30 May 2024

Canada/US: Béton Provincial has concluded a transaction with CRH Canada Group to acquire several assets located in Quebec, Newfoundland, Labrador and New York.

President of Béton Provincial André Bélanger said "This significant milestone highlights the journey undertaken by Béton Provincial since its foundation in Quebec in 1960. We are very proud to see that a 100% Canadian-owned company is now making its mark alongside the major multinational players in its industry.”

India: Heidelberg Cement India recorded a 38% year-on-year increase in net profit, reaching US$5.7m for the quarter ended 31 March 2024, up from US$4.1m. The company's net revenue fell slightly by 1% year-on-year to US$71.5m from US$72.3m. Operating expenses decreased by 5% to US$61m, contributing to a 29% year-on-year growth in operating profit to US$10.7m. Interest expenses and taxation also rose by 31% and 29%, reaching US$967,000 and US$2m respectively.

Belgium: The Alliance for Low-Carbon Cement & Concrete (ALCCC) has marked its first anniversary with a new policy roadmap aimed at achieving net zero emissions by 2040. Initiated in May 2023, the alliance brings together environmental NGOs and industry stakeholders to transform the cement and concrete sectors. The ALCCC has grown significantly, now comprising 25 members.

Senior programme manager Joren Verschaeve from ECOS, the coordinator of ALCCC, said "Our members show that the technologies needed to make low-carbon cement and concrete the norm already exist. This uniquely positions our Alliance to raise the alarm when policies and standards lead to unfair competition instead of a greener future – and the latter is perfectly achievable if policymakers implement our roadmap."

Ukraine: Companies belonging to the Ukrcement association increased their cement production by 46% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024, producing 1.48Mt, according to the Ukrcement press service. This nearly matches the pre-war production levels of early 2021, which saw 1.56Mt of cement produced. However, clinker production fell by 9% to 878,500t during the same period.

Algeria: Algeria has initiated the export of 46,000t of cement to the US, overseen by Trade Minister Tayeb Zitouni at the port of Annaba.

Minister Tayeb Zitouni said “This operation is part of our ongoing efforts to develop and diversify Algerian exports to foreign markets. This demonstrates the government's commitment to increasing and diversifying our exports. We are also committed to supporting export businesses and streamlining administrative procedures to promote sector growth.”