17 August 2022

New Zealand: Fletcher Building Materials recorded consolidated sales of US$5.37bn during its 2022 financial year, up by 4.7% year-on-year from US$5.13bn in the previous year. Its net earnings also rose by 42%, to US$273m from US$193m.

The group's concrete division, which includes Golden Bay Cement, contributed US$556m-worth (9%) of group sales. The figure represents an 8% increase from 2021 financial year levels. The business recorded 'strong performances' across all key product segments, underpinned by 'robust' demand and pricing. It made capital expenditure investments of US$51.1m, including in a waste tyre recycling system upgrade at the Golden Bay cement plant. The latter increased the plant's alternative fuel (AF) substitution to 50% from 35%. The company also continued to focus on developing low-CO₂ concrete binders.

Fletcher Building Materials chief executive officer Ross Taylor said "The 2022 financial year has not been without its challenges. Global and national supply chain disruptions have continued into the third year of the Covid-19 pandemic." He added "The New Zealand Commerce Commission recently published its interim market study report into residential building supplies. The final report and recommendations will be published in December 2022 and in the meantime we will continue to work collaboratively with both the commission and the government."

Turkey: KÇS Kipaş Çimento has placed an order with KHD Humboldt Wedag for a Pyrorotor for its Kahramanmaraş cement plant. The supplier says that the equipment will enable the plant's calciner to achieve an alternative fuel (AF) substitution rate of 90%. It will additionally restrict NO_x emissions to 800mg/Nm³. After a short shutdown for assemblage of gas duct connections, KHD expects to commission the upgraded system in mid-to-late 2023.

The company says that the KÇS Kipaş Çimento contract represents its 11th Pyrorotor order globally and the first in Turkey.

Czech Republic: Lafarge Cement says that it has achieved an alternative fuel (AF) thermal substitution rate of 95% at its Čížkovice cement plant. The plant's fuel mix includes contaminant fractions from local plastic recycling. As a result of the move, the plant no longer uses any natural gas in its cement production.

In 2022 as a whole, the producer plans to increase its share of reduced-CO2 cement sales, increase construction waste recycling in its products and reduce its cement's water consumption.

Australia: James Hardie has informed investors that it has frozen all non-critical hiring. The Australian newspaper has reported that the move is designed to counteract the impacts of a rise in costs. The company also plans to announce a new round of price rises on its products.

Tajikistan: Cement production fell by 7% year-on-year to 2Mt in the first half of 2022 from 2.16Mt in the same period in 2021. The Avesta News Agency reports no reason for the decline but it noted that the construction sector had grown so far in 2022. The country’s cement industry exports around 1.5Mt/yr to neighbouring countries including Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Afghanistan: Ghori Cement has restarted production at its Baghlan plants near Pul-e-Khumr in Baghlan province after a stoppage of four months. Production halted at the units due to the high price of coal, according to Pajhwok Afghan News. The government is now supplying coal to the plants at a pre-agreed price. Other local news sources report that production has increased to 520t/day from 350t/day previously, following work on a variety of technical issues.

India: Visaka Industries plans to spend US$15m towards building a new fibre cement board plant in the Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal. The unit will be the company’s fifth cement board plant and the first in the state, according to the Press Trust of India. The project will include solar power generation via roof panels.

Burundi: The government is preparing to allow imports of cement into the country for a designated period in an effort to tackle rising prices. The cabinet announced the plan following a difference being recorded between reference prices and the actual market price, according to the East African newspaper. The measures will also allow for sugar imports. Local cement producer Burundi Cement Company (BUCECO) has called for the government to start a price review first before relaxing import rules. It wants to increase its prices due to growing raw material and transport costs.