10 November 2020

Vietnam: Long Son Cement says that it has nearly completed the installation of a new kiln line at its Long Son cement plant. When commissioned in December 2020, the latest expansion will increase the plant’s capacity by 2.5Mt/yr to 7.0Mt/yr. The Việt Nam News newspaper has reported the cost of the upgrade as US$172m.

The new line is Vietnam’s 86th and brings the country’s integrated capacity to 106Mt/yr, against a domestic demand of 70Mt/yr.

South Korea: SungShin Cement has placed an order with Denmark-based FLSmidth for the supply of two HotPlate combustion devices for installation in lines three and six of its SungShin cement plant. The plant is in the transition from coal fuel to the possibility of 100% alternative fuel (AF) use in the two lines, which it plans to commission in mid and late 2021 respectively.

Team manager of production technology Cho K-R said, “With its degree of flexibility, the HotDisc allows us to substitute coal with a wide range of AFs – refuse-derived fuel (RDF) in our case. As we turn waste into energy, the HotDisc lowers our operating costs without compromising energy efficiency.”

FLSmidth previously delivered two HotDiscs to South Korea, to SsangYong’s Donghae and Yeongwool cement plants.

Australia: James Hardie’s group sales rose by 4% to US$1.36bn in the first half of its 2021 financial year from US$1.32bn in the first half of its 2020 financial year. Its adjusted earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) were US$288m, up by 11% from US$258m.

Jack Truong said, “Delivering these record results is a confirmation that the global strategy we launched in early 2019 to transform James Hardie into a high-performing, world-class organisation is on track and is accelerating. This is now the sixth consecutive quarter that our team has delivered growth above market with strong returns.”

India: JK Cement recorded sales of US$339m in the first half of the 2021 financial year, down by 3% from US$348m in the first half of the 2020 financial year. Profit after tax for the period rose by 15% to US$40.6m from US$35.4m, partly due to a 5% decrease in total expenses to US$285m from US$301.

In comments about the coronavirus pandemic the group said, “With gradual resumption of overall economic activities, operations have started moving towards normalcy."

Philippines: Phinma Group subsidiary PhilCement has committed to the adoption of the Department of Trade and Industry’s new labelling regulations for cement. The Manila Bulletin newspaper has reported that the producer agreed to cooperate with the department in the interests of the country’s construction materials’ quality and stability. This followed on from a deadlock when the department suspended cement bag printing to ensure than no new cement bags marked ‘Product of the Philippines’ were able to enter circulation containing imported cement.

In a joint statement, Phinma Group and the Department of Trade and Industry said, “DTI and Phinma Group are in full agreement that this clarity in labelling conventions would help consumers in selecting and deciding on the cement products they prefer. This will also strengthen the country’s ability to support and patronise locally manufactured products.” The department also reiterated its commitment to ensuring that all cement producers uphold consumer welfare by supplying affordable cement.

US: The Department of Energy has granted Cemex funding to “research and develop innovative carbon capture technology” at its Balcones, Texas cement plant. The company says that this will partly fund an 18-month feasibility study of partner company Membrane Technology & Research’s membrane carbon capture product at the plant. It says that, if successful, the study will be “an important advancement towards Cemex’s ambition to deliver net-zero carbon dioxide (CO₂) concrete globally by 2050.”

USA president Jaime Muguiro said, “At Cemex, sustainability is embedded in our operations and we are consistently looking for opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint. We strive to develop and gradually adapt new technology which will help us achieve our ambition to deliver net-zero CO₂ concrete to all of our customers. With this grant, we will be able to leverage our expertise to define the feasibility of implementing the membrane carbon capture technology in a cost-effective manner.”

Membrane Technology & Research has supplied membrane-based separation systems to the petrochemical, natural gas, and refining industries since 1992. Vice President of Technology Tim Merkel said, “Cement plant emissions are a good target for the CO2 capture membrane technology that we’ve been developing with Department of Energy support.” He added, “We look forward to working with Cemex on this exciting project to confirm that our technology can capture cement plant emissions at a minimal cost.”