Displaying items by tag: sustainability

Finland: Betolar has signed a cooperation agreement with concrete producer Consolis Parma to develop reduced-CO₂ hollow concrete slabs. The development process will implement Betolar's Geoprime binder into Consolis Parma's concrete production. Consolis Parma is committed to halving its CO₂ emissions between 2021 and 2035.

Consolis Parma's Technology Director Juha Rämö said “The use of alternative new binder combinations and additives that ensure the efficiency of the manufacturing process are key factors in achieving our climate goals. We are actively seeking new channels to address these challenges. The cooperation with Betolar is an important new partnership for us."

Europe/India: Finland-based Betolar has secured EU-wide and Indian patents for a new waste-based alternative concrete produced without cement and capable of storing energy. Betolar said that the material, which is already patented in Finland, is especially suited for use in renewable energy infrastructure, where it can provide a storage solution for dealing with short-term peaks. Chief commercial officer Ville Voipio said that the company will now seek to establish a partnership for commercialisation of its new alternative building material.

Betolar produces and markets the Geoprime additive used to produce cement-free concrete from supplementary cementitious materials, including ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), in regions that include India and the EU.

US: Heidelberg Materials North America has inaugurated the Port Canaveral slag cement plant and terminal in Florida, following an expansion. MENAFN News has reported that the producer invested US$24m in the installation of a new roller press at the facility.

Heidelberg Materials North America said "Heidelberg Materials' investment in the Port Canaveral slag cement facility is reflective of our commitment to supporting sustainable and resilient construction projects in the state of Florida and throughout the country. It is also aligned with our goal to significantly reduce our carbon footprint by 2030 and another milestone in our overall strategy to grow our portfolio of more sustainable products, technologies and customer-focused solutions on the path to Net Zero."

Germany: Building materials research institute FEhS-Institute says that cement producers used 7.9Mt of German ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) in cement production in 2022. This corresponds to 71% of the 11.1Mt of slag produced by the domestic iron and steel industries during the year. Other applications for the slag included aggregates production (3.1Mt - 28%) and internal recycling at the refinery (500,000t - 4.5%).

Managing director Thomas Reiche said "Unlike recycled materials, iron mill slags are already high-quality and climate-friendly secondary raw materials in their 'first life.' For decades they have made an important contribution to a sustainable recycling economy in Germany. To ensure that this can continue in the future after the transformation of the steel industry, we have been researching new slags together with our partners since 2013 - for example, with the Direct Reduction Of Iron Ore Electric Furnace Slag and Save CO2 projects to develop Blast Furnace Slag 2.0."

France: Cemex France and Ecocem have signed a deal to collaborate on the development of reduced-CO₂ concrete development at 10 Cemex France ready-mix concrete batching plants. The partnership will explore methods that include the use of supplementary cementitious materials in place of clinker. Cemex hopes that the collaboration will help to realise its goal of a 55% CO₂ emissions reduction across its European operations by 2030.

Cemex Western Europe vice president materials and Cemex France president Michel Andre said “Cemex continues to reinforce its commitment to advancing the sustainability agenda with the announcement of this extended partnership with Ecocem. We know that if we are to achieve our global ambition of operating as a net-zero business by 2050 we must prioritise exploring innovation and new technologies with like-minded companies who share our dedication to leading the industry’s transition to a lower carbon and circular economy.”

UK: Contractors poured 736m³ of cement-free concrete in an 11-hour continuous pour at the Hurst substation tunnel drive shaft of the London Power Tunnels project on 11 May 2023. Construction Index News has reported that Capital Concrete supplied the concrete. It uses a formula developed by Earth Friendly Concrete to replace 100% of cement with fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) in the presence of an activator and admix solution. The supplier said that the concrete will reduce CO₂ emissions by 64% compared with ordinary Portland cement (OPC), corresponding to 111kg/m³ of concrete.

France: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies has commissioned its H2 plant, a 1000t/day clinker-free cement plant, adjacent to its existing H1 clinker-free cement plant in Bournezeau, Pays de la Loire. L'Usine Nouvelle News has reported that the new plant took 24 months to build and cost Euro22m. The main part of the plant consists of a 70m tower, where activated clay, ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and gypsum are mixed to produce the cement. It is installed with solar panels capable of supplying 50% of its energy consumption. The producer says that its clinker-free cement has over 90% lower CO2 emissions than cement produced with ordinary Portland cement (OPC). It aims to sell 24,000t of the product throughout 2023.

Finland: VTT Technical Research Centre subsidiary Carbonaide has concluded its seed funding round, having raised funds worth Euro1.8m. Lakan Betoni, which produces precast and ready-mix concrete, led the funding, along with utilities provider Vantaa Energy. Carbonaide will use the funds to build an industrial pilot plant for its carbon neutral precast concrete product at an existing precast concrete plant in Hollola. The plant will bind captured CO₂ in the product at atmospheric pressure. The process generates 50% lower CO₂ emissions than precast concrete production using ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Suitable raw materials include ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), green liquor dregs and bio-ash. In trial production, the use of GGBFS gave Carbonaide's concrete a negative carbon footprint of -60kg/m³.

Other sources of loans and in-kind contributions included Finnish state innovation fund Business Finland.

New Zealand: Holcim New Zealand says that it has received a mill for use in its upcoming Auckland cement replacement products import and distribution facility. The company opted for a Christian Pfeiffer ball mill for the project.

Holcim New Zealand says that alternative materials imported via the Auckland facility will eliminate 100,000t/yr of cement from New Zealand's 1.6Mt/yr consumption. The company expects that this will cut 78,000t/yr of CO₂ emissions.

Austria: Rail logistics company ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG) says that its haulage of 80,000t/yr of granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) and clinker to and from w&p Zement's Wietersdorf cement plant in Carinthia by rail has removed 3200 trucks/yr from the road since its start in 2019. RCG's trains deliver the plant's clinker to the Peggau-Deutschfeistritz railway station in Styria, and return to the plant laden with GBFS from steel producer Voestalpine's nearby Leoben refinery.

RCG said that w&p Zement is currently working to increase its operations' reliance on rail, adding "Further innovative transport solutions are already being worked on."