Concrete

Behind the scenes of MissionZero: What, why and how?

Published

5 years ago

March 5, 2021

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??e??e had an overwhelming response to our announcement of MissionZero: zero use of fossil fuels and zero emissions in cement by 2030. Whilst ambitious, it?? a necessary step to take to meet the urbanisation needs of a growing population. Here is the what, why and how innovation will help us get there.??Thomas Petithuguenin, Innovation Manager, FLSmidth

Since the announcement of our sustainability programme, MissionZero, we??e heard a lot from our customers, industry stakeholders and the media. There has been a mix of scepticism, excitement and great anticipation. The dust has since settled, and we are busy tackling the task from all possible angles.

MissionZero comes with the responsibility of pulling the weight of an entire industry, looking for solutions that will not only reduce our environmental impact, but do so without jeopardising profitability and economic growth.

Innovation plays a crucial role in MissionZero because its main purpose is to improve efficiency, which go hand in hand

with lowering resource consumption: the essence of sustainability.

Numbers don?? lie

Concrete is the second most-used substance on Earth due to its versatility and durability. It is estimated that by 2030, about 4.8 billion annual metric tonnes of cement will be needed to support a population growth of approximately 1.2 billion people.

If we are to provide future generations with the high-quality infrastructure that we have grown accustomed to, we need to change our current practices. MissionZero may be ambitious, but we are willing to take responsibility and lead the cement industry towards a carbon-neutral future.

Looking forward, cement production is expected to increase at a regular annual rate of five percent. With cement plants currently operating at close to 70 percent of global capacity, the number of new plants required to meet market growth is limited.

It is therefore essential that solutions developed to reduce CO2 emissions at cement plants are competitive in a cost-conscious market, and that they can be retrofitted on existing plants.

Baseline

CO2 emissions from cement production come from three main sources:

Calcination of limestone (approx. 56 percent)
Combustion of fuels (approx. 37 percent)
Power consumption (approx. 7 percent)

These values are based on a cement plant that emits 0.89 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of cement produced. Of course, these numbers can vary from site to site based on cement composition, fuel substitution and process efficiency. This information is being used as our baseline to meet the objectives of MissionZero.

Innovation focus

Achieving our MissionZero objectives by 2030 requires focus on innovation milestones that:

Facilitate the use of alternative fuels over fossil fuels
Increase the practice of clay calcination and thereby reduce the volume of clinker
Introduce circular economy and alternative raw materials

The road ahead

The roadmap for the next decade is pitched to be filled with research and development opportunities, collaboration between industry stakeholders and a wide range of product innovation activities. Our plan has three phases with different focuses.

Phase one

Over the next two years, we will make it easier to obtain 100 percent alternative fuel firing and complete fuel flexibility. The latter describes the ability to fire a variety of fuel types to avoid relying on a single source. Refuse-derived fuel (RDF) is an example of alternative fuel.

We will focus our effort on gasification technology, to first produce stable, clean and sustainable combustion gas in the calciner; and as a second step, deploy this solution to the main burner.

Meanwhile we will use process control solutions to maintain clinker quality while firing fuels of varying properties. This will enable fuel flexibility, i.e. the ability to fire a variety of fuel types and avoid reliance on a single source. Research in alternative sources of heat, such as solar, nuclear, and electric, as well as the development of heat-free calcination is also being conducted.

Phase two

Spanning five years, phase two started in 2020 and focuses on lowering the volume of clinker by accelerating deployment of clay calcination and promoting the use of clinker/clay/limestone blends.

The first step will be to demonstrate industrial-scale clay calcination for use as a cementitious binder, and second step is to decarbonize this process via electrification. Clay is particularly interesting as it is abundant in growth regions which also face a lack of good quality limestone.

Phase three

Sustainability and circular economy go hand-in-hand. Once phase two has wrapped up, we??l turn our focus to leveraging this final phase. The goal is to reduce overall calcination emissions. Where this is not possible, the emissions will be offset through producing brown fuels. There are three pathways that can contribute to this goal:

Deploy geopolymers to commercialise a process solution for cementitious binders with extremely low clinker content.
Replace limestone with cement recycled from old concrete structures. This strategy will effectively bring calcination emissions down to zero.
Use the cement plant to produce synthetic fuels, which are drop-in replacement fuels. By using a larger version of our alternative fuel gasifier, it will be possible to recycle waste into useful hydrocarbons for the aviation and maritime industries. This pathway has the potential to earn additional revenue, dispose of more waste, and close the carbon loop by replacing fossil hydrocarbons with recycled hydrocarbons.

Natural progression

The solutions being described in our roadmap are not revolutionary, more of a natural evolution of the many efforts already ongoing across the FLSmidth Group. What needs to happen now is cohesive collaboration across our industry to create solutions that will get us there by 2030.

I hope that this behind-the-scenes glimpse answers some of the questions raised following the announcement of MissionZero. Perhaps it will spark new questions and generate more conversations, which will raise even more awareness around sustainability in the cement industry. Every industry and individual has a part to play if we are to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Thomas Petithuguenin

Innovation Manager, FLSmidth

Discover more: https://www.flsmidth.com/en-gb/company/sustainability

Concrete

Cement Margins to Erode as Energy Costs Rise: CRISIL

CRISIL warns of 150–200 bps margin decline this fiscal

Published

22 hours ago

April 17, 2026

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Crisil Intelligence (CRISIL) released a report on April 13, 2026, indicating Indian cement manufacturers face margin erosion of 150–200 basis points this fiscal, reducing operating margins to between 16 per cent and 18 per cent. The firm noted that this represents a reversal from the prior year when margins expanded by 260–280 basis points. The analysis attributed the shift to rising input costs despite steady demand.

The report said that power and fuel, which typically account for about 26–28 per cent of production cost, are expected to increase by 10–12 per cent year on year, driven by higher prices for crude oil, petroleum coke and thermal coal. Brent crude was assessed as likely to trade between $82 and $87 per barrel, and industrial diesel prices rose by 25 per cent in March, raising logistics and procurement expenses. Such increases have therefore heightened cost pressures across the value chain.

Producers plan to raise selling prices by one–three per cent, which would put the average retail price of a cement bag at around Rs355–Rs360, according to the report. CRISIL’s director Sehul Bhatt was cited as saying that these hikes will at best offset a four–six per cent rise in production costs, leaving little room for higher profitability. The report added that intense competition and continual capacity additions constrain the extent to which firms can pass on costs.

Demand conditions remain supportive, with CRISIL projecting volume growth of six point five–seven point five per cent this fiscal on the back of accelerated infrastructure projects and steady industrial and commercial consumption. Nonetheless, the pace of recovery is sensitive to developments in West Asia, the speed of government infrastructure execution and monsoon performance. The agency noted that any further escalation in energy prices or delays in project execution would widen margin pressures.

Overall, the sector will continue to grow but with compressed margins as energy cost inflation outpaces the limited ability to raise prices. Investors and policymakers will therefore monitor both input cost trajectories and policy measures aimed at alleviating supply chain constraints.

Concrete

Haver & Boecker Niagara to showcase solutions at Hillhead

Focus on screening tech, diagnostics and quarrying efficiency

Published

22 hours ago

April 17, 2026

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Haver & Boecker Niagara will showcase its mineral processing technologies at Hillhead 2026, scheduled from June 23–25 in Buxton, UK.

At Stand PA3, the company will present its end-to-end solutions including screeners, screen media and advanced diagnostics, with a focus on improving efficiency, uptime and throughput for aggregates producers.

Highlighting its screen media portfolio, the company will feature Ty-Wire media with hybrid design offering up to 80 per cent more open area, alongside FLEX-MAT® solutions designed to enhance wear life and throughput while reducing blinding and clogging.

The showcase will also include its PULSE Diagnostics suite, comprising vibration analysis, condition monitoring and impact testing, aimed at assessing equipment health and preventing unplanned downtime.

Commenting on the event, Martin Loughran, Sales Manager, UK & Ireland, said, “Hillhead presents an excellent opportunity for us to demonstrate how we deliver innovative technologies along with long-term service and technical support.”

The company will also highlight its Niagara F-Class vibrating screen, designed to reduce structural vibration and improve operational reliability under demanding conditions.

The participation reflects Haver & Boecker Niagara’s focus on supporting quarrying operations with advanced screening solutions and predictive maintenance technologies.

Concrete

Siyaram Recycling Secures Rs 21.03 mn Order From Anurag Impex

Domestic Fixed Cost Contract To Be Executed Within Seven Days

Published

3 days ago

April 15, 2026

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Siyaram Recycling Industries Limited (Siyaram Recycling) has informed the stock exchange that it has secured a purchase order for brass scrap honey from Anurag Impex. The company submitted the intimation on 10 April 2026 from Jamnagar and requested the filing be taken on record. The filing was made under the provisions of regulation 30 of the SEBI listing regulations and accompanying circular. The intimation referenced the SEBI circular dated 13 July 2023 and included an annexure detailing the terms.

The order carries a fixed cost value of Rs 21.03 million (mn) and is to be executed domestically within seven days. The contract was described as a fixed cost engagement and the customer was identified as Anurag Impex. The announcement specified that the order size contributes a short term consideration to the company. Owing to the brief execution window, logistics and dispatch were expected to be prioritised.

The filing clarified that neither the promoter group nor group companies have any interest in the purchaser and that the transaction does not constitute a related party transaction. Details were provided in an annexure and the document was signed by the managing director, Bhavesh Ramgopal Maheshwari. The company referenced compliance with SEBI disclosure requirements in its notification. The notice indicated that no related party approvals were required owing to the nature of the transaction.

The order is expected to provide a modest near term revenue inflow and to be processed within the stated execution window given the nature of the product and the fixed cost terms. Management indicated the contract will be executed in accordance with standard operational procedures and accounting recognition at completion. The development signals continuing demand in the secondary metals market for brass scrap.