14 May 2020

Greece: Titan Cement has reported net losses after tax of Euro16.3m in the first quarter of 2020, up by 122% year-on-year from Euro7.34m in the first quarter of 2019. Revenue also increased, by 6.1% year-on-year to Euro385m from Euro363m. Titan Cement said, “Since mid-March 2020 the outbreak of the coronavirus had a significant, although unevenly distributed, impact on demand for our products. The early impact of the pandemic on our sector was less severe than what was initially feared. Construction has been deemed to be an essential service in most markets and all our cement plants continued their operations, adjusting their production to satisfy the current level of demand.”

Germany: ThyssenKrupp has reported a first-half net loss before tax for the fiscal year 1 October 2019 – 30 September 2020 of Euro743m compared to a profit of Euro45.0m for the first half of the previous fiscal year. Net sales fell by 3.0% year-on-year to Euro19.8bn from Euro20.4bn. The period brought a medium-sized cement line order from the US and a low-CO₂ calcined clays cement plant order from Cameroon. As a result of the coronavirus crisis, ThyssenKrupp has cut 3000 jobs on a short-to medium-term basis.

ThyssenKrupp chief financial officer (CFO) Klaus Keysburg said, “Irrespective of the current difficult environment, we are convinced that the Steel Strategy 2030 is the right response to the enormous challenges facing the steel sector.”

Sweden: The Committee for European Construction Equipment (CECE) and the Swedish Association for Construction Equipment (SACE) have announced that the CECE Congress will take place on 8 October 2020 via livestream from Stockholm. CECE said, “In the world of digitalisation, acknowledging the unprecedented situation that the COVID-19 outbreak has imposed on Europe, we present to you a digital CECE Congress.” CECE said that the event would be of interest to anyone involved in the cement industry. Attendance is free of charge.