11 September 2024

Guatemala: Cemex has sold its operations in Guatemala to Holcim Group for US$200m. The deal includes one grinding mill, three ready-mix plants and five distribution centres. The grinding mill has a capacity of 0.6Mt/yr.

CEO of Cemex Fernando González said "In 2024, we have accelerated the execution of our portfolio rebalancing strategy with the announced sale of more than US$2bn in assets located primarily in emerging markets. We are now primed for the next stage by redeploying most of the divestment proceeds in developed markets, primarily the US. We expect these efforts to drive sustainable growth for our business in the short and medium term."

US: The Continental Cement Davenport plant in Buffalo, Iowa, has celebrated the expansion of its facility, which now enables the reuse of post-consumer materials. This initiative will substitute approximately 50,000t/yr of fossil fuels with discarded materials that would otherwise be incinerated or sent to landfill.

Pakistan: Maple Leaf Cement has reported a consolidated profit after tax of US$5.6m for the quarter ending June 2024, with sales revenue increasing by 5% to US$56.4m from US$53.8m year-on-year. The cost of sales dropped by 10%, boosting the gross profit by 44% year-on-year to US$21.7m.

Vietnam: Vietnam exported 2.3Mt of cement and clinker worth US$90m in August 2024, down by 17% and 23% year-on-year, respectively. From January to August 2024, exports totalled 20.5Mt valued at US$789m, marking declines of 4% in volume and 14% in value compared to the same period of 2023. In 2023, the country earned US$1.33bn from 31.4Mt of exports, a fall of 1% in volume and 4% in value year-on-year.

India: Residents near the proposed cement plant site in Garhshankar, Hoshiarpur district, are holding a public hearing on 11 September 2024, disputing the legitimacy of a previous meeting held by the Punjab Pollution Control Board and local authorities on 19 January 2024. The Vatavarn Bachao Sangharash Committee, representing 24 villages, claims the initial hearing was manipulated and poorly attended by local villagers.

Convener Tarsem Singh said "Three villages - Naryala, Sardullapur and Badhoaan - are in the immediate vicinity of the proposed plant. Around 30 villages are in its 5km radius. Representatives from these villages have already been holding meetings for eight months after we came to know about the proposal. We have also been sending representatives to authorities. Now our teams are visiting these villages daily to mobilise wider public participation, so that people can express their views."