Displaying items by tag: sustainability
Boliden announces upcoming alternative cement plant
22 March 2024Finland: Boliden says it has a developed a 95% reduced-CO2 alternative cement production process based on the use of slag. Nordic Daily News has reported that the process has received verification from ‘established players in the cement industry.’ A preliminary study is underway, wherein Boliden will establish a 250,000t/yr production plant. Additionally, the process extracts usable metal from slag.
Magsort to help decarbonise slag processing at Emirates Steel Arkan's Al Ain Cement plant
20 February 2024UAE: Emirates Steel Arkan has concluded a partnership for the deployment of Finland-based Magsort’s technology in steel slag processing at its Al Ain cement plant. ZAWYA News has reported that the partners expect the technology to help reduce the plant’s limestone and fuel consumption. This will reduce its CO2 emissions by 15%.
Emirates Steel Arkan CEO Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi said "Green solutions such as this will help decarbonise the sector's value chain."
US: The Department of Transportation has announced a US$5m initiative to investigate the use of steel slag in cement and concrete. This will take the form of a collaboration between the Department of Transportation and a selected US-based steel producer and university partner. The initiative seeks to reduce CO2 emissions in the production of building materials. Prospective participants may view the grant opportunity here.
Transport secretary Pete Buttigieg said "We're proud to make this funding available to help develop the next generation of construction materials so that the future of our transport infrastructure is more resilient, more sustainable and made in America.”
Robert Hampshire, deputy assistant secretary for research and technology and chief science officer, said “This funding initiative will develop and advance innovative materials and technologies that support the nation’s goals to decarbonise the transportation sector by 2050, strengthen resilience of the nation’s transportation infrastructure, and address adverse environmental impacts created by the transportation system.”
Heidelberg Materials and Viuda de Sainz to launch recycled aggregates plant in Güeñes
09 February 2024Spain: Heidelberg Materials and construction firm Viuda de Sainz plan to open a construction and demolition waste (CDW) recycling and slag grinding plant in Güeñes, Basque Country. The plant, called Harri Green, will be situated in Heidelberg Materials' existing Zaramillo limestone quarry. It processing capacities will be 140,000t/yr CDW and 20,000t/yr steel slag, with which it will produce aggregates. The cost of the plant is Euro2m.
Pan-United Corporation secures solar energy supply
05 February 2024Malaysia/Singapore: Pan-United Corporation has signed a new contract with renewable power provider Cleantech Solar. With the support of Keppel, Keppel Asia Infrastructure Fund and Shell Singapore, the partners will install 900 solar panels at Pan-United Corporation sites, including its Johor slag grinding plant in Malaysia. The building materials producer is executing the project as part of an existing three-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Shell Singapore for the decarbonisation in the built environment. Commissioning of Pan-United Corporation’s new solar power capacity is scheduled later in 2024.
Pan-United Corporation CEO May Ng said “We are delighted that our partnership with Shell has advanced our efforts to adopt renewable energy solutions, which are crucial in reducing our operational carbon emissions. Industry partnerships to leverage collective strengths is a sure way to decarbonisation. Solar deployment in collaboration with Cleantech Solar supports our efforts in contributing to the sustainability goals under the ‘Energy Reset’ pillar of the Singapore Green Plan 2030 and brings us closer to our sustainability target of becoming a carbon-neutral ready-mix concrete company by 2050.”
Canal Block deploys CarbiCrete cement-free concrete technology at Port Colborne concrete block plant
15 January 2024Canada: Concrete block producer Canal Block has integrated CarbiCrete’s cement-free concrete production technology at its Port Colborne plant in Ontario. CarbiCrete’s technology produces concrete from steel slag. The integration at the Port Colborne plant commands US$2.24m-worth of funding from the global innovation cluster NGen, towards a total project cost of US$5.97m.
CarbiCrete CEO Chris Stern said "We are tremendously grateful for NGen's continued support, which is helping Canada position itself as the undisputed world leader in low carbon concrete."
Canal Block president Durk Bylsma said "Canal Block has had a long history of developing sustainable products for the masonry industry. We are excited to partner with CarbiCrete to bring this truly revolutionary technology to market and further our commitment to be an ecologically and socially responsible manufacturer."
JSW Cement and Coolbrook to install RotoDynamic Heater at Vijayagar steel and slag cement plant
11 January 2024India: JSW Cement has appointed Finland-based Coolbrook to install its RotoDynamic Heater electric kiln technology at the Vijayagar steel works and slag and cement grinding plant in Karnataka. The Press Trust of India has reported that the partners expect the technology to reduce the CO2 emissions of the plant’s slag cement.
CarbiCrete secures steel slag supply from Lafarge Canada
15 December 2023Canada: Carbon-negative concrete producer CarbiCrete has signed a deal with Holcim subsidiary Lafarge Canada. Under the deal, Lafarge Canada will process steel slag at its St. Constant cement plant in Québec for use as an ingredient in CarbiCrete’s CO2-cured cement-free concrete.
CarbiCrete partner Patio Drummond produces carbon-negative concrete blocks using CarbiCrete’s technology at its Drummondville concrete block plant in Québec. The company is on a drive to double the production of CarbiCrete blocks. It first partnered with CarbiCrete during trial production of its material in 2018.
Lafarge Canada vice-president of cement Andrew Stewart said “We are committed to reducing our environmental footprint and leading the way in sustainable construction. Our partnership with CarbiCrete is a testament to our dedication to offering sustainable solutions and actively participating in the circular economy.”
CarbiCrete CEO Chris Stern said “Collaborating with Lafarge allows us to leverage long-established infrastructure and years of expertise in processing steel-related by-products. This enables us to make an immediate climate impact as we scale the deployment of our technology which reduces embodied carbon in concrete by both avoiding emissions and removing carbon through mineralisation.” Regarding the on-going scale-up of production at Patio Drummond’s Drummondville plant, Stern said “Increased production of our carbon-negative blocks brings us closer to our common goal of decarbonising production of the world’s most consumed man-made substance.”
UK: Holcim subsidiary Aggregate Industries has commenced its construction of a cement blending plant and import hub on the River Thames at the Port of Tilbury in Essex. The facility also includes units for the production of reduced-CO2 cement components, including ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and construction demolition waste (CDW)-based materials. The Tilbury site has five loading heads and will help Aggregate Industries to maintain its continuous supply of conventional, reduced-CO2 and circular cementitious materials to London and South East England.
CEO Dragan Maksimovic said “This important investment will further strengthen our position in the market, allowing us to drive our sustainability ambitions and lead the way in low carbon and circular building materials. The London and South East construction market has major regional projects on the horizon, and we are primed and ready to meet the region’s rising demand for sustainable solutions.”
Steve Curley, managing director cement, added “Our ECOPlanet range of green cement was recently added to our green offering. By investing in this impressive facility within the Port of Tilbury, we will truly boost our sustainable offering and be more agile and efficient in the way we manufacture, transport and supply our products across this region.”
Brazil/UAE: Harsco Environmental is preparing to present its AgroSilicio fertiliser product made from steel slag at the United Nation’s 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) climate summit taking place in the UAE in November and December 2023. The product has been certified for usage by the Brazilian government, and the state of Minas Gerais invited the company to present it at the event.
AgroSilicio uses recycled steel slag and repurpose it as a calcium silicate-based product that possesses the characteristics of fertiliser and soil conditioner. Harsco Environmental says that the calcium silicate properties of AgroSilicio give the product its versatility. It is being promoted to farming markets in agribusiness. The product is part of the company’s Ecoproducts range and it was introduced in parent company’s Enviri's 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance Report.
Wender Alves, LATAM Regional President at Harsco Environmental, said "Leaders in Minas Gerais State, Brazil are striving to balance industrial growth and sustainability.” He added "It was a breakthrough when we realised that slag from steel production could be transformed into quality fertiliser for the Brazilian agriculture business. We are proud that this has helped significantly reduce the carbon footprint and are honoured to present this on behalf of Minas Gerais State, Brazil, at the world's most important environmental forum."