UK: A steel and cement co-recycling process developed at the University of Cambridge has received US$2.9m in seed funding. Cambridge Electric Cement is utilising slag produced during the steelmaking process, which uses electric arc furnaces instead of blast furnaces, as clinker for cement. The researchers are conducting a US$8.4m trial called Cement 2 Zero to test the production process, aiming to produce 110t of recycled cement during the two-year program.
29.7Mt of slag used in European building materials in 2023
Europe: In 2023, 29.7Mt of slag entered the built environment in building materials in the EU and the UK. 20.3Mt (68%) of the slag was granulated blast furnace slag, of which 18.3Mt (90%) was ground for use in cement production, with the other 2Mt (10%) serving as aggregates. The remaining 9.4Mt of the slag was steelwork slag, of which 600,000t (6.4%) was used in cement and concrete production, with the rest used for roadbuilding.
Between 2000 and 2023, slag substituted for 752Mt of limestone, clay and sand in clinker production and for 405Mt of aggregates across the EU and UK construction sectors.
Thomas Reiche, chair of the European slag association EuroSlag and managing director of the FEhS Building Materials Institute, said "Despite the tensions on the European steel market, ferrous slags were once again able to make an important contribution to resource conservation, climate protection and the circular economy in 2023."
CalPortland Company to upgrade Stockton Terminal with new silos for slag
US: Taiheiyo Cement, through its subsidiary CalPortland Company (CPC), is set to expand its Stockton Terminal in Northern California by adding two new silos. This development aims to increase the terminal's capacity for receiving supplementary cementitious materials such as slag and fly ash. The new silos have a combined capacity of 51,900t.
Ukraine increases granulated slag exports to the EU by 53% in 2023
Ukraine/EU: Ukraine's exports of granulated slag to the EU increased by 53% to 370,000t in 2023. Kyiv-based Recycling Solutions contributed 330,000t (89%) of this total, marking a 48% increase from 2022.
Vadym Khoroshko said "We managed to attract new customers and expand the sales market, despite the fact that the European construction sector is going through a period of crisis. Europe lacks its own similar raw materials, and Ukraine can meet the demand of European manufacturers. For us, this is an opportunity to support the national economy and ensure the flow of foreign currency to the country."
