Sources: National Cement Company of Alabama, Birmingham; CP staff Executives of National Cement of Alabama and Paris-based parent Vicat Group staged a July 21 dedication of a new production line at their Ragland, Ala. plant. A Kiln 2 ribbon cutting capped a two-year, $300 million project that brings annual Ragland capacity to 2 million tons and assures a sharp reduction…
Read MoreTag: CO2 emissions
Multinational cement producers back carbon management start ups
An unprecedented research, development and commercialization project under the Global Cement and Concrete Association, London, aligns multinational producers and proprietors of technologies aimed at streamlining or capturing and utilizing carbon dioxide emissions from cement plants or other major industrial sources. The project teams permutations of major European, Latin American and Asian cement producers behind six start-ups selected for GCCA’s inaugural…
Read MoreHolcim backs CO2 mineralizing technology specialist Blue Planet
Sources: Holcim US, Chicago; CP staff Holcim North America has taken a financial position in Blue Planet Systems Corp. of Los Gatos, Calif., joining three other marquee investors that have announced stakes in the carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) technology developer since 2020: Knife River Corp., Mitsubishi Corp. and Chevron. Their capital supports commercialization of a process that mineralizes…
Read MoreReport spells code-geared carbon benchmarks
The most recent New Buildings Institute (NBI) report presents language to incorporate embodied carbon requirements in codes, and explains the need for jurisdictions to address such criteria for materials or products with the highest carbon dioxide emissions factors. “Lifecycle GHG Impacts in Building Codes” presents potential CO2 benchmarks or thresholds for ready mixed concrete, rebar and structural steel based on…
Read MoreCement, concrete, and carbon conversation turns to intellectual honesty and plausibility
A U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) survey of cement and concrete production builds on U.S. General Services Administration measures, noted here last month, to guide federal construction procurement policy toward lower embodied carbon levels in finished structures. Along with the Departments of Defense and Transportation, General Services stands to favor material or product specifications backed by carbon data presented in…
Read MoreCarbonBuilt, Master Builders team to advance low carbon mixes, products
Sources: CarbonBuilt, Los Angeles; Master Builders Solutions, Cleveland; CP staff A CarbonBuilt and Master Builders Solutions collaboration will focus on formulating admixtures augmenting the former company’s low carbon concrete technology platform. CarbonBuilt’s Reversa process uses carbon dioxide to optimize portland cement contents in mix designs and raise finished concrete performance. New admixtures developed with Master Builders Solutions could position CarbonBuilt…
Read MoreConcrete-AI draws investors, recruits Master Builders veteran
Sources: Concrete-AI, Los Angeles; CP staff Mix design software developer Concrete-AI has raised $2 million in a seed financing round with participation by the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, a prominent family office, and other marquee investors. The investment will accelerate rollout of the firm’s pioneering data science platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning…
Read MoreSound carbon guidance
By Don Marsh An energy market-driven nonprofit, RMI, offers credible perspective in its just-released Concrete Solutions Guide, geared to construction interests taking stock of the carbon dioxide emissions factor behind their project materials, products and methods. Posted at www.rmi.org, the document presents specific opportunities for “a nearly ubiquitous material with a sizable climate impact” and expands on the need to…
Read MoreCemex outlines double-digit CO2 emissions reduction plan through 2030
Source: Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V., Monterrey, Mexico
A new Climate Action strategy positions Cemex to clip net specific carbon dioxide emissions 35 percent across a global cement, concrete and aggregates enterprise against a 1990 baseline level. The producer defined an additional double-digit percent reduction target for the decade ahead on top of a 22-plus percent CO2 emissions cut realized since climate change concerns gained prominence and spotlighted carbon-intensive sectors.
Read MoreCarbon wise, cement naive
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.
Read More