27 September 2021

Kazakhstan: Korcem, a joint venture of International Cement Korday and Nurzhan Shakirov, plans to invest US$150m in the upcoming 1.5Mt/yr Korday cement plant in Zhambyl region. The company has a mining licence for 11ha of land in Korday district. International Cement Korday, a subsidiary of Singapore-based International Cement Group, holds 88% of shares in the venture. The plant is scheduled for commissioning in mid-2023.

Chair Ma Zhaoyang said “With our accumulated capabilities and experience in the cement industry in Central Asia, as well as Nurzhan Shakirov’s extensive local expertise in Kazakhstan, we are confident that this joint venture will be another success.”

India: Dalmia Cement has begun cement production at the new 2.3Mt/yr Line 2 of it Kapilas cement plant near Cuttack in Odisha. The plant now commands a production capacity of 4.0Mt/yr.

India: Orient Cement has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Adani Power Maharashtra for the establishment of a grinding plant on land belonging to the latter. The power company will secure a licence to sublet its land to Orient Cement and for the producer to use railway sidings at the site. Orient Cement plans to begin work on the project before April 2022.

Taiwan: The Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards (AREA) awarding body has named Taiwan Cement Corporation among winners in the Green Leadership category at its 2021 event. The company won the award for its concrete product traceability system, which enables customers to access production details via QR code. The system achieved 100% traceability in 2020. Taiwan Cement Corporation is committed to carbon neutral cement production by 2050.

Poland/US: Holcim has announced two new acquisitions in the area of raw materials and aggregates. In Poland, it has acquired granulated calcium carbonate producer Polcalc. The company employs 78 people. In the US, the group has acquired Utah-baed Utelite. The company produces lightweight aggregates and employs 40 people.

CEO Jan Jenisch said “We are pleased to welcome the employees of Utelite and Polcalc and look forward to their experience and capabilities. These two bolt-on acquisitions strengthen our presence in two important growth markets while contributing to Holcim’s overall strategy to expand our range of low-carbon products and solutions.”