September 2024
Uzbekistan’s cement sales reach 14.6Mt in 2022 06 March 2023
Uzbekistan: A total of 14.6Mt of cement was produced in 2022, equivalent to 415kg/capita. The world average was 519kg/capita. Production rose by 69.3% between 2017 and 2022, in line with a 71.5% increase in construction rates.
Pakistani cement consumption drops in February 2023 06 March 2023
Pakistan: Cement consumption fell by 7.1% year-on-year in February 2023 with total dispatches reaching 4.04Mt against 4.35Mt dispatched in February 2022. According to the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), local cement dispatches by the industry during February 2023 were 3.59Mt compared to 3.94Mt in February 2022, a decline of 9%. Exports increased by 11%, as volumes rose from 405,489t in February 2022 to 449,940t in February 2023.
In February 2023, cement plants in the north of Pakistan dispatched a total of 3.01Mt of cement, down by 7.4% against 3.26Mt in February 2022. Cement plants in the south of Pakistan dispatched 1.03Mt during February 2023, 6.1% less than 1.09Mt during February 2022.
Northern cement plants supplied 2.95Mt to the domestic market, an 8.3% fall, while southern plants sold 640,645t, a 12.0% fall. Exports from the north rose by 58.2% as quantities increased to 64,717t. Exports from the south increased by 5.7% to 385,223t.
An APCMA spokesperson said that the economic situation in the country was becoming more complicated with each passing day. “We are facing serious operational problems. We need timely supply of spare parts and consumable items to ensure stable operation of our plants and we urge the government to come-up with practically applicable and industry friendly policies to enable the industry to come out of this difficult situation.”
Hoffmann Green granted second Chinese patent 06 March 2023
China: Hoffmann Green Cement, which produces clinker-free cement products has been granted a Chinese patent, No. CN 201880079822.X, for its clay-based H-EVA cement. The patent comes a year after a similar patent for its H-P2A binder.
H-EVA is a clinker-free cement that is based on an alkaline ettringitic technology. It uses activated clay and is presented in the form of a powder that can be stored in a silo. With a mechanical strength of up to 60MPa at 28 days, its strong technical performance makes it suitable for all types of concrete applications in buildings and on roads.
Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmann, co-founders of Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies, said "Following the granting of a first patent for our H-P2A technology, we are delighted to announce the strengthening of our intellectual property in the Chinese market with the granting of a patent for our clay-based H-EVA cement. This confirms once again our technological lead and the relevance of our low-carbon solutions".
Adani Group to build two cement plants in Andhra Pradesh 03 March 2023
India: Adani Group is planning to build two new cement plants in Andhra Pradesh with a combined production capacity of 10Mt/yr. Karan Adani, the son of the group’s founder Gautam Adani, made the announcement, among a slate of new investments being developed for the state, according to Business Today. At present the group does not have any cement production plants in Andhra Pradesh, although it does operate two ports at Krishnapatnam and Gangavaram respectively. The other projects include renewable power units with a capacity of 15,000MW and data centres.
Senegal: The International Finance Corporation (ICF) has arranged a Euro242m finance package for SOCOCIM Industries to build a new production line at its Rufisque cement plant in Dakar Region. Euro214m of the loans will be used to decarbonise cement production at the site, including a contribution towards a larger Euro260m upgrade project. The new planned production line will have an alternative fuels substitution rate of 70%, increased energy efficiency and will reduce the plant’s CO2 emissions.
The finance package organised by the IFC comprises a Euro120m loan from the IFC's own account and Euro122m equivalent in local currency parallel loans from Société Générale Sénégal, CBAO Groupe Attijariwafa Bank, Banque Internationale Pour Le Commerce et l'Industrie du Sénégal, and Ecobank Sénégal. Société Générale Sénégal has been appointed as the administrative agent to manage the local currency financing with the other lenders.
SOCOCIM is a subsidiary of France-based Vicat. Fives revealed in early 2022 that it would supply a 6500t/day kiln line for the Rufisque plant.
Alamo Cement launches solar power unit in Texas 03 March 2023
US: Alamo Cement has completed a new solar power unit that supports its integrated cement plant in San Antonio, Texas. The unit has a capacity of 17,800MWhr and is situated on an 18 hectare site. It is expected to generate up to 15% of the plant’s annual power consumption and reduce electricity costs.
Ireland: CRH is preparing to move its primary listing of shares to a US-based stock exchange. The group said in its financial results for 2022 that it had come to the conclusion that, “a US primary listing would bring increased commercial, operational and acquisition opportunities for CRH, further accelerating our successful integrated solutions strategy and delivering even higher levels of profitability, returns and cash for our shareholders.” It added that the US market represented around 75% of its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA). It expects that the US will be a ‘key’ driver of future growth for the company, with increases in infrastructure funding, a push for on-shoring of manufacturing activity and high levels of under-build in the residential construction market supporting this outlook.
The group plans to tell its shareholders in further details about the move in exchange. CRH plc will remain headquartered, incorporated and tax-resident in Ireland.
US: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that 10 cements plants have received its Energy Star certification in 2022 from a total of 86 manufacturing plants across all industries. The certification is awarded to the top 25% performers in energy efficiency in each sector. The EPA cited examples of how Titan America’s Troutville plant in Virginia and its Medley plant in Florida had converted production to Portland Limestone Cement (PLC), and achieved a 12% reduction in electricity use and an 18% reduction in CO2 emissions, respectively, thanks to improved energy management. It also mentioned Cemex’s Miami plant in Florida, which increased its energy performance in 2022 by modifying a finish mill, optimising the ball charge on the largest mill and identifying and correcting potential energy losses while also increasing the production of PLC.
Cement plants awarded the Energy Star certification in 2022 include: Drake Cement’s Paulden plant and Salt River Materials Group’ Clarkdale plant in Arizona; GCC’s Pueblo plant in Colorado, Cemex’s Miami plant and Titan America’s Medley plant in Florida; Argos USA’s Harleyville plant in South Carolina; GCC’s Rapid City plant in South Dakota; Buzzi Unicem USA’s Chattanooga plant in Tennessee; Titan America’s Troutville plant in Virginia; and Ash Grove Cement’s Seattle plant in Washington.
Etex joins the First Movers Coalition 03 March 2023
Belgium: Etex has joined the First Movers Coalition to help reduce carbon emissions related to cement production. The coalition seeks to explore options to reduce the carbon footprint of cement used in the building and construction industry by as much as 80% compared to the 2021 US emissions baseline. Etex wants to contribute to worldwide advanced research and development developments in the field of cement. Once developed, Etex and other players will help the new technologies gain ground by buying at least 10% near-zero cement per year of their total cement volume by 2030. The plan follows Etex’s 2030 decarbonisation target reduce greenhouse gas emissions (intensity of scopes 1 and 2) by 35% compared to 2018.
Etex is a light buildings materials manufacturer with products such as gypsum wallboard, insulation, building systems, cladding and fibre cement boards.
Anhui Conch releases update on domestic CCS plans and cement plant projects in Uzbekistan 03 March 2023
China/Uzbekistan: Anhui Conch has released an update on some of its major development projects. Its new plant at Tashkent in Uzbekistan has an investment of around US$260m. The company reports that 30,000m2 of equipment and materials have arrived, the rotary kiln supporting wheels have been hoisted in place, the main body installation of the coal mill has been completed, the structure of the dormitory building has been capped and the main factory area has begun to take shape. It is also building a plant at Brakbash District in Andijan State. Civil engineering and main engineering construction are reportedly underway. The company also has a third cement plant in the country. So far the group has built over 10 cement plants outside of China.
In China, Anhui Conch is building a CO2 energy storage demonstration project at its Baimashan cement plant in Wuhu, Anhui province. The group says that, once complete, the project will be the world's first commercial demonstration project of a CO2 energy storage system. It says that during the low power consumption period, the excess power will be used to compress CO2 at normal temperature and pressure into a liquid. The heat energy generated during the compression process will be stored. The stored heat energy will then be used to heat the liquid CO2 back into a gas, driving the turbine to generate electricity, reducing the cost of electricity. The demonstration project has an area of 40,000m2.
The cement producer says it is working towards a model of ‘one base and five industries’ where cement production links to other industries such as new energy, new materials, environmental protection, the digital economy and the promotion of international trade.