September 2024
Yousheng Cement to establish cement plant at Douala 01 September 2021
Cameroon: China-based Yousheng Cement has announced plans for a cement plant at the port of Douala in the Littoral region. According to the Ecofin Agency, the country has five cement plants at present. Construction is due to begin on a separate project at the port of Kribi in mid-late 2021.
Uzbek government reduces taxes for cement companies 01 September 2021
Uzbekistan: The government has reduced cement producers’ income tax rate to 15% from 1 October 2021. The Uzbekistan Daily newspaper has reported that producers previously paid 20%.The government also halved the tax on limestone to US$2.11/t from US$4.22/t.
Joint study at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and Federal University of Pará develops reduced-CO2 cement alternative 01 September 2021
Germany/Brazil: Researchers at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in Saxony-Anhalt and the University of Pará in Pará have produced a cement alternative with 66% reduced CO2 emissions. A type of calcium sulphoaluminate cement, it replaces up to 60% of limestone in clinker with overburden from bauxite mining. Researchers demonstrated that the resulting product conforms to all standards for commercial Ordinary Portland Cement. The results of the research have been published in ‘Sustainable Materials and Technologies.’
Pakistan Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan urges government action against rising cement prices 01 September 2021
Pakistan: The Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD) has asked the government to appoint a commission to investigate rises in cement prices. The Pakistan Observer newspaper has reported that ABAD chair Fayyaz Ilyas alleged that producers had colluded as a cartel. He said that price rises have prevented the construction sector from being able to realise the aims of the Naya Pakistan housing scheme.
Cementos Molins to acquire Hanson Hispania’s Catalonian business 01 September 2021
Spain: Cementos Molins has agreed to acquire Hanson Hispania’s assets in Catalonia. The Expansión newspaper has reported that the business consists of two concrete plants and multiple quarries. It generated sales of Euro18m in 2020 and employs 41 people.
Chief executive officer Julio Rodríguez said "This operation will allow Cementos Molins to reinforce its presence in Spain and strengthen its leadership in sustainable concrete solutions in Catalonia." He added "The strategic location of the plants and quarries, close to the Barcelona metropolitan area, responds to our commitment to offer more efficient and sustainable solutions for homes and infrastructures."
Nepal: Huaxin Cement Narayani has completed construction of its 3000t/day Dhading cement plant in Bagmati and plans to commence production before November 2021. The Xinhua News Agency has reported that construction of plant, a joint venture of Vaidya’s Organisation of Industries and Trading Houses and China-based Huaxin Cement subsidiary Huaxin Central Asia Investment (Wuhan), started in early 2019 but was delayed by floods, disputes over land acquisition and the coronavirus pandemic. It is Nepal’s second cement plant backed by Chinese investors following the opening of Hongshi-Shivam Cement in 2018. In 2020, the country produced 7.49Mt of cement, towards serving a demand of 9.05Mt/yr nationally.
India: Dalmia Cement has signed three memoranda of understanding with the state government of Jharkhand. The memoranda provide that the Dalmia Bharat subsidiary will invest US$104m in expanding its cement operations in the state. The producer’s plans consist of a US$68.5m upgrade and capacity expansion to its Bokaro cement grinding plant. The project will increase the existing production line’s capacity to 3.7Mt/yr and add a new grinding line, bringing the total plant’s capacity to 6.3Mt/yr. In addition the cement producer will spend US$34m towards building a solar power plant and the remainder will be spent on setting up a waste management facility.
Belgium: Holcim Belgium is hosting a public meeting as a preliminary step towards applying for a permit to install a new kiln line at its Obourg cement plant in Mons. The line is intended to replace the existing kiln line as it reaches the end of its operational life. The subsidiary of Switzerland-based Holcim has called the proposed project Go4Zero. The new kiln will be designed to concentrate CO2 emissions to allow for capture and recovery. Limestone for the plant will be extracted from a quarry at Tournaisis and transported to the plant by railway.
Australian court finds former AdBri accounts manager guilty of deception and dishonest dealing 31 August 2021
Australia: A South Australian court has found former Adbri (formerly called Adelaide Brighton) accounts manager Glenda Burgess guilty of nine counts of deception and nine counts of dishonest dealing between 2009 and 2017. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has reported that Burgess increased AdBri’s customer Concrete Supply’s credit limits, concealed its debts and created ‘large’ manual entries in her employer’s accounts to benefit it. The company only paid around US$14.5m for cement worth US$23m during the period under investigation. However, the prosecution said that Concrete Supply was not complicit in the alleged crime. Sentencing for the case is due to take place later in 2021.
Myanmar: An outbreak of Covid-19 in Panglaung township, where 57 new cases have been recorded since late August 2021, allegedly originated at a cement plant. The Shan Herald Agency has reported that the Nagar cement plant in Si Kip, Shan state was allegedly flouting Covid-19 safety regulations. 21 employees of the plant have tested positive in the latest outbreak of the virus.