Displaying items by tag: Puerto Rico

Bahamas: Cementos Argos has supplied nearly 10,000t of cement, accounting for 85% of the total required for the construction of Disney Cruise Line's new 700m-long pier at Lighthouse Point on Eleuthera Island. The project cost US$250m and is part of expansion plans to accommodate over one million visitors annually. Cement was sourced through the company’s exports from Puerto Rico between 2022 and 2024.

US: Shipments of Portland and blended cement, including imports, in the US and Puerto Rico in July 2023 came to an estimated 9.3Mt, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The figure was 2.1% lower than in July 2022, when 9.5Mt of cement was shipped. Of the total blended volume reported in July 2023, 4.9Mt (98%) was estimated to be Portland-limestone cement.

US-wide shipments for the January 2023 to July 2023 period came to 60.4Mt, a 2% decrease from 61.7Mt reported in the same period of 2022. The leading producing states for Portland and blended cement in July 2023 were, in descending order: Texas; Missouri; California; Florida; and Michigan. Together these five states accounted for 39% of all cement produced in the country during the month. The leading cement-consuming states were, in descending order: Texas; California; Florida; Georgia; and Ohio. Together these states jointly received 38% of all shipments in July 2023.

US: The Portland Cement Association (PCA) has announced the winners of its 2023 Safety Innovation and Chairman's Safety Performance Awards.

The Safety Innovation Award Program recognises companies that have developed innovative practices, projects and programs that improve safety at cement plants in the US. Entries are judged in five areas: innovation, ease of use and ease of construction, effectiveness and risk prevention. The recipients were:

• Distribution: Continental Cement, Continental Port Allen Terminal, Chesterfield, Missouri
• Quarry: CalPortland Company, CalPortland Oro Grande Plant, Oro Grande, California
• Pyroprocessing: GCC of America, GCC Tijeras Plant, Tijeras, New Mexio
• General Facility: Mitsubishi Cement Corporation, Mitsubishi Cushenbury Plant, Lucerne Valley, California

The Chairman’s Safety Performance Awards are given to member cement plants that did not have a reportable injury or illness during the year. Fifteen plants achieved this in 2023, which represented more than 10% of all active cement facilities in the US and its territories. The recipients were:

• Argos USA, Atlanta, Georgia
• Argos USA, Newberry, Florida
• Argos Puerto Rico Corp, Dorado, Puerto Rico
• Ash Grove Cement Company (CRH), Durkee, Oregon
• Ash Grove Cement Company (CRH), Midlothian, Texas
• Buzzi Unicem USA, Chattanooga, Tennessee
• Buzzi Unicem USA, Maryneal, Texas
• CalPortland Company, Rillito, Arizona
• GCC of America, Odessa, Texas
• Heidelberg Materials, Bellingham, Washington
• Martin Marietta Materials, New Braunfels, Texas
• Martin Marietta Materials, Midlothian, Texas
• Martin Marietta Materials, Tehachapi, California
• National Cement Company of California, Kern, California
• St Marys Cement (Votorantim), Detroit, Michigan

Puerto Rico: Cement sales were 46,750t in January 2023, a 3.8% rise year-on-year compared to January 2022. Cement production in the territory came to 31,930t in January 2023, a 58% rise. This means that imports fell to 14,820t, 32% of all cement consumed. In January 2022 there were 24,842t of imports, representing 55% of all cement consumed in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico: Cemex Puerto Rico has extended its contract with the Puerto Rico Ports Authority by 20 years. The subsidiary of Mexico-based Cemex uses Pier 16 of the Port of San Juan. Joel A Pizá Batiz, the executive director of the port authority, said that data from the Development Bank Economic showed that country had a cement demand of 590,000t in 2020. He added that Cemex’s investment in the local economy was over US$400m and it injects US$20m/yr into the local economy. Cemex operates the Ponce plant in Puerto Rico. It switched to grinding cement in 2018.

Puerto Rico: Cemex Puerto Rico has successfully renewed its licence for use of Pier 16 at the Port of San Juan until 2042. Puerto Rico Ports Authority executive director Joel Pizá Batiz estimated Cemex Puerto Rica’s contribution to the territorial economy to be US$20m in 2020 and its total investments in the island to be US$400m.

The Metro Puerto Rico newspaper has reported that Puerto Rican cement consumption was 590,000t in 2020.

Colombia: The Colombian prosecution service intends to summon former Cemex Colombia chief executive officer (CEO) Carlos Jacks to face charges in relation to the Maceo cement plant corruption case. Jacks was CEO of the company for 24 years and previously headed Cemex operations in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, according to the Noticias Caracol television channel. A statement made by Camilo González Téllez, the former Legal Vice President, has been used by the prosecutor’s office to press charges against Jacks. So far González is the only senior Cemex executive to have received a custodial sentence in relation to the affair.

In 2016 Cemex fired several senior staff members in relation to the Maceo project and its subsidiary’s chief executive resigned. This followed an internal audit and investigation into payments worth around US$20m made to a non-governmental third party in connection with the acquisition of the land, mining rights and benefits of the tax free zone for the project. Legal proceedings followed in Colombia and the US.

Puerto Rico: Colombia-based Grupo Argos subsidiary Cementos Argos has combined the distribution capacities of its Dorado and San Juan cement terminals at the Dorado site. It recently upgraded the terminal with a new mixing system and 3000 bags/hr packaging system, up by 100% from 1500 bags/hr previously. New sensors have improved safety, while efficiency and reliability have both also increased. The company said that the consolidation has enabled it to expand its portfolio of products on offer at the major Caribbean hub.

Caribbean and Central America regional vice president Camilo Restrepo said, “At Argos, we ensure the high reputation Argos Colombia is maintained wherever we go. We are convinced that this transformation in Puerto Rico will only serve to benefit our clients. We have the assets, the capabilities, the talent and all the passion to satisfy the island's needs, all while strengthening our export vocation in the Caribbean, making this operation an important commercial maritime hub.”

Puerto Rico: Cement companies produced 43,900t of cement in May 2020, up by 2.5% year-on-year from 42,800t in May 2019. M-Brain News has reported that sales rose by 2.1% to 52,800t from 51,700t.

Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico’s two cement plants produced 37,100t of cement in March and April 2020, down by 55% year-on-year from 83,300t in March and April 2019. Domestic consumption over the period was 41,700t, down by 58% year-on-year from 98,800t. Esmerk Latin American News has reported that the decreases were caused by the suspension of construction work due to the government’s coronavirus lockdown.