Global Cement News

India: UltraTech Cement has concluded an agreement to acquire The India Cements’ 1.1Mt/yr Parli grinding unit in Maharashtra for US$37.8m. The plant will subsequently figure in a US$60.5m growth drive by the group, aimed at adding 3Mt/yr in new cement capacity in Maharashtra. Current on-going expansions and acquisitions are set to raise the Aditya Birla subsidiary’s capacity to 198Mt/yr.

Indonesia: Siam Cement Group (SCG) subsidiary PT Semen Jawa used 24,000t of alternative raw materials in its cement production during the first quarter of 2024. These circular materials included bottom ash, fly ash and slag. This corresponds to 3% of its total raw material usage. Meanwhile, the producer co-processed 15,000t of alternative fuel (AF) during the quarter, representing a 20% AF substitution rate.

SCG Indonesia director Warit Jintanawan said that the developments "Not only enhance production efficiency, but also significantly reduces our carbon footprint. This is a testament to SCG's commitment to supporting Indonesia's climate goals, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 32%, aligned with Enhanced National Determined Contributions."

Taiwan: Taiwan Transport and Storage unveiled its first electric truck, manufactured by Volvo Trucks, at a ceremony in Taipei. The unit will transport cement for Taiwan Cement, marking the first use of electric vehicles for construction material transport in Taiwan, according to the Taipei Times.

The electric truck unit will help to reduce aggregate carbon emissions by 32%, according to TTS chairman Koo Kung-yi. "We believe that Taiwanese companies can effectively reduce Category III CO₂ emissions through the use of electric commercial vehicles," Kung-yi said.

Germany: Schenck Process has announced its rebranding to Qlar effective 13 May 2024, as part of its focus on climate-neutral and circular economy solutions. The company will maintain its expertise in weighing, feeding, conveying, milling, and grinding, whilst serving industries including cement and steel.

CEO Dr Jörg Ulrich said "With the rebranding to Qlar, we are linking ourselves to the circular economy, focusing even more on digitalisation and green transformation."

The rebrand will not affect the Schenck Process Food and Performance Materials division in the US, which remains under Coperion's ownership.

Poland: Polish cement producers are set to build carbon capture installations, supported by government policies. After a decline in production from nearly 19Mt in 2022 to about 16.5Mt in 2023, the industry is facing an increase in cheaper imports from outside the EU, particularly Ukraine, and CO₂ emission fees that account for 30% of the cost of 1t of cement, according to the Dziennik Gazeta Prawna newspaper. The EU has also introduced a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) for imports.

Despite these challenges, the Kujawy cement plant in Bielawy, owned by Holcim, is launching the large-scale implementation of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.

Holcim Polska's president, Maciej Sypek, said "The construction of carbon capture installations in our plants will cost between €320m and €400m. We received a €264m grant from the European Commission's Innovation Fund." According to Sypek, the project is currently in the design phase, with construction expected to start in 2025 and operations beginning in early 2028.

The implementation of CCS at the Kujawy plant could potentially lead to an industry-wide adoption of the technology, costing between US$3.7bn and US$4.9bn, according to the newspaper. Holcim Polska plans to liquefy the CO₂ and transport it by rail to a terminal in Gdańsk, where it will be shipped to the North Sea for underground storage. Cement producers are urging the Polish government to appoint a commissioner for CCS infrastructure and to enact legislative changes to support the construction of such installations. They also believe that rapid modernisation of the energy sector needs to occur to support the energy-intensive process of gas capture.