15 February 2021

US: HeidelbergCement subsidiary Lehigh Cement has resumed work on an expansion at its 0.8Mt/yr Mitchell, Indiana cement plant with the execution of initial project plans and the delivery of materials to the site. Local media has reported that the upgrade will cost US$600m and create 1000 construction jobs over a four year project timeline.

Mitchell cement plant manager Tracy Crowther said, “We are currently receiving parts and over the summer this will continue to get busier. Much of the equipment will come in through a port near Louisville and will be hauled by truck up here. There will be some large equipment that will be moved in.”

On April 2020 it was reported that Lehigh Cement had suspended work on a 2.0Mt/yr expansion of the Mitchell plant to 2.8Mt/yr, on which it had broken ground in October 2019. The scheduled completion date moved to late 2023 from September 2022.

China: Germany-based supplier IKN says that its customer Jidong Group has started up a 6200t/day-capacity cooler at its Lincheng cement plant in Hebei province. The supplier also said that installation of another cooler for the cement producer for a new production line was underway and scheduled for completion later in 2021.Jidong Group completes IKN cooler installation

Chile: The protest organisation Frente de Defensa de Islay has launched a challenge against the legality of Cbb’s planned 200,000Mt/yr Arequipa grinding plant in the Port of Matarani. The La República newspaper has reported that the organisation says that the plans would violate Islay district’s urban zoning law due to the risk of contamination.

The producer plans to complete the US$20m plant in mid-2021. It acquired the project from Inversiones Primax in 2019.

Nigeria: Dangote Cement has donated a total of 10 auto rickshaws to cement plant and limestone mine host communities in Akpata, Iwaa, Obajana and Owo. The Nigerian Tribune newspaper has reported that the aim of the donations is to support business and community transportation. Deputy general manager Ademola Adeyemi said that these fall under the company’s corporate social responsibility.