Displaying items by tag: Sustainability

Europe: The European Parliament voted in favour of multiple amendments to the European Commission’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) on 22 November 2023. The amendments remove, modify or make non-binding the PPWR’s 2040 reuse targets. Meanwhile, 2030 targets were made adjustable to recycling rates. Total packaging volumes are still required to drop by 5% by 2030 and by 15% by 2040 in each member state.

Sustainability lobbying organisation Environmental Coalition on Standards (ECOS) described the introduction of recycling rates into a lower schema of waste targets as ‘comparing apples with pears.’ ECOS attributed the amendments to a ‘barrage’ of false claims, scaremongering and lobbying from industry players.

ECOS programme manager Mathias Falkenberg said “This decision will not sufficiently address rising plastic and packaging waste or the pollution crisis. The European Parliament has just weakened a perfectly feasible solution to tackle throwaway culture without offering an alternative. It is very frustrating that the European Commission’s progressive prevention and reuse agenda has not received full support from the Parliament today.”

ECOS founded the Alliance for Low-Carbon Cement & Concrete (ALCCC), an association of companies focused on alternative building materials production, in May 2023.

France: Lafarge France has ignited the new kiln at its Martres-Tolosane cement plant following a Euro120m upgrade. Local press has reported that the upgrade replaced the plant’s existing kilns and preheater tower with entirely new equipment. The new kiln has tripled the plant’s capacity, to 2.1Mt/yr from 0.7Mt/yr. Meanwhile, the new preheater tower will help to reduce the plant’s electricity consumption by over 20%. As a result of the upgrade, the Martres-Tolosane plant can now support an alternative fuels (AF) substitution rate of 60%, compared to 20% beforehand. Lafarge France aims to carry out further work to reach 85% AF substitution at the plant by 2027. Other planned projects include the installation of a carbon capture system.

Lafarge France CEO François Petry said “We are going to create a research and innovation centre here dedicated to the capture of CO₂, with the ambition of ultimately making the Martres-Tolosane plant net zero carbon.”

US: Summit Materials has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with hydrogen producer PCC Hydrogen (PCCH2). The MOU establishes an alliance to develop a fuel replacement strategy for Summit Materials’ cement production. PCCH2 will build a hydrogen plant to supply green hydrogen at a cement plant belonging to Summit Materials subsidiary Continental Cement.

Continental Cement president David Loomes said "Continental Cement has a longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship, seeking out opportunities to develop innovative practices and differentiated solutions to build a better tomorrow. Our company has signed on to the Portland Cement Association (PCA)'s Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality, with a goal of achieving carbon neutrality across the value chain by 2050. By coupling PCCH2's hydrogen production process with our cement manufacturing know-how, we are taking a bold stride towards achieving that goal, while continuing the push to cost-effective decarbonisation of cement manufacturing."

Mexico: Cemex Mexico’s Puebla cement plant directly prevented 55,300t-worth of CO₂ emissions through alternative fuel (AF) substitution during the first eight months of 2023. RSS News has reported the facility recorded the highest alternative fuel (AF) substitution rate anywhere in Latin America. When factoring in its removal of landfill-associated CO₂ emissions, this gives the Puebla plant’s cement a carbon footprint of 400kg/t. Cemex is committed to reducing its specific emissions to 430kg/t of cement globally by 2030.

Nigeria: Dangote Cement plans to raise its alternative fuel (AF) substitution rate across its Nigerian operations to 25%. The Punch newspaper has reported that the producer consumed 34,800t of AF during the first half of 2023.

Obajana cement plant head of sustainability Eseosa Ighile said “We are working towards installing AF feeding systems in all our operation lines by 2024.”

India: Heidelberg Materials subsidiary Zuari Cement has commissioned a 20t/hr alternative fuel (AF) production line at its 7.1Mt/yr Yerraguntla cement plant. The line includes an UNTHA XR3000C shredder. This will support continuous operations and turn waste to AF in a single step, according to Zuari Cement.

HeidelbergCement India technical director Vimal Jain said “We are passionate about driving environmental progress throughout our business, and the use of AF is one way to do that. But this waste-to-energy feedstock comes at a cost, which is why co-processing makes so much sense. When designing this plant, we needed to ensure versatility to allow for changing market conditions, and an investment in technology that makes commercial sense and is built to last.”

Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos has secured a US$150m loan from the International Finance Corporation for an upgrade to its Salto de Pirapora cement plant in São Paulo. The producer aims to increase the alternative fuel (AF) substitution rate at the 4.8Mt/yr plant, and reduce its CO₂ emissions. It says that the loan is tied to sustainability performance indicators (SPIs), based on the reduction in the plant’s Scope 1 CO₂ emissions.

Egypt: Heidelberg Materials subsidiary Suez Cement has invested US$16m in upgrading its operations towards increased alternative fuel (AF) use since 2010. The producer uses AF in the burners and kilns of all three of its cement plants, at Helwan, Kattameya and Suez. Meanwhile, Suez Cement has invested US$60m in dust control measures over the same period. Other on-going investments include US$25m in the construction of a waste heat recovery (WHR) plant at the Helwan cement plant. The company is committed to reaching a 24% reduction in its CO₂ emissions between 2019 and 2030.

Technical director Omar Khorshid said “We are committed to pursue initiatives to broaden our range of innovative and eco-friendly building solutions, advance operational efficiency through digitalisation and strengthen customer engagement for better business results and more positive impact."

US: Holcim US has inaugurated a waste tyre processing plant at its Alpena cement plant in Michigan. The facility will process 22,000t/yr of tyres into refuse-derived fuel (RDF) for use at the cement plant. Holcim US partner Geocycle will collect, pre-process and deliver the tyres to the new facility.

Holcim US’ North regional senior vice president of manufacturing Michael Nixon said "Holcim has invested more than US$100m in eco-friendly technologies at the Alpena plant in the past 15 years. The tyre-derived fuel facility is another strong demonstration of our commitment to reducing emissions."

Canada: Lafarge Canada will receive a supply of 300t/yr of sewage sludge solids from Capital Regional District (CRD) to mix in topsoil used in rehabilitation at its former Cassidy aggregates quarry in British Columbia. The Victoria Times Colonist newspaper has reported that CRD had held a supply contract to provide sewage sludge solids to Lafarge Canada for use as alternative fuel (AF) at its Richmond cement plant. The cement plant suspended its operations for ‘most of 2022’ and throughout the first five months of 2023. British Columbian law requires sewage sludge solids to be used in beneficial applications.

The district council of CRD says that it expects the Richmond cement plant to resume receiving deliveries of its sewage sludge solids in mid-June 2023.