Displaying items by tag: CO2

Switzerland: Carbon capture and storage (CCS) equipment developer and supplier Neustark says it plans to more than double the number of its CO₂ storage sites in Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland and the UK to 34 from 14. Neustark’s process turns mineralised captured CO₂ and existing mineral waste streams into useful limestone. Building materials producers lease Neustark’s storage sites to produce reduced-CO₂ alternatives such as recycled concrete. The sites currently have a total storage capacity of 5000t. Existing customers include Holcim.

Neustark CEO Johannes Tiefenthaler said “Neustark is scaling up rapidly, and we’re well on track to achieve our aim of permanently removing 1Mt of CO₂ by 2030. Our global goal is a series of reliable, region-specific CCS facilities that can be replicated anywhere, offering immediate sustainability benefits to local supply chains.”

Czech Republic: Cemex Czech Republic has successfully commissioned its Prague-Libuš ready-mix concrete batching plant in Prague, following an upgrade. The upgraded plant can now process five types of cements and admixtures, including Cemex’s Vertua reduced-CO₂ concretes and recycled aggregates. Cemex Czech Republic has installed two recycled aggregates production plants at the site to process residual concrete.

Cemex’s vice president materials, Central Europe, Ruediger Kuhn said “Our plant in Libuš forms an important part of our operation in the Czech republic, thanks to its interesting location in the wider centre of the capital and in the immediate vicinity of the planned construction of the Prague Metro D line. We are therefore very pleased to have this site reopened following a considerable investment.” He added “The development at this site confirms Cemex’s determination to offer its customers superior quality products while also meeting its sustainability objectives, supporting the circular economy and reducing emissions wherever possible.”

UAE: Saint-Gobain Weber has installed a new system at its Abu Dhabi mortars plant to recover dust from its crusher and re-inject it into the plant’s raw materials stream. This is part of a package of upgrades to lower the Abu Dhabi plant’s consumption of virgin materials, which also reduced its generation of waste by 4380t/yr between 2019 and 2023. The L’Usine Nouvelle newspaper has reported that other investments included the electrification of the plant’s forklift fleet.

Saint-Gobain reduced its Scope 1 and 2 CO₂ emissions by 14%, its non-recycled waste by 78% and its water footprint by 10% in the Middle East between 2017 and 2023.

Canada: Carbon-negative concrete producer CarbiCrete has signed a deal with Holcim subsidiary Lafarge Canada. Under the deal, Lafarge Canada will process steel slag at its St. Constant cement plant in Québec for use as an ingredient in CarbiCrete’s CO₂-cured cement-free concrete.

CarbiCrete partner Patio Drummond produces carbon-negative concrete blocks using CarbiCrete’s technology at its Drummondville concrete block plant in Québec. The company is on a drive to double the production of CarbiCrete blocks. It first partnered with CarbiCrete during trial production of its material in 2018.

Lafarge Canada vice-president of cement Andrew Stewart said “We are committed to reducing our environmental footprint and leading the way in sustainable construction. Our partnership with CarbiCrete is a testament to our dedication to offering sustainable solutions and actively participating in the circular economy.”

CarbiCrete CEO Chris Stern said “Collaborating with Lafarge allows us to leverage long-established infrastructure and years of expertise in processing steel-related by-products. This enables us to make an immediate climate impact as we scale the deployment of our technology which reduces embodied carbon in concrete by both avoiding emissions and removing carbon through mineralisation.” Regarding the on-going scale-up of production at Patio Drummond’s Drummondville plant, Stern said “Increased production of our carbon-negative blocks brings us closer to our common goal of decarbonising production of the world’s most consumed man-made substance.”

US: C-Crete Technologies poured its zeolite-based concrete for the construction of a 20t slab-on-grade foundation and set of steps in Seattle. The concrete uses zeolite as a binder, removing the need for cement.

C-Crete Technologies founder and president Rouzbeh Savary said "Our successful 20t concrete pour in Seattle using the zeolite-based binder is an important step in our quest to revolutionise construction. This landmark use of the product epitomises C-Crete's commitment to reshaping the industry through environmentally conscious innovations. By tapping into various natural rocks like zeolite and converting them into cementitious binders we're forging a path toward truly sustainable infrastructure."

France: Climate protest group Earth Uprising says that it will target sites belonging to Holcim subsidiary Lafarge France for demonstrations as part of planned actions between 9 and 12 December 2023. Ouest France News has reported that the demonstrations will include a ‘festive but determined’ gathering at Lafarge France’s Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou concrete plant in Maine-et-Loire on 10 December 2023.

Lafarge France said “The people who intend to respond to this call for mobilisation against our sites have the wrong target. Of all industrial sectors, ours is moving the fastest and strongest in favour of the climate.” It added “Moreover, we are useful to society. The country's needs for housing, public facilities and infrastructure are immense, and concrete represents the best solution to meet them.”

UAE: Cemex introduced its prototype 100% electric concrete mixer truck at the COP28 climate change conference in Dubai on 6 December 2023. The cement and concrete producer said that the prototype can transport a full load of concrete and complete a working day on a single charge. It is fitted with a 350kw battery.

UK: The British Standards Institution has introduced a revised BS 8500 standard for concrete. The revised BS 8500 standard opens new possibilities for concrete producers to combine CEMII/A-L Portland limestone cement (PLC) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) in a wider range of exposure classes.

Mineral Products Association (MPA) chair and Cemex UK Materials managing director Lex Russell said “As the first UK company to introduce net-zero CO₂ concrete in 2020, we have the ongoing responsibility to deliver lower carbon products at scale. The incoming changes to BS 8500 are welcomed by all at Cemex as it underpins our ambitious global goal for Vertua lower-carbon cement and concrete products to reach half of all cement and concrete sales by 2025.” He added “The amended concrete standard will serve to keep us on track with our decarbonisation goals, with the primary objective to become a net-zero CO₂ company by 2050. It also aligns with our Future in Action programme to achieve sustainable excellence through climate action, circularity and natural resource management.”

US: Cemex USA supplied water-permeable concrete from its Vertua range for the renovation of the Bryant-Denny American football stadium at the University of Alabama. The producer says that this will reduce the project’s CO₂ emissions by 40%, while also facilitating rainwater harvesting and preventing the stadium’s field from flooding.

Cemex USA president Jaime Muguiro said “These types of projects exemplify Cemex’s versatility. From housing to large-scale infrastructure, we are able to deliver tailor-made solutions that best suit our customers’ needs. Thanks to our extensive portfolio of high-quality building materials and solutions, we can participate in such iconic projects and support more sustainable construction.”

UK: Recycl8 and Breedon Group have poured concrete containing Recycl8’s R8 Mix additive at the site of the upcoming Huntingtower residential block in Perth, Scotland. The R8 Mix additive contains recycled materials, helping to lower the CO₂ emissions of construction projects. Meanwhile, Breedon supplied blended cement from its Breedon Balance range of reduced-CO₂ products.

Breedon commercial manager Craig Godsman said "We are really pleased to be involved in this innovative project using Recycl8's sustainable R8 Mix concrete technology. It aligns perfectly with our commitment to decarbonisation, with the provision of lower carbon solutions through our Breedon Balance range of products.”