Displaying items by tag: target

UK: Russell Roof Tiles has installed a 165kW solar power plant as part of a €22.2m upgrade to its Burton concrete roof tiles plant in Staffordshire. Energy company Alt-Group supplied the solar power plant, which is equipped with Solis Inverters’ energy storage inverters. The upgraded Burton plant also features wash water recycling.

Russell Roof Tiles has signed a pledge to achieve Scope 1 and 2 CO₂ neutrality by 2040.

UK: Switzerland-based Neustark has partnered with Holcim subsidiary Aggregate Industries to launch the UK’s first mineralisation plant in Greenwich, London. The small-scale mobile plant will sequester CO₂ in recycled concrete produced using fines recovered from construction and demolition materials (CDM). The plant is situated at an existing Aggregates Industries CDM recycling site. A large-scale plant with a sequestration capacity of 1000t/yr of CO₂ is due to follow in early 2025.

Neustark CEO Valentin Gutknecht said "Neustark and Holcim have been working together almost since the founding of Neustark five years ago. 1Mt of CO₂ durably removed from the atmosphere in 2030 – that’s our ambition. We’re already well underway towards the megatonne goal. Our strategic partnership with Holcim represents a significant part of this roadmap. It will be a true catalyst to further scale up the permanent carbon removal impact that we generate in the next few years.”

Aggregate Industries CEO Lee Sleight said that the partnership would turn London into ‘one of the world’s largest urban mines.’ He said “This isn’t just a great carbon removal innovation but a great circular economy innovation, where we are taking what was once a waste stream and reusing it, saving us from digging up virgin materials in the first place."

Neustark has so far sequestered 2500t of CO₂ in circular concrete for use in further construction.

France: Cemex France reduced the total emissions of CO₂ from its concrete and aggregates logistics operations by 10% in the two years between 2021 and 2023. The company achieved this through various initiatives, including equipment upgrades, route optimisation and the substitution of alternative fuels, including hydrogenated vegetable oil in pusher vessels, and biogas where possible. The producer says that the reduction aligns with its FRET21 transport sustainability initiative, as well as its Future in Action 2050 net zero roadmap.

Cemex France is currently preparing to renew or expand its commitment to the FRET21 initiative for another three years.

Switzerland: Chemicals producer Sika reported sales of €6.08bn in the first half of 2024, up by 9% year-on-year. The company’s earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew by 24% to €920m. During the reporting period, the company successfully integrated Germany-based MBCC. It also acquired US-based Kwik Bond and opened new production facilities in Peru and China. The company confirmed its Strategy 2028 targets for sustainable, profitable growth.

Sika CEO Thomas Hasler said "With our good operating result in the first half of 2024, we have shown that we are in an excellent position to gain market share even in challenging markets. Furthermore, our emissions reduction targets, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050, have been validated by the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). This important achievement underscores Sika's commitment to sustainability and its proactive role in decarbonising the construction and automotive industries."

For the full year 2024, Sika forecast 6 – 9% sales growth in local currencies and an over-proportional increase in EBITDA.

Singapore: Pan-United Corporation has introduced a Sany electric-powered concrete mixer truck into its fleet. The truck has a 350kWh battery with a peak power of 360kW and a two-hour charging time. The move will reduce the CO₂ emissions per journey by 45%, in line with Pan-United Corporation’s goal of net zero ready-mix concrete production and distribution by 2050.

Pan-United Corporation CEO Ken Loh said "Pan-United is excited to welcome electric vehicles into Singapore’s built environment industry. We hope to eventually operate a substantial fleet of electric concrete mixer trucks for our day-to-day operations. This step marks an exciting new venture in exploring alternative fuel technology and a deepening commitment to accomplish Pan-United’s aim of being a carbon-neutral ready-mix concrete company by 2050."

US: Cemex USA has entered into a joint venture for the production and distribution of aggregates in the Mid-South region with Couch Aggregates and Premier Holdings. Cemex USA has a pre-existing strategic partnership with Couch Aggregates. The group says that the vertical integration of this, along with Premier Holdings’ Gulf Coast marine terminals, will accelerate its regional growth. Cemex aims to raise the total US contribution to its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) from 29% to 40% in the ‘medium-term’ future.

President Jaime Muguiro said "This joint venture will create significant opportunities for both parties by utilising vertical integration and leveraging each other's capabilities for growth. We remain committed to increasing our capacity to serve the US market with more sustainable and innovative solutions."

Cemex USA’s Mid-South region covers 27 ready-mix concrete plants in Alabama, 24 in Georgia, 11 in Tennessee and one in Virginia, and aggregates sites in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.

Malaysia/Singapore: Pan-United Corporation has signed a new contract with renewable power provider Cleantech Solar. With the support of Keppel, Keppel Asia Infrastructure Fund and Shell Singapore, the partners will install 900 solar panels at Pan-United Corporation sites, including its Johor slag grinding plant in Malaysia. The building materials producer is executing the project as part of an existing three-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Shell Singapore for the decarbonisation in the built environment. Commissioning of Pan-United Corporation’s new solar power capacity is scheduled later in 2024.

Pan-United Corporation CEO May Ng said “We are delighted that our partnership with Shell has advanced our efforts to adopt renewable energy solutions, which are crucial in reducing our operational carbon emissions. Industry partnerships to leverage collective strengths is a sure way to decarbonisation. Solar deployment in collaboration with Cleantech Solar supports our efforts in contributing to the sustainability goals under the ‘Energy Reset’ pillar of the Singapore Green Plan 2030 and brings us closer to our sustainability target of becoming a carbon-neutral ready-mix concrete company by 2050.”

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.”

Israel: Cemex’s circular construction subsidiary Regenera has commissioned a construction, demolition and excavation waste recycling plant in Tel Aviv. Cemex said that the plant has the capacity to recycle 500,000t/yr of construction, demolition and excavation waste. Cemex acquired the site following its acquisition of a 51% stake in construction, demolition and excavation waste recycling company SHTANG Recycle, which it integrated into Regenera in early 2023.

Cemex’s Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia regional president Sergio Menéndez said “This new facility in Tel Aviv marks a significant milestone in Cemex's commitment to circularity, which is of such importance to our global ambition of reaching net zero by 2050. We are proud to play a vital role in the growth of our Regenera business, turning building waste into recycled materials for a more sustainable future. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting our Israeli operation and opening the plant, and was inspired by the passion of my local colleagues for innovation and collaboration in pursuit of a better future.”

Finland: Betolar has signed a cooperation agreement with concrete producer Consolis Parma to develop reduced-CO₂ hollow concrete slabs. The development process will implement Betolar's Geoprime binder into Consolis Parma's concrete production. Consolis Parma is committed to halving its CO₂ emissions between 2021 and 2035.

Consolis Parma's Technology Director Juha Rämö said “The use of alternative new binder combinations and additives that ensure the efficiency of the manufacturing process are key factors in achieving our climate goals. We are actively seeking new channels to address these challenges. The cooperation with Betolar is an important new partnership for us."