Displaying items by tag: Plant

Uruguay: Spain-based Cementos Molins and Brazil-based Votorantim Cimentos subsidiary Cementos Artigas plans to invest US$40m in upgrading its integrated Minas clinker plant with the addition of a vertical roller mill and new cement silos in order to consolidate its clinker production and grinding capacity at the site. The El Periodico newspaper has reported that, as a result, the producer will shut its Sayago grinding plant, leading to a net reduction in production costs of 40%.

Work will begin by early 2021 and the company will commission the new integrated production line in 2022. Cementos Molins chief executive officer (CEO) Julio Rodriguez said, “With this new investment we continue to develop our strategy, in which sustainability and respect for the environment are the first priority. At the same time, it is also a clear sign of our long-term commitment to the Uruguayan market where we have been present since 1991.”

Argentina: InterCement subsidiary Loma Negra’s nine-month net sales for the period ending 30 September 2020 were US$321m, down by 23% year-on-year from US$416m. Its net profit doubled to US$95.3m from US$44.9m.

Chief executive officer (CEO) Sergio Faifman said, “We feel very satisfied with the robust position with which we concluded the third quarter of 2020. We have improved our operational results with margins expansion on the back of a continuing sales volume improvement coupled with effective cost and price management.

Faifman continued, “additionally, we seamlessly executed the sale of our Paraguayan operation, an excellent deal in terms of value generation and timing. We optimised the proceeds from the transaction, creating value for our shareholders and, at the time, strengthening our already robust financial situation.” He added, “In the quarter, cement demand in Argentina continues to operate at two speeds. On one side, our bagged cement segment has taken a strong recovery path of 18% year-on-year business growth, mostly due to household and retail demand. By contrast, the bulk cement segment, as well as concrete and aggregates, are still affected by the very low levels of larger private and public works, the execution of which is still hampered by the coronavirus lockdown and its effects.”

The company said that its L’Amali cement plant upgrade – a “key element of our long-term strategy” – is on track, but that uncertainties around the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak meant that the new line would not necessarily be commissioned when scheduled in early 2021.

Philippines: Japan-based Taiheiyo Cement has approved plans for the installation of a new 3.0Mt/yr production line at its integrated San Fernando cement plant in Cebu. The project at subsidiary Taiheiyo Cement Philippines (TCPI) will cost around US$280m.

The company said that it decided to build the upgrade in response to four-year demand growth of 30% to 32Mt/yr in 2019 from 24Mt/yr in 2015, in line with economic growth in the Philippines. It said, “Despite demand shrinking in 2020 due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, it is expected to rise again with strong gross domestic product (GDP) recovery, estimated to be 5% in 2021, and the massive infrastructure investment programme ‘Build Build Build’.”

The company added, “The new line will offer significant advantages in terms of energy efficiency and will reduce CO₂ emissions from energy use in clinker production by more than 10% compared with the efficiency of the current line. Additionally, it is expected that the higher quality clinker produced with the new line will enable a reduction in the clinker factor and thereby realise a further CO₂ reduction per tonne of cement produced.” The line has the potential for expansion to 5.0Mt/yr production capacity.

Vietnam: Long Son Cement says that it has nearly completed the installation of a new kiln line at its Long Son cement plant. When commissioned in December 2020, the latest expansion will increase the plant’s capacity by 2.5Mt/yr to 7.0Mt/yr. The Việt Nam News newspaper has reported the cost of the upgrade as US$172m.

The new line is Vietnam’s 86th and brings the country’s integrated capacity to 106Mt/yr, against a domestic demand of 70Mt/yr.

South Korea: SungShin Cement has placed an order with Denmark-based FLSmidth for the supply of two HotPlate combustion devices for installation in lines three and six of its SungShin cement plant. The plant is in the transition from coal fuel to the possibility of 100% alternative fuel (AF) use in the two lines, which it plans to commission in mid and late 2021 respectively.

Team manager of production technology Cho K-R said, “With its degree of flexibility, the HotDisc allows us to substitute coal with a wide range of AFs – refuse-derived fuel (RDF) in our case. As we turn waste into energy, the HotDisc lowers our operating costs without compromising energy efficiency.”

FLSmidth previously delivered two HotDiscs to South Korea, to SsangYong’s Donghae and Yeongwool cement plants.

US: The Department of Energy has granted Cemex funding to “research and develop innovative carbon capture technology” at its Balcones, Texas cement plant. The company says that this will partly fund an 18-month feasibility study of partner company Membrane Technology & Research’s membrane carbon capture product at the plant. It says that, if successful, the study will be “an important advancement towards Cemex’s ambition to deliver net-zero carbon dioxide (CO₂) concrete globally by 2050.”

USA president Jaime Muguiro said, “At Cemex, sustainability is embedded in our operations and we are consistently looking for opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint. We strive to develop and gradually adapt new technology which will help us achieve our ambition to deliver net-zero CO₂ concrete to all of our customers. With this grant, we will be able to leverage our expertise to define the feasibility of implementing the membrane carbon capture technology in a cost-effective manner.”

Membrane Technology & Research has supplied membrane-based separation systems to the petrochemical, natural gas, and refining industries since 1992. Vice President of Technology Tim Merkel said, “Cement plant emissions are a good target for the CO2 capture membrane technology that we’ve been developing with Department of Energy support.” He added, “We look forward to working with Cemex on this exciting project to confirm that our technology can capture cement plant emissions at a minimal cost.”

China: The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has named Anhui Conch Cement subsidiary Chongqing Conch’s integrated cement plant in Chongqing State a National Green Factory for its “resource conservation, recycling and harmonious development.”

The company says that its efforts include “implementation of precision denitrification, wet flue gas desulfurisation, belt corridor noise reduction, electricity conversion bags, rainwater collection and other environmental protection technology reforms,” as well as co-processing domestic waste from the city of Chongqing as fuel. The plant has also undergone greening, and its 30,000 new trees form a habitat for wildlife. It said that the scenery also “greatly enhances employees' sense of happiness and gain.”

China: The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has named Huaxin Cement’s Yangxin plant in Hubei province on its National Green Manufacturing 2020 list. The list includes industrial facilities that have taken successful measures towards sustainability and pollution reduction.

The company said that the plants have together invested US$15m in “dust collection system transformation, rain and sewage separation projects, mill sound insulation and noise reduction treatment, kiln bypass air release and other large-scale environmental protection projects, supplemented by “greening and cleaning” and tree planting.” It added that the plant processes 219,000t/yr of refuse-derived fuel (RDF), saying, “This signifies our successful transformation from a traditional cement company to a green and environmentally friendly building materials company.”

Spain: LafargeHolcim España has signed an agreement with Carbon Clean, ECCO2 and gas systems specialist Sistemas de Calor for the installation of a carbon capture and storage (CCS) unit at its Carboneras integrated cement plant in Almeria. The company say that the installation will start in 2022 to capture 10% of CO₂ emissions with the eventual potential to capture 0.7Mt/yr of CO₂ and achieve 100% decarbonisation at the plant. The producer will supply the captured CO₂ to Sistemas de Calor for use in agricultural greenhouses, reducing the soil and water intensity of crop production.

Chief executive officer (CEO) Isidoro Miranda said, “Within the framework of our Ecological Transition Strategy, we are tackling climate change through innovative initiatives that allow us to develop low-carbon products and solutions. In our journey towards carbon neutrality, these types of collaborations are key. We hope that, working with our partners Carbon Clean, ECCO2 and Sistemas de Calor, we can develop this innovative circular model with the potential to revolutionise the cement sector and agriculture.”

On 20 November 2019 LafargeHolcim España committed a budget of around Euro20m to upgrades to reduce its cement plants’ CO₂ emissions by 90,000t/yr.

Nigeria: Dangote Cement truck drivers have used their vehicles to block entries to the company’s Obajana cement plant and a public road in protest to alleged illegal employment practices. The Daily Independent newspaper has listed the drivers’ alleged grievances as: salary deductions, including for damage to cement bags; arrests for no reason; and the sacking of 6000 drivers since 2016. The drivers are demanding the removal of National Director Transportation Juan Carlos Rincos and his deputy Babadinga Mohammed.

In response to the situation Dangote Cement said that, “the issues have been resolved.”