Displaying items by tag: market

Argentina: ECOPact reduced-CO₂ concrete accounted for 50% of Holcim Argentina’s cement deliveries at the end of the first half of 2022, a higher share than in any other country apart from the UK. Holcim launched ECOPact concrete across its markets in June 2021. Holcim Argentina plans to execute new investments to further increase its distribution of the product.

The company’s head of concrete José Villacreses said “We have set ourselves even more challenging goals. We will be the undisputed ally for sustainable projects throughout Argentina. Whoever wants to measure their carbon footprint to offer sustainable construction will find in Holcim the necessary solution to be able to achieve the certifications that society demands today.”

Colombia: Cementos Argos has shared plans for an 80% increase to its planned aggregates production capacity in Colombia to 4.5Mt/yr by 2024. In 2022, the company predicts that its aggregates business will contribute full-year earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of US$2.8bn.

Colombia's annual aggregates consumption is 130 - 140Mt/yr.

India: CK Birla Group’s fibre cement roofing subsidiary HIL has agreed to acquire Fast Build Blocks for US$8.22m in a ‘slump sale.’ Fast Build Blocks produces autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks in Cuttack, Odisha. Press Trust of India News has reported that HIL is using the acquisition to establish a leadership position in the Eastern Indian market.

Poland: Switzerland-based Holcim has concluded an agreement to acquire ready-mix concrete producer Ol-Trans. Ol-Trans operates five batching plants and is the market leader in Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot. Holcim says that its new customers in the region will benefit from access to its CO₂-saving products, including Agila Fibro self-compacting concrete, which can reduce steel reinforcement usage in construction by up to 50%.

Holcim’s Europe, Middle East and Africa regional head Miljan Gutovic said “With this acquisition we will further expand the footprint of ECOPact green concrete, the first and most comprehensive sustainable concrete range in Poland.”

Australia/Canada: Fortex and Nidus3D have won contracts to become Denmark-based COBOD’s distribution partners for the Australian and Canadian markets respectively. Nidus3D previously printed a multi-unit residential building, the first of its kind in North America, using COBOD’s 3D printing equipment. Meanwhile, the supplier says that its first BOD2 3D printer available on the Australian market will arrive there in late 2022.

Regarding the Australian contract with Fortex, COBOD noted that it will make its equipment available on six different continents.

Indonesia: Finland-based Betolar has introduced its Geoprime reduced-CO₂ concrete technology into the Indonesian market. Geoprime facilitates the production of reduced-CO₂ concrete using industrial side streams.

Betolar head of Asia Juha Pinomaa said "The concrete industry is facing a pivotal moment in the global fight against climate change, and Indonesia is taking urgent action in changing the way cities are built. Betolar's Geoprime solution can unlock the construction industry's challenge to reduce their CO₂ emissions. It's not surprising that we are seeing rapid growth, especially in South East Asia, where urbanisation is among the fastest in the world."

Czech Republic: Českomoravský Beton has acquired six ready-mixed concrete plants and a sandpit in Moravia from Kámen Zbraslav. The plants have a total capacity of 85,000m³/yr. Českomoravský Beton says that they have a ‘well-established residential and commercial customer base’ in and around Brno.

Parent company HeidelbergCement says that the acquisition drives forward its portfolio optimisation programme. It now operates 80 ready-mixed concrete plants in the Czech Republic.

France: Holcim has acquired six new aggregates quarries in Eastern France from FAMY Group. The group says that the quarries serve the Dijon, Lyon and Geneva, Switzerland, markets. It previously acquired new aggregates and ready-mix concrete operations in the ‘growing’ region in 2021.

Europe, Middle East and Africa regional head Miljan Gutovic said “This acquisition expands our footprint in the highly attractive Rhône-Alpes region, confirming our ambition to revitalise key urban areas from Lyon to Geneva. This expansion is in line with our strategy to accelerate green growth and play our part in Europe’s net-zero transition. Our combined businesses and improved market access will provide an excellent platform to further strengthen our range of sustainable building solutions, such as ECOPact green concrete. I warmly welcome all FAMY Group employees into the Holcim family and look forward to unleashing our next era of growth together.”

Finland: Betolar has signed a letter of intent with Australia-based RISAB and the Vanadium Recovery Project to research the use of steel slag from which vanadium has been extracted in concrete production. Dow Jones Institutional News has reported that the company says that, through it Geoprime alkali-activated additive technology, the new slag source could replace 10% of the cement used in concrete production in Finland.

CEO Matti Löppönen said "We see a huge opportunity for Betolar here. If successful, we would be able to offer our customers a specific, currently unused slag of the steel industry to replace cement in concrete. Our customers already have experience in utilising other types of slag in the production of concrete using Geoprime. Utilising new side streams will expand the reach of our solution as planned.”

Betolar launched Geoprime in September 2021. It is currently developing a recipe-optimising artificial intelligence (AI) and data platform to bring together concrete producers and suppliers of slag, ash and other materials.