EU: Several strategic projects have commenced under a new EU critical raw materials plan to ensure the supply for one year of demand of 17 strategic minerals, including bauxite and graphite. Spain’s El País newspaper has reported that the plan requires the EU to raise its minerals extraction to 10% of consumption and its processing and recycling to 40% and 25% respectively.

The European Commission (EC) noted Spain as a leading producer of minerals, including gypsum, among EU member states. 30,000 employees work in the extraction of €3.5bn-worth of minerals from Spanish mines annually. Nonetheless, the country lacks processing capacity, according to the EC. It said that ‘social resistance’ over possible environmental effects is the main obstacle to the development of critical minerals infrastructure.

India: The Rajasthan government has imposed fines worth US$8.17m and registered three First Information Reports against illegal mines in Nagaur. The Business Standard newspaper has reported that most of the illegal mining in the district involve gravel or masonry stone.

US: Geneva Pipe and Precast has commenced full-scale operations at its new precast concrete pipe and manhole plant at its Salt Lake City site in Utah. The new plant features Austria-based Schlüsselbauer Technology’s Exact 2500 dry cast concrete production system and Transexact crane robot, Germany-based MBK Maschinenbau’s cage welding machine and Advanced Concrete Technologies’ batching plant.

The Financial Times newspaper has reported that parent company Northwest Pipe Company President and CEO Scott Montross said “The demand for high-quality infrastructure products continue to grow, and we are committed to expanding our precast manufacturing capabilities.”

UK: Heidelberg Materials UK has secured a new Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for its EvoBuild 30% reduced-CO₂ ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) supplementary cementitious material (SCM). Norway-based EPD-Norge supplied the EPD, which confirms the material’s production in line with the European standard EN 15804.

Heidelberg Materials UK said “The company has a safe and secure volume of GGBFS available for supply across the UK for many years to come.”