By Jason Straka Reducing net carbon dioxide emissions in finished concrete is a critical endeavor for the industry. As portland cement production accounts for a measurable percentage of global man-made CO2 emissions, stakeholders are under a microscope to change the way they finish binders and develop new approaches that are more sustainable through the entire cycle of concrete production. From…
Read MoreTitan Cement Group, Athens, has joined a venture capital funding round for Oakland, Calif.-based Rondo Energy Inc., whose heat battery technology holds prospects for decarbonizing cement production and power generation. The modular Rondo Heat Battery uses established methods to transform renewable electricity into heat at 98 percent efficiency, and has potential for high scalability at costs competitive with current energy…
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Lehigh Hanson Inc. has marked placement of the final segment of the steel stack abutting a new preheater tower at the Lehigh Cement Mitchell Plant in Indiana. Management, construction team members and local dignitaries assembled late last month for a ceremonial topping out. “We are another step closer to realizing completion of this monumental project,” said Lehigh Cement Plant Manager…
Read MoreTitan America projects a 2023 completion of a new 70,000-ton dome, plus truck and rail loadout infrastructure, at its Roanoke Cement Co. import terminal in Chesapeake, Va. With triple the present bulk storage capacity, the overhauled operation will be equipped to import and distribute fly ash, slag, and aggregates that are in demand throughout the Mid-Atlantic market. The Virginia investment…
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CarbiCrete, Montreal developer of a mix design and curing methodology capturing up to 150 kg (330 lbs.) of carbon dioxide emissions for every metric ton of concrete produced, has secured $12 million at the first close of its Series A financing round. Leader FS Investors, a private entity based in La Jolla, Calif., was joined in the round by ARC…
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Federal policy is vital to accelerate deployment of technologies that can curtail industrial sector carbon dioxide emissions, Portland Cement Association asserts in response to the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Manufacturing Office’s (AMO) “Request for Information on Industrial Decarbonization Priorities.” Absent strong support from Washington, D.C., an AMO timeline to reach carbon neutrality across industry is unrealistic due to technical,…
Read MoreSources: Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill.; CP staff
U.S. cement manufacturers have ample production capacity to meet increased demand from infrastructure revitalization efforts the Trump administration and Congress are contemplating, a PCA analysis finds. The industry is operating at roughly 79 percent of capacity, estimated at 108 million metric tons per year; coupled with terminal storage and transfer capabilities, PCA estimates, it is capable of supplying more than 150 million metric tons annually.
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U.S. portland cement production accounts for just under 2.3 percent of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) emissions in the Environmental Protection Agency Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program 2015 data, which was released last month. Modern kilns increasingly running on natural gas and other coal alternatives, coupled with limited offsetting import factors, appear to position the domestic cement industry favorably in a business often tagged as the source of about 5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions.
Read MoreSources: LafargeHolcim Ltd., Zurich; CP staff
The 10-member LafargeHolcim Executive Committee has been realigned to reflect an evolved global cement, aggregate and concrete production asset portfolio, and close an integration phase commencing with the July 2015 Lafarge Group and Holcim Ltd. merger. Representing the Western Hemisphere are region heads Pascal Casanova, North America, and Oliver Osswald, Central & South America.
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Portland Cement Association’s European counterpart adds valuable perspective to a cement production and climate change dialog, responding to critics of member companies’ European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) participation.
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