03 January 2023

Pakistan: Lucky Cement commenced clinker production from a new 3.15Mt/yr kiln line at its Pezu integrated cement in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in late December 2022. This latest expansion increases the producer’s domestic production capacity by 26% to 15.3Mt/yr, from below 12.2Mt/yr earlier in 2022. The company also operates cement plants in Democratic Republic of Congo and Iraq with an additional capacity of 4.4Mt/yr.

The International News newspaper has reported that Lucky Cement anticipates domestic cement demand to grow due to the rebuilding of homes destroyed by flooding in 2022.

India: Three cement producers plan to establish new plants in Shankragarh, south of the River Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj District. The Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority said that JK Cement has signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of a 2.5Mt/yr grinding plant, according to the Hindustan Times newspaper. Eco Cement plans to build a 4Mt/yr grinding plant, and KJS Cement a 2Mt/yr cement plant. All three companies have applied for no-objection certificates from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board.

Vietnam: Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) has forecast 6.1% three-year growth in national coal demand to 115Mt in 2025 from 108Mt in 2022. Four main industries – cement, fertilisers, metal and power generation – are expected to retain over 90% of the combined share of domestic consumption. Vinacomin expects national coal production to increase by 1.3Mt/yr over the period, retaining a 40 – 45% stake in the domestic market. Five-year consumption of imported lignite is forecast to rise to 70 – 75Mt throughout the period up to 2026.

Chile: A fire at Sites 1, 2, 3 and 5 of Puerto Ventanas port in Valparaíso Region has disrupted clinker transportation to Melón’s Puerto Ventanas cement plant. The La Tercera newspaper has reported that the fire destroyed a clinker conveying system connecting the port to the cement plant. The producer expects the damage to ‘significantly impact’ its cement production capacity for a period which it is ‘not yet possible to specify.’

Melón said, “We have deployed contingency and operational continuity plans in order to ensure our supply to our customers." It added that it could not yet quantify the ultimate impacts on its assets, liabilities or results.