Even during the summer break, developments in the cement, lime, and gypsum sectors continue as usual. In this issue of ZKG, Erik von Lützau, Gotthard Walter, and Sabine Flamme discuss the “Potentials of material and energy recovery of ETICS waste with EPS in the cement plant”, while Dr. Joachim Harder focuses on “The Future of Calcined Clay by 2035 and 2050”, and Olaf Köster, Michelle Rollié and Christian Speith report on “The Górażdże modernization project”.

Mammoet is helping the industry to decarbonize by providing safe and efficient solutions for moving and installing heavy objects. This was the case for the construction of the first large-scale Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) plant for the cement plant at the Lengfurt site of Heidelberg Materials - one of the world‘s largest manufacturers of building materials.

For some time now, manufacturers’ associations have been pointing out that the phasing out of coal-fired power generation could lead to a shortfall in the supply of gypsum raw materials. The potential of gypsum recycling is currently insufficient and cannot be fully exploited due to the lack of a legal basis. Will there be a shortage of gypsum in Germany if coal-fired power plants are no longer connected to the grid? “Yes,” says a BGR study, which has now been presented to representatives from industry,

The new “Eleven Decks” residential building in HafenCity Hamburg/Germany impresses with its striking architecture made of red exposed concrete. Balconies and loggias made of through-colored monolithic precast concrete elements set architectural accents. Cement from Heidelberg Materials played a central role in the realization of the sophisticated concrete elements.

The drumming sound of bulk material hitting the metal sides of a hopper, bin or silo during loading is the sweet sound of production. If the noise becomes muffled, it likely indicates that the vessel is filling up, or it could signal the presence of buildup on the inside walls or the discharge gate. Once coarse material adheres, the buildup is generally fast and dense, eventually resulting in downtime to remove.

When I entered the cement industry 30 years ago, I couldn‘t have made a better choice. I was looking for a job that was technically diverse and offered plenty of contact with people from all over the world. The relatively small, yet fully international cement industry offered all of this perfectly. Unfortunately, we are now seeing many countries around the world revert to archaic reflexes.