EU: The FEhS Building Materials Institute has lauded the European Commission’s Clean Industrial Deal’s focus on increasing slag demand, such as proposed reforms to public procurement. The institute has urged rapid implementation by lawmakers and called for regulatory updates on the uptake of granulated blast furnace slag 2.0 (GBFS 2.0) and other circular raw materials in building materials production.
Australia: Permacast Future Industries, a joint venture of nickel slag-based cement developer Suvo Strategic Minerals and precast concrete producer Permacast, has signed a binding two-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) to supply its reduced-CO2 concrete to wind farm developer Wind With Purpose (WWP). WWP will explore the use of the concrete in wind turbine foundations and towers. The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper has reported that WWP’s upcoming wind farms in Western Australia require 500 turbines, each using 1000m³ of concrete.
eSwatini: Tailor-Made Risk Solutions has supplied imported slag from eMalahleni, South Africa, for use in the construction of a 2km-long road in Mpholi Township, Manzini. The silicomanganese slag is a product of ferromanganese alloy and steel production, and comes from a stockpile with reserves of 6.6Mt. Engineering News has reported that the National Cleaner Production Centre of South Africa (NCPC-SA) assisted in testing the slag as part of the selection process for the material.
NCPC-SA programme manager Victor Manavhela noted the suitability of this type for slag for other construction applications, including in precast concrete blocks, pipes and paving stones.
UltraTech Cement Kotputli plant in Rajasthan
India: UltraTech Cement has commissioned 0.6Mt/yr of new slag grinding capacity at its Karur cement grinding plant in Tamil Nadu. The expansion follows the commissioning of a 2.7Mt/yr greenfield grinding unit at the site in 2024. The plant's total capacity is now 3.3Mt/yr. The company says that the additional capacity will it meet the rising demand for composite cement in South India and improve its blended cement ratio.
