Cement News tagged: Environmental
Holcim Philippines to construct waste heat facility
Holcim Philippines will construct a waste-to-energy facility to reduce the demand for coal as a cement plant fuel in Davao City. Roland Van Wijnen, chief operations officer of Holcim Philippines, said that the facility will include structures and buildings which are aimed at storing more rice husks, identified as a viable fuel alternative for the cement plant. The plant consumes about 600t...
Eight Pakistan factories issued with environmental notices
The Environment Protection Department (EPD) has issued notices to eight cement factories across the Punjab over the last week for failing to install devices to mitigate dust pollution levels. The notices were issued under Section 12 and Section 16 of the Punjab Environment Protection Act 2012. The notices were issued after a month-long survey, initiated after three cement factories in Chakwa...
Titan America challenges air permit appeals, USA
Titan America has filed a motion to dismiss parts of the pending legal challenge against their proposed Castle Hayne cement plant air permit, according to local press reports. Carolinas Cement, a subsidiary of Titan America, last month requested that the court throw out four segments of the appeal, all related to the company's plan for developing and mining a quarry adjacent to the proposed p...
Four Indian plants force to close on alleged environmental violation
Four cement plants in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh have been ordered to shut down on alleged violation of air pollution controls norms. The Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB) told Business Line India that two UltraTech Cement plant, one Ambuja Cement and one Lafarge plant have all be closed for over a week now. The four units, all situated in Baloda Bazar district, have a...
Peru’s domestic shipments see 15% first-half rise
Shipments of cement in the Peruvian market totaled 4,4Mt between January and June 2012, a 15 per cent increase over the figure recorded in the same period in 2011, when they totaled 3.83Mt, reported the Asociación de Productores de Cemento (Asocem). During that period the cement production was 4.48Mt, representing an increase of 13.95 per cent over the same period of 2011, when it was 3.9Mt...
Holcim Malaysia calls for green building certification to be mandatory
Holcim Malaysia has called for green building certification to be made mandatory as it would create sustainable development in all sectors and ensure more responsible construction materials and practices by the industry. CEO of Holcim Malaysia, Mahanama Ralapanawa, said recent announcements by the Johor Waterfront City and Mersing Laguna developments, as well as the further expansion of Isk...
MPA wins biodiversity award, UK
The Mineral Products Association, UK, has won a CBI Trade Association Forum (TAF) Environmental Initiative Special Award, for the work of the Association and its members on Biodiversity. The Special Award stands out as one of only two Special Awards to be presented to Associations by TAF, alongside the 11 regular Best Practice categories. Nigel Jackson, Chief Executive MPA, said: “MPA and i...
Industry welcomes government investment in biofuels technology
The Cement Association of Canada has applauded the Government of Canada's announcement that it will invest almost $1million in Ontario-based Pond Biofuels towards the advancement of Canadian biofuel technology and expertise. This investment will be made under the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario's Investing in Business Innovation initiative. The contribution will hel...
CalPortland Rilitto plant earns EPA's Energy Star®, USA
CalPortland's Rillito cement plant, located in Arizona, has earned the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) ENERGY STAR® certification. "CalPortland is pleased to accept EPA's ENERGY STAR certification in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts," said David Bittel, Rillito Plant Manager. "Through this achievement, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental stewardship w...
EPA proposes updates and deadline extension
In response to a federal court ruling and data from industry, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing changes to its 2010 air standards for the US cement industry. The proposal would continue the significant emission reductions from the 2010 standards while providing industry additional compliance flexibilities, including more time to implement the proposed updates by ...
European Commission to publish ETS review report
EU Climate Change Commissioner Connie Hedegaard recently announced that the review of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will be published before the summer break in 2012 rather than 2013. The review will take the shape of a report by the European Commission, which will propose to delay the auctioning of hundreds of millions of third phase emission allowances (EUAs) in September. The delay ...
EU – Cement not eligible for state aid compensation for high power costs
Based on the results of qualitative and quantitative assessment, the European Commission has decreed that the EU’s cement industry is not eligible for national support for industrial electricity costs under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). “The European Commission has adopted a framework under which Member states may compensate some electro-intensive users, such as steel and aluminium...
FICEM's emission reduction and energy improvement measures
As a side event to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (20-22 June 2012) the Business Action for Sustainable Development (BASD), will take place previous to the Rio + 20 Summit. The objective of the meeting is to summarise the initiatives and achievements by the cement industry in the past 10 years in relation to environmental stewardship and its compromise...
WBCSD releases 2012 Progress Report
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)’s Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) has marked 10 years of progress with the release of its 2012 Progress Report. The report provides a snapshot of the Initiative’s achievements and an outlook on the future sustainability challenges the cement industry faces. "Moving on to the second decade of the 21st century, businesses a...
Lafarge sustainability ambitions 2020
Lafarge has entered a new phase in its sustainability commitment with the launch of Sustainability Ambitions 2020. The 34 new sustainability ambitions are organised around the three main pillars of sustainable development - social, economic and environmental and they are coupled with demanding quantitative targets. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bruno Lafont comments: "Sustainabil...
Cemex launches 'Oceans: Heart of Our Blue Planet' book
Cemex UK and Conservation International Europe have presented their book, Oceans: Heart of Our Blue Planet, at a Royal Society reception in London. The book, which has also been developed in association with the International League of Conservation Photographers and other conservation bodies, outlines life’s dependency on a healthy ocean.??Through analysis from renowned marine scientists an...