Net zero CCUS planned for Heidelberg Edmonton

Market: Emissions, Petroleum coke
12/04/23

The Canadian federalgovernment last week agreed to invest in a carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) facility at cement maker Heidelberg Materials' Edmonton, Alberta, plant.

The CCUS facility, which is scheduled to begin operation in 2026, will have a carbon capture capacity of 1mn t/yr ofCO2.

The company anticipates capturing 95pc of the Edmonton plant's total CO2 emissions. Heidelberg did not respond to requests for more details about how the plant will reach net zero, but it may be planning to purchase offsets for the remaining 5pc of emissions.

The value of the Canadian government's investment was not disclosed.

Heidelberg in 2019 said carbon capture projects would be a key part of its strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Heidelberg announced last year that it will build its largest carbon capture plant in Mitchell, Indiana. It will have a carbon capture capacity of 2mn t/yr.

The group aims to have 10mn t/yr of CO2 capture capacity by 2030.

CCUS technology allows cement plants to continue to use petroleum coke and other fossil fuels while also eliminating their carbon footprint. It allows for CO2 to be captured and reused as raw material in other industrial processes.

The cement industry has more than 100 CCUS projects planned as part of its goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, according to the Global Cement and Concrete Association.

ByHunter Fite

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03/04/25

New tariffs could upend US tallow imports

New York, 3 April (Argus) — New US tariffs on nearly all foreign products could deter further imports of beef tallow, a fast-rising biofuel feedstock and food ingredient that had until now largely evaded President Donald Trump's efforts to reshape global trade. Tallow was the most used feedstock for US biomass-based diesel production in January for the first month ever, with consumption by pound rising month to month despite sharp declines in actual biorefining and in use of competing feedstocks. The beef byproduct benefits from US policies, including a new federal tax credit known as "45Z", that offer greater subsidies to fuel derived from waste than fuel derived from first-generation crops. Much of that tallow is sourced domestically, but the US also imported more than 880,000t of tallow last year, up 29pc from just two years earlier. The majority of those imports last year came from Brazil, which until now has faced a small 0.43¢/kg (19.5¢/lb) tariff, and from Australia, which was exempt from any tallow-specific tariffs under a free trade agreement with US. But starting on 5 April, both countries will be subject to at least the new 10pc charge on foreign imports. There are some carveouts from tariffs for certain energy products, but animal fats are not included. Some other major suppliers — like Argentina, Uruguay, and New Zealand — will soon have new tariffs in place too, although tallow from Canada is for now unaffected because it is covered by the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement. Brazil tallow shipments to the US totaled around 300,000t in 2024, marking an all-time high, but tallow shipments during the fourth quarter of 2024 fell under the 2023 levels as uncertainty about future tax policy slowed buying interest. Feedstock demand in general in the US has remained muted to start this year because of poor biofuel production margins, and that has extended to global tallow flows. Tallow suppliers in Brazil for instance were already experiencing decreased interest from US producers before tariffs. Brazil tallow prices for export last closed at $1,080/t on 28 March, rising about 4pc year-to-date amid support from the 45Z guidance and aid from Brazil's growing biodiesel industry, which is paying a hefty premium for tallow compared to exports. While the large majority of Brazilian tallow exports end up in the US, Australian suppliers have more flexibility and could send more volume to Singapore instead if tariffs deter US buyers. Export prices out of Australia peaked this year at $1,185/t on 4 March but have since trended lower to last close at $1,050/t on 1 April. In general, market participants say international tallow suppliers would have to drop offers to keep trade flows intact. Other policy shifts affect flows Even as US farm groups clamored for more muscular foreign feedstock limits over much of the last year, tallow had until now largely dodged any significant restrictions. Recent US guidance around 45Z treats all tallow, whether produced in the US or shipped long distances to reach the US, the same. Other foreign feedstocks were treated more harshly, with the same guidance providing no pathway at all for road fuels from foreign used cooking oil and also pinning the carbon intensity of canola oil — largely from Canada — as generally too high to claim any subsidy. But tariffs on major suppliers of tallow to the US, and the threat of additional charges if countries retaliate, could give refiners pause. Demand could rise for domestic animal fats or alternatively for domestic vegetable oils that can also be refined into fuel, especially if retaliatory tariffs cut off global markets for US farm products like soybean oil. There is also risk if Republicans in the Trump administration or Congress reshape rules around 45Z to penalize foreign feedstocks. At the same time, a minimum 10pc charge for tallow outside North America is a more manageable price to pay compared to other feedstocks — including a collection of charges amounting to a possible 69.5pc tax on Chinese used cooking oil. And if the US sets biofuel blend mandates as high as some oil and farm groups are pushing , strong demand could leave producers with little choice but to continue importing at least some feedstock from abroad to continue making fuel. Not all US renewable diesel producers will be equally impacted by tariffs either. Diamond Green Diesel operates Gulf Coast biorefineries in foreign-trade zones, which allow companies to avoid tariffs on foreign inputs for products that are ultimately exported. Biofuel producers in these zones could theoretically refine foreign tallow, claim a 45Z subsidy, and avoid feedstock tariffs as long as they ship the fuel abroad. Jurisdictions like the EU and UK, where sustainable aviation fuel mandates took effect this year, are attractive destinations. And there is still strong demand from the US food sector, with edible tallow prices in Chicago up 18pc so far this year. Trump allies, including his top health official, have pushed tallow as an alternative to seed oils. By Cole Martin and Jamuna Gautam Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Funding cuts could delay US river lock renovations

03/04/25

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03/04/25

Funding cuts could delay US river lock renovations

Houston, 3 April (Argus) — The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) will have to choose between various lock reconstruction and waterway projects for its annual construction plan after its funding was cut earlier this year. Last year Congress allowed the Corps to use $800mn from unspent infrastructure funds for other waterways projects. But when Congress passed a continuing resolutions for this year's budget they effectively removed that $800mn from what was a $2.6bn annual budget for lock reconstruction and waterways projects. This means a construction plan that must be sent to Congress by 14 May can only include $1.8bn in spending. No specific projects were allocated funding by Congress, allowing the Corps the final say on what projects it pursues under the new budget. River industry trade group Waterways Council said its top priority is for the Corps to provide a combined $205mn for work at the Montgomery lock in Pennsylvania on the Ohio River and Chickamauga lock in Tennesee on the Tennessee River since they are the nearest to completion and could become more expensive if further delayed. There are seven active navigation construction projects expected to take precedent, including the following: the Chickamauga and Kentucky Locks on the Tennessee River; Locks 2-4 on the Monongahela River; the Three Rivers project on the Arkansas River; the LaGrange Lock and Lock 25 on the Illinois River; and the Montgomery Lock on the Ohio River. There are three other locks in Texas, Pennsylvania and Illinois that are in the active design phase (see map) . By Meghan Yoyotte Corps active construction projects 2025 Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Trump to 'stand firm' on tariffs as markets crash

03/04/25

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03/04/25

Trump to 'stand firm' on tariffs as markets crash

Washington, 3 April (Argus) — President Donald Trump does not intend to back down from his plan for sweeping import tariffs that have already caused a sell-off in global equity markets and some commodities, administration officials say. The tariffs — which will start at 10pc for most imports on 5 April before steeper country-specific tariffs take effect on 9 April, with exceptions for some energy and mineral imports — have caused key stock indexes to drop by as much as 5pc, with even larger declines in crude futures, as investors brace for lower growth and a higher chance of a recession. Trump earlier today defended the tariffs, as he prepared to leave the White House for a dinner tonight at a golf tournament at one of his resorts in Florida. "THE OPERATION IS OVER! THE PATIENT LIVED, AND IS HEALING," Trump wrote in a social media post before major stock markets opened. Trump's cabinet has downplayed the short-term price effect of the tariffs, which they say will boost economic growth in the US and cause a resurgence in domestic manufacturing. US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick said he does not think there is "any chance" that Trump will rescind the tariffs, and said Trump will only begin to work on new trade deals once a country has "really, really changed their ways" on trade practices. "Trump is going to stand firm because he is reordering global trade," Lutnick said today in an interview with CNN. "Make no mistake about it, America has been exploited, and he is done allowing America to be exploited." Other administration officials have suggested a greater potential for lower tariffs in the near-term. US treasury secretary Scott Bessent has encouraged world leaders to "take a deep breath" and not to "panic" because the tariff rates that Trump announced were a "ceiling" that might come down, so long as there was no retaliation. "Don't immediately retaliate, let's see where this goes, because if you retaliate, that's how we get escalation," Bessent said on 2 April during interview on Fox News. The tariffs have caused bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill, but so far legislative action has been symbolic and unlikely to become law. The US Senate, in a bipartisan vote on 2 April, approved a joint resolution that would end the justification Trump has used to put tariffs on Canada. US senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) introduced a bill today to eliminate most new presidential tariffs after 60 days without approval by the US Congress. Democrats say the tariffs will force consumers to pay far more on everyday goods, with revenue offsetting Republican plans to provide more than $5 trillion in tax cuts. "Donald Trump is using tariffs in the dumbest way imaginable. In fact, Donald Trump slapped tariffs on penguins and not on Putin," US Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) said today, in reference to Trump's decision to put a 10pc tariff on an island populated only with penguins. Trump has claimed his country-specific tariffs are "reciprocal" even though they have no relation to the tariffs each country charges on US imports. Instead, Trump's tariffs were calculated based on a universal equation that is set at half of the country's trade deficit with the US, divided by the country's imports from the US, with a minimum tariff rate of 10pc. Major US trading partners are preparing for retaliatory tariffs. Canada's prime minister Mark Carney said he would respond to Trump's tariffs on automobiles, which took effect today, by "matching the US approach" and imposing a 25pc tariff on auto imports that do not comply with the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement. China said it was preparing unspecified countermeasures to US tariffs that would be set at 54pc. Trump's cabinet today dismissed the market reaction to the tariffs. Stock markets are going through a "short-term adjustment" but the tariffs will ultimately result in more growth and additional investments, US Small Business Administration administrator Kelly Loeffler said today in an interview on Fox News "The gravy train is over for the globalist elites," said Loeffler, who previously was a top executive at US exchange operator ICE. By Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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India allocates coke import quotas for FY2025-26

03/04/25

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03/04/25

India allocates coke import quotas for FY2025-26

Singapore, 3 April (Argus) — India has allocated more import quotas of calcined petroleum coke (CPC) from a year earlier for the April 2025-March 2026 fiscal year, while allocations of green petroleum coke (GPC) quota to calciners are marginally lower on the year. India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), which is part of the commerce and industry ministry, allocated a CPC import quota of 775,000t in a meeting last month, according to minutes reviewed by Argus . This was up from 500,000t in 2024-25. The DGFT allocated about 1.87mn t of GPC quota for 2025-26, marginally below the 1.9mn t granted for previous year. This quota was distributed among 25 calciners, with Rain CII Carbon securing the highest allocation of 462,589t for 2025-26, while fellow calciner Sanvira was granted permission to import 374,477t. Goa Carbon was granted a quota of 274,354t, while Paradip Calciner received a quota of 106,993t. Petro Carbon was given a quota of 83,583t, while Neo Carbons got an approval for imports of 66,871t. Brahmaputra Carbon and Guwahati Carbon secured 50,000t each. India Carbon (West Bengal) was granted a quantity of 49,563t, while India Carbon (Guwahati) received 43,828t. The remaining quota was distributed among 15 other calciners. The DGFT made the allocations in proportion to calciners' production capacity. In cases where calciners sought less than they were eligible for, the surplus was proportionately distributed among all the applicants. But in most of these cases, the allocated quantity was down from last year. The 775,000t CPC quota for 2025-26 was made to four aluminium smelters — Vedanta, Bharat Aluminium, Hindalco Industries, and state-controlled producer Nalco. Vedanta received 336,608t, Hindalco 262,126t, Bharat Aluminium 116,265t, and Nalco 60,000t. The GPC quota for calciners was hiked by 500,000 t/yr to 1.9mn t/yr from the 2024-25 fiscal year onwards, following a February 2024 order by the Commission for Air Quality Management. The order also raised the CPC quota to 800,000 t/yr with effect from the 2025-26 fiscal year, from 500,000 t/yr previously. Calciners and smelters are expected to purchase seaborne GPC and CPC based on these quotas and complete imports before 31 March 2026. Companies that are unable to fully utilise the approved quota must inform the DGFT by 31 October so that the unused quota is redistributed among other companies. Higher domestic supplies limit CPC imports A sharp increase in domestic CPC output and supplies in the last fiscal year, because of higher GPC import quotas and a price advantage compared to the seaborne market, limited smelters' imports of CPC. Most smelters were not able to use the allocated import quotas last year, said a market participant. It is unlikely that smelters would be able to entirely utilise the increased quota this year, he added. A higher CPC supply is already reducing India's demand for CPC imports from regions like China and the Mideast Gulf. Indian smelters are also finding themselves in a stronger position to negotiate domestic purchases and imported cargoes, with companies choosing domestic supply over imports from China. "This is an unusual situation as imported cargoes have been historically cheaper," one said. Meanwhile, domestic calciners are expected to continue to be aggressive in their pricing because of increased capacity use and higher economies of scale. Most imports will be done on a case-to-case basis when it offers a quality or price advantage, said another participant. Smelters received 350,800t of CPC over April 2024-February 2025, according to data from shipbroker Interocean. This was down from 491,000t a year earlier and well below the quota of 500,000t for the year ended 31 March. March data was not yet available but the total for 2024-25 should still be well below the quota. By Ajay Modi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Article 6 credits 'could provide CBAM cost flexibility'

02/04/25

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02/04/25

Article 6 credits 'could provide CBAM cost flexibility'

Lisbon, 2 April (Argus) — Allowing the use of credits issued under Article 6 of the Paris climate agreement for compliance with the EU's carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) could provide flexibility for developing countries that lack the capacity to set up their own carbon pricing systems in response to the measure, delegates at a conference in Lisbon, Portugal, heard today. The CBAM regulation provides for a carbon price already paid on a product in its country of origin to be deducted from CBAM costs, providing an incentive for countries importing products covered by the measure to the EU to introduce equivalent carbon pricing systems. But developing countries often lack the capacity to enact such policies, the chief sustainability and innovation officer at ACT Group, Federico di Credico, told delegates, and allowing the use of Article 6 credits for compliance could provide an alternative. This could in one form take place implicitly, di Credico said, if CBAM liabilities are adjusted down in relation to pricing systems that themselves allow some compliance using Article 6 credits. An example of this is Singapore, where 5pc of the country's carbon tax can be offset through the purchase of Article 6 internationally traded mitigation outcomes (Itmos). A more direct inclusion of Article 6 credits for compliance could entail a calculation on a euro-for-euro basis, di Credico suggested, for example reducing a CBAM liability of €100 to €50 if the importer has purchased €50-worth of Article 6 credits. Using a tonne-for-tonne basis would not work because the CBAM is not volume based, he said. But the uncertainty surrounding Article 6 credits means that their inclusion would bring an added layer of complexity to the CBAM, Cedric de Meeus of cement producer Holcim said. Article 6 credits are not usable in the EU emissions trading system (ETS), which forms the reference price for the CBAM, he pointed out, while not all activities producing Article 6 credits would be equivalent to the deep decarbonisation being carried out by European industry. It remains unclear how the EU will take into account carbon prices in other jurisdictions for the purposes of the CBAM. The CBAM regulation includes the ability to credit a "carbon price… effectively paid in the country of origin" but does not define what falls within this term, and the implementing regulation that will provide further detail on the matter has not yet been tabled. Article 6 of the Paris deal provides for two carbon pricing mechanisms allowing countries to collaborate voluntarily to reduce their emissions. Article 6.2, which is already fully operational, produces Itmos through bilateral agreements on emissions reduction or removal projects, while Article 6.4 establishes the soon-to-be-implemented Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (Pacm), a UN-regulated global carbon crediting system. By Victoria Hatherick Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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