Cement News tagged under: Mineral Products Association

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MPA's new report issues warning to next UK Government

30 January 2024, Published under Cement News

With a general election approaching in the UK, a new report from the Mineral Products Association (MPA) – ‘Priorities for the Next Government: Decarbonisation, Growth, Delivery’ – is urging all parties to carefully consider the supply of essential domestic mineral products in their manifesto pledges on housing and transport, schools and hospitals, flood defences and renewable energy infrastructure. The report outlines the three fundamental issues that the next UK Government needs to ge...

MPA letter calls for focus on skills and education

24 November 2023, Published under Cement News

The Mineral Products Association (MPA) is one of six organisations who have signed an open letter to university leaders in the UK, setting out the essential role of materials, minerals and mining in modern society. The letter from the MPA, along with the Critical Minerals Association (CMA) (UK), Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (IOM3), Institute of Quarrying (IQ), Mineral Products Qualification Council (MPQC) and Mining Association of the UK (MAUK), provides evidence-based inform...

MPA welcomes Lex Russell as new chair

07 September 2023, Published under Cement News

The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has appointed Lex Russell, managing director of CEMEX UK Materials, as its new chair for the next two years. Mr Russell takes over from Simon Willis, CEO of Hanson UK, who held the role for an extended three-year period, ensuring continuity during the period of leadership change with the appointment of Jon Prichard as MPA CEO. According to the association, the role of MPA chair is a non-executive position responsible to the MPA Board, whilst also l...

MPA appoints director for energy and climate change

17 August 2023, Published under Cement News

The UK-based Mineral Products Association (MPA) has appointed Dr Diana Casey as executive director for energy and climate change, including heading up the MPA’s product groups for cement and industrial lime. She takes over from Dr Pal Chana, who continues to provide support as a special advisor to the MPA. In her new position on the MPA’s executive team, Dr Casey will play a key strategic role in the sector’s acceleration towards net zero carbon, advocating for better government policy to...

MPA welcomes news of urgent review of UK planning policy

16 February 2023, Published under Cement News

UK producers of essential materials for infrastructure projects have welcomed news that an urgent review of national planning policy for major projects is to be carried out. UK chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, has asked the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) to identify how the planning system could create greater certainty for infrastructure stakeholders – including the supply chain – ahead of an action plan on the UK’s Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). In its recen...

MPA calls for electrification push by UK government

12 January 2023, Published under Cement News

The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has welcomed the UK government’s announcement of the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS), extending the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. The broad support available through the EBDS encompasses most of the products manufactured by MPA members, including aggregates, asphalt, cement, concrete and industrial minerals. However, the MPA says the proposed support may not be sufficient to maintain the competitiveness of UK manufacturing should prices return to th...

New appointments at the Mineral Products Association

17 November 2022, Published under Cement News

The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has appointed Jon Flitney as energy and climate change manager. Jon will be working with the MPA Cement Climate Change and CO 2 Reduction group providing support to sector decarbonisation and associated policies.    Jon joins from the British Ceramic Confederation (BCC) where he has worked across energy, environment, climate change and decarbonisation policy areas for over six years. He also previously worked on air quality and environmental...

Energy crisis - plant closure warning

09 September 2022, Published under Cement News

CEMBUREAU this week called for urgent action at a European and national level to help tackle the rising cost of energy, which it warns “will lead to widespread plant closures across the EU, creating a crisis in the construction supply chain.” Some EU member states have seen their electricity prices increase 10-fold compared to last year. According to CEMBUREAU, 1t of cement requires around 110kwh of electricity to produce. With electricity prices now between EUR700-1000mwh in several EU memb...

MPA urges UK government to alleviate energy burden

02 September 2022, Published under Cement News

The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has written to the UK Chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi, calling for urgent action to tackle the country’s energy crisis and alleviate the burden on its construction industry. Four steps the Treasury could take have been identified by the MPA, including allowing temporary deferral of VAT payments, to reinstate or replace the red diesel rebate to cut fuel duty, extend the freeze on Aggregates Levy indexation beyond April 2023, and take measures to tackle costs f...

MPA reports slowdown in UK mineral product sales

08 August 2022, Published under Cement News

The Mineral Products Association has remarked that a disappointing quarter for UK producers of mineral products raises concerns that widespread cost inflation for raw materials, energy and labour is starting to negatively impact the sector. Demand for mineral products, edged lower in the 2Q22, with sales volumes down on a quarterly basis, according to the MPA’s latest industry survey. Tonnages of ready-mix were 7.4 per cent lower than in the 1Q22, 9.8 per cent lower for aggregates and asp...