September 2024
WH Resources to conduct limestone exploration in Kampot Province 23 January 2023
Cambodia: WH Resources plans to assess the feasibility of the Taken limestone reserve in Kampot Province's Chhouk District for exploitation. The Phnom Penh Post newspaper has reported that the company holds a licence to operate a 155 hectare mine at the site. The Cambodian Ministry of Mines and Energy said that, if its exploration is successful, WH Resources may proceed to establish a cement plant there.
The Cambodian cement sector has 9Mt/yr of cement capacity, but consumed 14Mt of cement in 2022.
Unacem Perú to 'significantly increase' cement capacity 23 January 2023
Peru: Unacem Perú plans to 'significantly increase' its cement production capacity 'in the medium-term future.' Prior to that, the producer will invest US$130m in capital expenditure during 2023, double what it invested in 2022. The investments will go towards slightly expanding the producer's capacity from 8.3Mt/yr and increasing alternative raw materials use in its cement production, including pozzolan and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS). Additionally, it will open its new Manchay limestone quarry in Pachacámac in early 2023.
Unacem said that it increased its cement sales 'unexpectedly' during 2022. It operated at 85 - 90% capacity utilisation, and continued to export clinker.
CIMAF orders Gebr. Pfeiffer vertical roller mill 23 January 2023
Senegal: Germany-based Gebr. Pfeiffer has received an order for an MVR 5000 R-4 vertical roller mill from Morocco-based Ciments de l'Afrique (CIMAF). CIMAF plans to install the mill at its Keur Moussa cement plant in Senegal. The mill has a capacity of 470t/hr, and will be equipped with an SLS 4000 VR classifier.
CIMAF hopes to reduce Senegal's reliance on imported cement from the time of the mill's commissioning, scheduled for early 2024.
HeidelbergCement Trading becomes Heidelberg Materials Trading 23 January 2023
Germany: The former HeidelbergCement Trading has announced its rebranding as Heidelberg Materials Trading. The trading and shipping arm of Heidelberg Materials said that the new name better reflects its products and services offering.
Cementos Artigas commissions Minas integrated cement plant 20 January 2023
Uruguay: Cementos Artigas has successfully commissioned its upgraded Minas integrated cement plant. The new plant consolidates the operations of the former 350,000t/yr Minas clinker plant and the 500,000t/yr Sayago grinding plant. Crónica Global News has reported that the project consisted of the construction of a new vertical roller mill and storage facilities at the Minas site. The work lasted 18 months and cost US$40m.
Cementos Artigas says that the Minas integrated cement plant will increase the efficiency and reduce the electricity and transport costs of its operations.
Bulgaria: The European Union (EU) Innovation Fund has awarded a Euro190m grant to Devnya Cement and oil and gas producer Petroceltic for their 800,000t/yr ANRAV carbon capture, transportation and storage project. Devnya Cement's parent company Heidelberg Materials says that the partners expect to commission the full-chain project in 2028.
Heidelberg Materials Northern and Eastern Europe-Central Asia board member Ernest Jelito said "Devnya Cement's Devnya plant will be the first carbon-neutral cement plant in the country and the region. ANRAV will also enable other industrial players to join the carbon chain in the future and share storage capacity. In this way, we want to not only decarbonise our company in Bulgaria, but also provide opportunities for the whole region."
Australian government to reduce industrial emissions limits 20 January 2023
Australia: The government plans to reform its CO2 emissions Safeguard Mechanism in line with its stated goal of net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Under the latest proposals, 215 industrial plants, including Australia's cement plants, will have to reduce their CO2 emissions by 4.9% year-on-year every year until 2030. The Australian newspaper has reported that the government is currently receiving submissions on the proposed reform as part of its consultation process, which will end on 24 February 2023.
The Business Council of Australia and the Australian Industry Group have encouraged the government to introduce an adjustment mechanism for imports, based on the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), in conjunction with any tightening of the Safeguard Mechanism.
Sri Lanka: Tokyo Cement Group has expressed its deepest condolences to the family of Ranjeevan Seevaratnam, a member of the company's board of directors, who died on 19 January 2023. Seevaratnam's board experience spanned multiple companies in the cement, activated carbon, agriculture, construction, consumer goods, engineering, rubber and transport industries. He held memberships in the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales.
Tokyo Cement described Seevaratnam as a 'visionary thought leader.'
Australia: The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has called for public comment on Switzerland-based Sika's proposed acquisition of Germany-based fellow construction chemicals producer MBCC Group. The commission has raised 'preliminary concerns' over the possible competition impacts of Sika obtaining an 80% Australian market share as a result of the deal.
Sika group responded to the ACCC's concerns with an offer of an undertaking to divest MBCC Group's entire Australia and New Zealand business.
Thai cement plant installs ThyssenKrupp Polysius' Prepol SC alternative fuels system 19 January 2023
Thailand: ThyssenKrupp Polysius says that it has successfully supplied and installed a Prepol SC alternative fuels (AF) system at a 12Mt/yr cement plant in Thailand. The system will supply the plant's four lines with 4000t/day of AF.
ThyssenKrupp Polysius' Asia Pacific CEO Lukas Schoeneck said "Asia Pacific, with its tremendous municipal solid waste (MSW) problem, is ideal when it comes to replacing coal with AF. The Prepol SC technology significantly reduces the need to treat MSW before using the inherent calorific value. Additionally, it helps to further reduce the ambitious CO2 limit targets in the region."