Global Cement News

Finland: Betolar has signed a letter of intent with Australia-based RISAB and the Vanadium Recovery Project to research the use of steel slag from which vanadium has been extracted in concrete production. Dow Jones Institutional News has reported that the company says that, through it Geoprime alkali-activated additive technology, the new slag source could replace 10% of the cement used in concrete production in Finland.

CEO Matti Löppönen said "We see a huge opportunity for Betolar here. If successful, we would be able to offer our customers a specific, currently unused slag of the steel industry to replace cement in concrete. Our customers already have experience in utilising other types of slag in the production of concrete using Geoprime. Utilising new side streams will expand the reach of our solution as planned.”

Betolar launched Geoprime in September 2021. It is currently developing a recipe-optimising artificial intelligence (AI) and data platform to bring together concrete producers and suppliers of slag, ash and other materials.

World: Market Research Future has forecast a 15% composite annual growth rate (CAGR) in global green cement demand between 2018 and 2023, where green cement is defined as fly ash cement, slag cement, geopolymer cement and other cements produced using alternative raw materials. Market Research Future predicts that fly ash cement’s global growth will be the sharpest due to its abundant availability. Its report concluded that cement sector strategies in response to the growth would include mergers, joint ventures and acquisitions.

Cambodia: Conch International Holding (HK) subsidiary Conch KT Cement has completed the feasibility study for its upcoming US$250m Kampong Speu cement plant at Monorom in Horng Samnan Commune. The Phnom Penh Post newspaper has reported that the company is collaborating with stakeholders to develop a ‘masterplan’ to manage all potential impacts revealed in the feasibility study. The plant is Conch KT Cement’s second in the country, with the help of which it hopes to secure a reliable domestic cement supply for Cambodians, making use of the kingdom’s abundant raw materials.

In the first 10 months of 2021, Cambodia imported US$40m-worth of cement, down by 33% year-on-year from US$59m in 2020.

Thailand: Siam Cement Group (SCG) has secured a contract with Denmark-based COBOD to provide Thai distribution services for the company’s COBOD 3D construction printers. SCG says that it will help the supplier to launch a construction sector transformation. It says that it chose COBOD’s printer as the option with the most in-market experience.

SCG International managing director Abhijit Datta said “3D construction printers have been widely used in many parts of the world with excellent results. The technology helps reduce waste and increase construction times with foolproof simulation and minimal numbers of labourers.” He continued “Together with COBOD, we will improve Thailand’s construction market with the future expectation of extending cooperation in the ASEAN. With our regional expertise and domestic solid business alliance relationship, we are ready to assist our partner in achieving long-term success.”

France: The Scientific and Technical Center for Building (CSTB) has certified Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies’ clinkerless H-UKR alkali-activated slag cement for structural use in buildings of all types. BusinessWire News has reported that the certification confirms the product’s safety, sustainability, lifespan and performance in conformity with Eurocode 2 and Eurocode 8 design standards.

Co-founders Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmann said “In the midst of ongoing frenetic communication regarding carbon neutrality, Hoffmann Green Cement is as usual endeavouring to back its announcements with verified and evaluated elements. The granting of these evaluations further objectifies the quality of our cement, notably with the awarding of a lifespan of 100 years. In this regard, we would like to thank the CSTB’s teams for drafting this unprecedented technical appraisal and our own teams who are working tirelessly on seeking innovative decarbonised solutions to preserve tomorrow’s world.”