Executives of National Cement Company of Alabama Inc., parent National Cement Company Inc., and ultimate parent Vicat Group, Paris, staged a late-July dedication of a new production line at their Ragland, Ala. plant. A Kiln 2 ribbon cutting capped a two-year, $300 million project that brings annual Ragland capacity above Read more…
Sources: Steel Manufacturers Association, Washington, D.C.; CP staff
A Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) study concludes that the output of electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmakers in the U.S. has a carbon intensity approximately 75 percent lower than that of peers running traditional, coal-fueled blast furnaces. Large operations deploy the latter to melt raw materials into iron, then process it into steel. EAFs primarily use electricity and recycled ferrous scrap to make steel, resulting in a lower carbon emission and less energy-intensive process.
(more…)Sources: Global Steel Climate Council; CP staff Major concrete rebar and structural steel operators Commercial Metals Co., Nucor Corp. and Steel Dynamics Inc. lead North American members of a new international coalition chartered to support a standard that “accelerates the transition to low-emission steel and recognizes the potential of the Read more…
Sources: American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, Mich.; CM2 staff NEU: An ACI Center of Excellence for Carbon Neutral Concrete reports rapid membership growth during its first few months, underscored by Breakthrough Energy and Meta Platforms joining as sustaining members. Founded by Microsoft’s Bill Gates, the former is committed to scaling Read more…
Sources: Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C.; CM2 staff Steel market leader Nucor Corp. has announced an equity investment in Electra, a Colorado start up seeking to scale a process for carbon-free, steel-grade iron. Tapping renewable energy sources to power electrochemical and hydrometallurgical phases, the company refines low-grade ores into high-purity iron. Read more…
Sources: Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, Schaumburg, Ill.; CP staff The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) has released Industry-Wide Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for Fabricated Steel Reinforcement Bar used in reinforced concrete construction, posted here. The document updates a 2017 declaration; averages data from five companies and 19 bar mills, plus Read more…
Sources: Cemex USA, Houston; CP staff Cemex USA has delivered more than 1 million yd. of Vertua for public and private projects in California, where the lower carbon mix recently debuted as part of the producer’s Future in Action program. When measured on embodied carbon metrics, Vertua offers carbon dioxide Read more…
Sources: Graniterock, Watsonville, Calif.; CM2 staff Northern California’s top independent aggregate and ready mixed concrete producer has deployed 15,000 photovoltaic panels on a low-profile, 20-acre parcel at its flagship quarry in Aromas. Installed away from public view, the 5-megawatt capacity solar farm will provide more than 50 percent of the Read more…
Sources: Sulzer, Winterthur, Switzerland; CMCM staff Sulzer Chemtech is among participants in the latest funding round for California-based Blue Planet Systems Corp., whose carbon dioxide capture technology yields mineralized, concrete-grade aggregate. The Swiss fluid engineering specialist joins prior round investors, including North American cement, aggregate and concrete producers Holcim Group Read more…
Sources: Glenwood Management, CarbonQuest, New York City; CMCM staff Brooklyn-based Glenwood Mason Supply will source “Sustainable CO,” processed from New York City apartment building mechanical flue exhaust, for concrete masonry unit (CMU) production augmented by CarbonCure carbon dioxide mineralizing technology. After a 2022 pilot installation at The Grand Tier (1930 Read more…