Displaying items by tag: concrete
Holcim launches Strategy 2025 – Accelerating Green Growth
18 November 2021Switzerland: Holcim has launched its Strategy 2025 – Accelerating Green Growth plan to become a global innovative and sustainable building solutions leader. Under the plan, the group will expand its solutions and products sales to account for 30% of consolidated sales by 2025. During the three-year period, it aims to deliver continuous group sales growth of 3 – 5% and over-proportional recurring earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBIT) growth on a like-for-like basis. It is also targeting a 10% return on invested capital (ROIC), cash conversion of 45% and leverage below 1.5x.
As part of the new strategy, the group will aim to recycle 75Mt of materials, including 10Mt of construction waste, in its products in 2022 – 2024. It aims to invest Euro476m in green capital expenditure (CAPEX) and link 40% of its financing agreements to its sustainable performance.
Chief executive officer Jan Jenisch said “We delivered what we promised with our Strategy 2022 one year in advance, setting strong foundations for our next era of growth. With our new level of performance, we have the firepower to invest in solutions and products to make it 30% of our company, while leading the way in green building solutions from ECOPact green concrete to energy-efficient roofing.” He added “With our Accelerating Green Growth strategy, we are ready to seize the opportunities ahead on our way to becoming the global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions.”
Canada, Germany, India, the UAE and the UK to support development of low-carbon cement and concrete markets
15 November 2021World: The governments of Canada, Germany, India, the UAE and the UK have signed a commitment to support the development of markets for low-carbon cement and concrete in their countries. The governments will create market incentives for purchasers, review and update product standards to allow low-carbon materials to be used in all safe settings and promote their use through their public sector tendering rules.
World Cement Association (WCA) chief executive officer Ian Riley said “I’m delighted to see that governments are heeding our call for urgent action to accelerate decarbonisation of the cement industry around the world, and we look forward to hearing more details from the UK, India, Germany, Canada and UAE on the steps they will take.” He added “This commitment marks a hugely significant shift in mindset that we hope will be followed by other countries in the months ahead. When it comes to hard-to-abate industries like cement, it is vital to work together with governments to create the conditions in which we can get to net zero and beyond, as quickly as possible. We cannot do this alone in time.”
SigmaRoc receives Environmental Product Declaration for Greenbloc cement-free concrete block
12 November 2021UK: SigmaRoc has announced the ratification of its Greenbloc cement-free concrete block’s environmental credentials with an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). The EPD is a Type III environmental declaration with ISO 14025, providing full-lifecycle information on the product’s impacts. Greenbloc, an ultra-low carbon alternative to traditional concrete blocks, is the first product of its kind.
Managing Director Michael Roddy said “With the launch of Greenbloc, we believe that we can now offer architects, contractors and housebuilders a competitive, reliable and – thanks to our EPD certification – proven low-carbon alternative to ordinary Portland cement (OPC) blocks. Making the switch from traditional blocks to Greenbloc can reduce the embodied carbon of a typical three-bedroom house by 73%, saving the equivalent of 2.7t of CO2 per dwelling. It is also worth noting that we have obtained additional third-party test results against the declaration of performance certificate.” He added “The world is changing for the better, and technology is facilitating greater accessibility to materials that can bring about meaningful change for the construction industry. The reception for Greenbloc has already exceeded all expectations, and we are incredibly excited for the potential it has to offer.”
Betolar launches partnership with Tara to encourage uptake of low-carbon concrete in India
10 November 2021India: Finland-based Betolar has launched a partnership with sustainable housing company Tara. The arrangement is intended to enhance India’s ‘green’ construction sector by encouraging the use Betolar’s pre-cast concrete products. These use waste inputs to create a low-carbon alternative to Ordinary Portland Cement. Betolar has been working with Tara since around 2019 to bring its commercial products to the local market.
Betolar's Head of Asia said, "There is a tremendous appetite for sustainable construction materials in India which we are tapped into through our work with Tara and its mission to develop alternative and sustainable models for rural development, democratizing construction from the bottom up."
India: UltraTech Cement has committed to the Global Cement and Concrete Association’s 2050 roadmap for net zero concrete. It says that in realising the commitment, it hope to contribute to building the sustainable world of tomorrow. The Roadmap also includes a sectoral commitment to cut CO2 emissions by a further 25% by 2030.
Argos commits to 29% CO2 emissions reduction by 2030 and carbon neutral concrete by 2050
27 October 2021Colombia: Cementos Argos has announced its new commitment to reduce the CO2 emissionsfrom its cement operations by 29% over a period ending in 2030. The company has additionally committed to producing all of its concrete CO2-neutrally by 2050. It said that its strategy will comprise several carbon mitigation techniques, including maximised alternative fuel (AF) substitution, clinker factor reduction, energy optimisation, clean technology upgrades and a diversification of its range of its cement range to include more sustainable products.
Chief executive officer Juan Calle said "We are determined to face this important challenge and we are convinced that we can build the future we have planned and achieve a more prosperous, inclusive and low-carbon world if we work together with determination to accelerate this transition." He added "We will continue to strive to implement tangible actions, achieve measurable progress each year and deliver information about out opportunities and progress transparently."
Lee Sleight appointed as managing director of Aggregate Industries’ Readymix Concrete division
20 October 2021UK: Aggregate Industries has appointed Lee Sleight as the managing director of its Readymix Concrete division. He has also been appointed to the company’s executive committee. He succeeds Barry Hope, who will remain on Aggregate Industries’ executive team managing strategic projects in a new role as Business Development Director. Sleight previously worked for Sika for over a decade. Most recently he held the position of Business Unit Manager with responsibility for concrete and waterproofing divisions.
Spain/Norway: A team from Cartagen Polytechnic and Ostfold University College has demonstrated that Cementos La Cruz could reduce the cost of its concrete production by Euro1.45/m3, or Euro29,000/month by curing concrete with captured CO2. EuropaPress has reported that the use of CO2 would reduce the amount of cement required by 7 – 8%. This in turn would remove an estimated 4.6% of CO2 from the concrete’s production.
Spain: The eruption of the La Cumbre Vieja volcano has destroyed a concrete plant on La Palma in the Canary Islands after engulfing it with lava. EuroNews has reported that the eruption, which begun on 19 September 2021, has displaced 6000 people on the island. The La Cumbre Vieja volcano previously erupted in 1971.
Forty cement and concrete companies commit to the Global Cement and Concrete Association’s Roadmap to Net Zero
12 October 2021World: Forty cement and concrete producers, representing 80% of concrete production outside of China in 2020, have together affirmed their commitment to the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA)’s Roadmap to Net Zero concrete decarbonisation strategy. The roadmap’s seven-point plan consists of increased cement plant efficiency, which should eliminate 22% of emissions, increased concrete production efficiency (11%), adjustments to cement and binders (9%), decarbonisation of raw materials (11%), carbon capture and storage (CCS) (36%), a transition to renewable energy (5%) and the natural recarbonation of concrete (6%).
Besides full decarbonisation by 2050, the strategy provides for a 25% reduction in the global concrete sector’s CO2 emissions by 2030 and the elimination of 4.9Bnt of CO2 emissions by 2030 alone. The GCCA called the new commitment a ‘significant acceleration’ of cement and concrete producers’ on-going decarbonisation efforts, and said that it represented ‘the biggest global commitment by any industry’ to carbon neutrality. Acknowledging the burden on cement producers, the GCCA called on downstream companies and governments to support the industry’s transition.
GCCA member China National Building Material (CNBM) CEO Cao Jianglin said “This is a landmark for industry co-operation in decarbonisation. As part of a global industry, it will need collaboration across our sector to achieve it. As one of the leading cement and concrete producers in China, we will play our part in decarbonising the industry.”