Japan: JFE Steel and Innoqua, a startup linked to the University of Tokyo, are working on using slag as an artificial bed for coral reef restoration. JFE Steel has recently installed a 1m fish tank in the lobby of its Tokyo-based headquarters as part of a feasibility test for the biodiversity initiative, according to the Nikkei newspaper. The companies are testing Marine Block, a product made from slag that is processed using a proprietary technique to allow coral to attach to it easily. The initiative will examine which species of corals are most likely to attach to the Marine Block, the ideal growing conditions and then move on to larger-scale coral breeding.

The Japanese steel industry produces over 35Mt/yr of slag. The majority of it is used in infrastructure projects. JFE Steel hopes to use about 10% of the slag it produces in 2030 in port and marine applications.

US: Montana Environmental Trust Group says that it has awarded a contract for the haulage of 2Mt of zinc slag from the East Helena slagheap in Montanato New York-based Metallica Commodities Corporation. Montana Environmental Trust Group said that Metallica Commodities Corporation will convey 20,000t/month of slag by rail to Vancouver for export. The volume corresponds to 14% of a 14Mt supply contract with a South Korea-based zinc smelting company.

India: The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) has certified the sustainability claims of Dalmia Cement’s portfolio of blended cements. The portfolio consists of composite cement, Portland pozzolan cement and Portland slag cement. The council employed a full-cycle assessment of the cements’ impacts.

Head of sales, marketing and logistics Sanjay Wali said “We see GreenPro’s accreditation as a milestone in our journey to becoming carbon-negative by 2040. This also reaffirms our blended cement products’ green supremacy, which is accelerating the global transition from a grey to green reality.”

US: Harsco Environmental has launched its new ecoproducts business, the renamed version of its former applied products business. The company said that the name change reflects the division’s capabilities as an end-to-end solutions provider. It added that it will combine value, performance and sustainability with a grounding in innovation. The cement sector is one of seven industries which the company’s applied products division has previously supplied with slag.

Vice president and chief operating officer Russ Mitchell said “Where most see waste, we see unimagined value. Since our inception, Harsco Environmental has been renowned for its vast service offerings and has remained at the front lines for our customers.” He added “As we evolve into an environmental solutions provider, we are committed to increasing our sustainable offerings. Our rebranding to ecoproducts better represents what this product line offers to all stakeholders, the industry and our customers.”

The company has also redesigned its website to ‘enhance the user experience.’