28 May 2024

Thailand: Siam Cement Group (SCG) has begun construction of a commercial heat battery supplied by Rondo Energy at its cement plant in Saraburi Province. It will be the first heat battery in Southeast Asia and the first heat battery deployed at a cement plant, according to the company. The project is a collaboration between Rondo Energy and SCG Cleanergy, a wholly owned subsidiary of SCG. Rondo Heat Batteries capture intermittent electricity and store energy as high temperature heat in bricks, to deliver continuous industrial heat and power on demand. This installation will convert local solar power into continuous zero-carbon heat and power for cement production.

President of Rondo Energy, Eric Trusiewicz, said "Electrification of cement production requires a large-scale and low-cost energy storage solution, as renewables are not available 24/7 but cement production needs to be."

Indonesia: PT Kobexindo Cement has entered an agreement to construct a new cement plant in South Aceh, despite a national moratorium on such developments. The project, under China-based Hongshi Holding Group subsidiary Zhejiang Hongshi Cement, plans a US$621m investment for a facility with a 6Mt/yr capacity, according to the Jakarta Post.

The Indonesian central government's moratorium, aimed at curbing oversupply in the cement market, prohibits new cement plants except in specified eastern regions. This edict arose as national cement production significantly exceeded demand, according to the Indonesia Cement Association (ASI).

ASI president Lilik Unggul Raharjo said that the move by South Aceh regency not only violated the ban but also threatened the viability of three state-owned cement companies in Sumatra. Raharjo said "These companies are guaranteed to go out of business. The Industry Ministry will conduct a technical verification of foreign direct investment in the cement industry before the permit is issued.”

Jamaica: Caribbean Cement's US$40m expansion project is set to complete by the first quarter of 2025, boosting cement production by 30%. Managing director Jorge Martinez confirmed the progress during a factory tour hosted by the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA), according to RJR News.

Spain: Cement consumption has increased by 11.5% year-on-year in April 2024, reaching 1.3Mt, which is 136,000t more than April 2023, according to the latest statistics published by the Cement Manufacturers Association (Oficemen).

For the first four months of 2024, cement consumption amounted to 4.65Mt, marking a year-on-year decline of 4.5% compared to the same period in 2023. This represents a loss of 218,000t. Over the last 12 months (May 2023 - April 2024), cement consumption also fell by 4.5%, with total consumption standing at 14.3Mt, 672,700t less than the previous period.

Exports fell nearly 24% in April, amounting to 387,500t. For the year to date, from January to April 2024, exports have reached 1.45Mt, a decrease of 25.3% compared to the same period in 2023. Over the last 12 months, exports have dropped below 5Mt, nearly 1Mt less than the previous year.

Oficemen's general manager, Aniceto Zaragoza, said "This is the first positive month after ten months of decline. However, this percentage growth was influenced by the calendar effect, as this April had more working days due to Easter being in March, not April as last year. In fact, the average daily consumption figures, which are more sensitive to the number of working days, show a decline of 8.8%."

Azerbaijan: Norm Sement Company will utilise sludge from drilling wells for powering its cement plant, following an agreement with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), according to Trend. The plant has a capacity exceeding 2.1Mt/yr of cement and 5300t/day of clinker.

A source said "In collaboration with SOCAR, we tried sludge to power Norm Sement last year. Negotiations on a long-term deal are underway. Cooperation to use industrial waste supports the country's green economy strategy.”