement storage and distribution at Rochester in Southern England.

Çimsa said that the acquisition is intended to help it to increase the share of its revenue in foreign currencies to over 70%. It is not a revelation that Çimsa might want to do this given the parlous state of the economy in Türkiye since 2018. Interest rates are high and the Turkish Lira has lost value. Çimsa raised the issues this has caused in its 2023 annual report. These include higher costs for imported goods and services such as energy, equipment and engineering services. In 2023 the company reported that 57% of its sales consisted of foreign currency-based revenue. The same year exports represented just under 40% of the company’s total revenue. Overall, Çimsa’s revenue fell slightly year-on-year in 2023, in part due to the divestment of a cement plant and other assets, but earnings rose significantly.

Buying Mannok gives Çimsa another route into the European Union (EU), via Ireland, and the UK. Crucially, this gives its first integrated grey cement production site outside of Türkiye. Both of these things are especially useful for an export-focused company facing increasing hurdles to sales in the guise of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. It also helps the business to further hedge against negative currency exchange effects back home in Türkiye. So ‘Sláinte’ to Çimsa and Mannok, and good luck.

The 17th Global CemFuels Conference & Exhibition takes place in Dublin, Ireland on 18 - 19 September 2024

UK: A new study by the Mineral Products Association (MPA), supported by Innovate UK, has found that incorporating reclaimed clays and finely ground brick powder into cement production can reportedly lower the embodied CO₂ by up to 3%. The materials are used as calcined clay in the cement production process. The project aims to offer a viable alternative to fly ash and ground granulated blast-furnace slag, as resources diminish due to the steel industry's decarbonisation efforts.

MPA director Diana Casey said "Using discarded bricks and reclaimed clays will not only lower carbon and reduce the amount of materials sent to landfill but has the potential to create a whole new market if these clays become widely used in the construction industry, helping to retain economic value in the UK, secure jobs and attract investment."

Ireland: Sabancı Holding subsidiary Çimsa Çimento has signed a share purchase agreement to acquire a 95% stake in Mannok. Reuters has reported the total enterprise value of Mannok as €330m. In determining the eventual purchase price, Çimsa Çimento says that it will make adjustments for any debt or related items. The deal marks the group’s entry into Ireland and the UK, where Mannok also distributes cement.

Mannok chair Adrian Barden said "Çimsa and the broader Sabancı group are a superb fit for Mannok as new long-term strategic owners, with excellent sustainability credentials and know-how. The group is steeped in cement manufacture and building products and, as a diverse conglomerate, it also has interests in retail and food, important sectors for our packaging business. We are very pleased that Sabancı has endorsed the Mannok brand and has agreed to back local management's plans to accelerate our sustainability and growth ambitions.”

Çimsa Çimento CEO Umut Zenar said "We believe this agreement marks the beginning of a new era for Mannok. At Çimsa, our model is to back great local businesses and management, and we look forward to creating new employment opportunities in the region as we support Mannok's continuing growth and sustainability ambitions. Given its border location, Mannok has unique access to UK and EU markets, and we see it as a key stepping stone in expanding our footprint in Western Europe. For Mannok staff, joining the Sabancı ecosystem will also present a world of opportunity for career development and progression and exposure to innovation in product development, sustainability and digitisation."

UK: Material Evolution will launch the UK's ‘largest ultra-low carbon cement plant’ in Wrexham in October 2024, reports the Construction Enquirer. The new facility will produce 150,000t/yr of a cement that emits up to 85% less embodied CO₂ than Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), according to the company. Material Evolution is the driving force behind the €9m Mevocrete project, funded by government-led Innovate UK, and utilises byproducts from the steel industry. Business co-founder Liz Gilligan said that Material Evolution aims to remove one gigatonne of carbon by 2040, while replacing OPC as the ‘go-to’ product for UK construction. The company plans to replicate and scale its production across the UK and Europe.

Chief science officer at Material Evolution and co-lead of the ‘Mevocrete’ project, David Hughes, said "Cement is a binder and what we’re looking at here is creating a net zero embodied carbon cement which is inherently more durable, which means our houses, infrastructure and transport highways would be transformed on mass industry scale, really tapping into a local and national picture of a net zero environment.”