The past 12 months have seen continued growth in the US cement sector, with demand continuing to rise rapidly following the economic crisis of 2008. Here Global Cement looks at the US cement market at the start of 2015, including production and consumption trends, the main players and possible future scenarios.
Croatia has a relatively small cement industry with five cement plants, three of which are owned by Cemex Croatia, Croatia's only oil well cement producer. The Sv Juraj cement plant in Kaštel Sućurac, Kaštela is Cemex's most energy-efficient worldwide for specific heat consumption. It is also American Petroleum Institute (API) certified for oil well cement production. Here Global Cement reports on its recent visit to the plant, where Cemex Croatia's cement operations director Marijan Vuko described the company's operations.
The most southerly countries of Africa: Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe, are of varying sizes and levels of economic development. This is reflected in their cement industries, which collectively share a production capacity of 23.3Mt/yr, according to research conducted for the forthcoming Global Cement Directory 2015. Here we look at the producers and suppliers to each market, as well as recent developments and future scenario.
The 0.5Mt/yr Norcem plant in Kjøpsvik, Nordland, Norway is the most northerly cement plant in the world, operating inside the Arctic Circle at 68° North. One of two Norcem plants in the country, it has been on the same site since 1918, although it has been extensively upgraded over the years, most recently by FLSmidth in 1991 - 2. Today, its compact site and scenic location, on the side of the Tysfjord and almost on top of Kjøpsvik village, provide unique challenges in terms of logistics, environmental protection and planning for the future. Global Cement's Peter Edwards recently visited the plant, speaking with key staff from the plant and HeidelbergCement Northern Europe, of which Norcem is a part.
The Kingdom of Morocco is a Constitutional Monarchy located in the extreme north west of Africa and to the south of the Iberian Peninsula across the Strait of Gibraltar. Next to the vital trade routes that pass through the Strait from the Mediterranean and further afield, Morocco has developed a mixed economy based on exports to its EU neighbours. Its location, along with a relatively stable political situation, has ensured steady economic growth. The country ranks in the top quarter of African nations in terms of GDP/capita.
