It's Raining, It's Pouring...
The deepening financial crisis in the US now threatens to turn a mild recession into a more severe downturn. The US economy is sliding further into recession, with the latest data showing declines in employment, industrial production, retail sales, consumer sentiment, home-building, and private nonresidential construction. After a mild contraction in the first quarter, real GDP is likely to decline more significantly in the spring quarter. Nariman Behravesh and Sara Johnson, Global Insight, USA, discuss the global repercussions of the deepening US financial crisis.
From the Past to the Future
Steve Arment, with Tina McIntyre, Bob Sylvia, and David Perkins, TXI Riverside Cement Company, USA, present the recently completed expansion project of the company's Oro Grande plant, now the most modern cement plant in the southwest.
Curbing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
With a new president taking office in November, overseas observers will be particularly interested to see if the US follows the recent Australian example of instant ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. The US is still pretty much alone as a non-player on the global stage but has made some significant strides in bringing its own initiatives into play, and on several fronts at once. These could have major implications for cement and concrete sector players in the US. Both the established Chicago Climate Exchange and the fledgling Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which involves ten north-east states, are implementing market-based mechanisms to reward active participants in emissions measurement and control. Peter Ion, Technical Author, Canada, reports.
Is Your Coal Plant Capable?
The continual drive for improved competitiveness within the global cement industry has meant that the vast majority of plant operators continue to pursue the reduction of fuel costs, whether by reducing specific fuel consumption or specific fuel cost. The move towards reduced specific fuel cost has resulted in the development and use of an extensive range of waste derived fuels; however, for some operators the technical, social, political, and/or geographical considerations can prevent them from being able to utilise these types of fuel. Often the only available approach for solid fuel users is to seek a cheaper alternative source of coal. Brian Boon, Senior Consultant, Cement Performance International Ltd, UK, discusses some of the problems faced by coal plant operators when utilising cheaper coals.
