09 October 2023

Romania: Holcim Romania has committed to an investment of over Euro25m to increase the production capacity of its cement plant in Campulung by approximately 20%. This would represent an expansion from 0.76Mt/yr to 0.9Mt/yr, according to the Argeşul newspaper. The company says that the investment will address both the existing need for more cement in the domestic construction market. It will also enhance the sustainability of the plant’s operation, streamline logistics and reduce the volume of CO2 emissions from the long-distance transport of building materials constructions.

UAE: Dubai Municipality has launched the world's first system for certification and conformity marks in the field of 3D printing in the construction industry. The Municipality says that this will serve as a proactive measure to streamline procedures and improve the quality of concrete mixes used in factories licensed and operating in the Emirate and that it will play a ‘pivotal role’ to advance Dubai’s leading position for cutting-edge and sustainable construction technology.

Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said “The certification and conformity mark system for factories and entities operating in the field of 3D printing for construction has been comprehensively established in alignment with Dubai Municipality’s proactive vision. This system embraces international best practices to provide exceptional services to both individuals and the community, thereby enhancing Dubai's global reputation and aligning with Dubai Municipality’s strategic objectives outlined in Dubai's 2030 Plan. Additionally, the system supports Dubai’s 3D printing strategy, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The strategy aims to utilise technology for the advancement of humanity and position the UAE and Dubai as prominent regional and global hubs for 3D printing technology.”

Alia Al Harmoodi, chief executive officer of the Environment, Health, and Safety Agency at Dubai Municipality, highlighted that the main focus of the new system includes assessing product and raw material quality, ensuring the efficiency of manufacturing equipment and machinery, defining technical standards of manufacturing operations at every stage of production, and ensuring efficiency of management systems within factories.

Moldova: The Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalisation has announced that Ukraine will cancel an existing anti-dumping duty on imports of Moldovan cement until 31 December 2023. Ukraine announced the move following constructive discussions held during a meeting of the co-chairs of the Moldovan-Ukrainian intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation held in Odesa, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

Moldovan Minister of Economic Development and Digitalisation Vadim Humene insisted that Ukraine cancel the anti-dumping duty so that Moldova did not have to ‘initiate trade defence processes’ regarding products that Moldova imports from Ukraine.

In addition to the temporary removal of the anti-dumping duty, the two countries expressed their readiness to help remove barriers to trade and simplify border controls to optimise the flow of goods, review environmental duties and ensure transparent, uniform application of legislation by both countries.

Algeria: The Chlef Cement and Derivatives Company, a subsidiary of GICA, has obtained the certificate of conformity to European standards (CE) for its GICA-Béton CEM I 42.5R cement product. It adds the CE mark to four other types of cement that already hold the same conformity certification, according to L’Expression newspaper. GICA- Béton CEM I 42.5.R is a high-performance Portland cement for concrete with rapid short-term strength, intended for cold areas, particularly in harsh winters, a season during which the formwork stripping period must be short. Its two day compressive strength is 20MPa.

India: Adani Group's cement businesses are looking to cut their reliance on distributors and wholesalers as the country's second-largest cement maker looks to boost its profitability. As part of a pilot project, Ambuja Cements and ACC have reduced the number of distributors from 12 to three in the south Gujarat region, which is home to half of the state's small and medium industries and a fifth of the state's population, according to the Mint newspaper. Both firms are expected to reduce the number of distributors across the wider country in the coming months.

"The profitability of the distributors is more than some of the cement manufacturers," said an executive privy to the development. "This needs to change. Once you have fewer distributors, they can continue making more money on volumes, provided they aggressively seek discounts. Both Ambuja and ACC are very strong brands and can do even better if we build an even better engagement with retailers. Additionally, all institutional sales will be done by ACC or Ambuja. So, if there is a large requirement for, say, a flyover project, instead of a wholesaler seeking a bulk order, the cement manufacturer will directly provide to the needs of the contractor."

Adani Group became India's second-biggest cement maker in May 2022 when it paid US$10.5bn to Holcim to buy Ambuja Cements and its subsidiary ACC.

Philippines: The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CMAP) is working with the government to attract both domestic and foreign investment to the sector to expand domestic production at low cost. Alongside the Philippine Iron Steel Institute (PISI), CMAP also renewed calls for the promotion of locally produced construction materials with the help of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), according to the Manila Bulletin newspaper.

CMAP President Reiner Dizon said “If you buy locally and if there is a problem, it's easy to chase or ask the manufacturer because it's here in the Philippines. Imagine if there is a problem with the cement but it comes from another country, it's quite a complicated process.” Dizon further stressed that enjoying local produce also benefits the economy and fellow Filipinos by creating a circular advantage where profits are shared among the community.

DTI Assistant Secretary Mary Jean Pacheco said that the DTI promotes local construction products and demonstrates confidence that local suppliers provide quality products. Pacheco assured CMAP and PISI that the DTI will strive to advocate standardised products to ensure safety and quality when using construction materials.