Jaime Hill, Country CEO of Mexico, is appointed Region Head North America effective immediately. He succeeds Toufic Tabbara, who has decided to pursue opportunities outside of Holcim. As Country CEO of Mexico, Jaime Hill has consistently delivered leading profitable growth, making Mexico the second biggest contributor to Holcim’s EBIT worldwide. He joined Holcim in 1996...
CO2 emissions in clinker and cement production can be divided into two primary sources: emissions from raw materials decarbonization, and emissions from combustion. Several strategies exist to mitigate both types, which will be discussed in detail. Furthermore, to facilitate comparison, a hypothetical ‘standard kiln’ with 4000 tpd capacity, 800 kcal/kg thermal consumption, and a 40-60%...
Numerous solutions exist to address GHG emissions in the cement industry, with varying degrees of risk, emissions reduction potential, and cost implications. However, there is unlikely to be a silver-bullet solution given the nature of this massive industry which is inherently local and contains many use cases. For these reasons, the pathway towards decarbonization will...
Pivotal moment for the concrete construction market Manufacturers of Supplementary Cementitious Materials (“SCMs”), which can displace a large portion of the Portland cement typically used in concrete while emitting significantly lower carbon emissions have a tremendous market opportunity. While fresh ash production from coal plants is in decline, vast supplies of non-traditional SCMs, such as...
Neocrete, a New Zealand-based company, has announced a strategic partnership with several leading cement manufacturers, including Cemex, Heidelberg Materials, CRH, Titan, Cementos Argos, and Ultratech Cement. The collaboration focuses on promoting Neocrete’s innovative Activator product, designed to significantly reduce the amount of cement required in concrete production. Neocrete’s Activator product leverages volcanic ash and residual...
Lafarge Serbia is set to construct a groundbreaking factory near the Nikola Tesla B power plant in Ratari, marking Serbia’s first facility designed to utilize ash as a raw material in cement production. This initiative is a significant step towards advancing the circular economy in the country. The new plant will process one million tons...
Material Evolution, a leading innovator in sustainable construction materials, is set to launch the UK’s largest ultra-low carbon cement plant in Wrexham in October 2024. The facility will produce 150,000 tonnes per year of a cement that emits up to 85% less embodied CO₂ compared to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). Material Evolution’s new...
The first half of 2024 has been a period of mixed outcomes for major cement producers, with a general trend of sluggish sales but stable or growing earnings. Votorantim Cimentos, along with other key players such as Holcim, CRH, Heidelberg Materials, and Cemex, released their half-year results, providing insight into the industry’s performance so far...
Votorantim Cimentos closed the second quarter of 2024 with notable growth across key financial metrics, including net revenue, net profit, and sales volume, supported by strategic investments and geographic diversification. The company’s consolidated global net revenue for the period reached R$7 billion, reflecting a 1% increase compared to the second quarter of 2023, in local...
Alpacem, the market leader for cement and concrete in the Alpe-Adria region, has announced a €50 million investment to modernise its Wietersdorf cement plant in Carinthia, Austria. The upgrade will include a new cement grinding plant, expected to save up to 21,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually and reduce electricity consumption. The project is slated for...