Displaying items by tag: data

Argentina: Cement shipments remained below pandemic and pre-pandemic levels in October 2024, which marked the sixth decline so far in 2024, according to Clarion newspaper. October 2024 saw shipments down by 20% year-on-year and 1.1% month-on-month, according to the Portland Cement Manufacturing Association (AFCP). In October 2024, sales dropped to 907,421t. 7.9Mt of cement was sold in the first 10 months of 2024 compared to 10.7Mt in the same period in 2023. Consumption also suffered a year-on-year decrease of 20% ​​and a monthly decline of 1.3%. The industry attributes the downturn primarily to a halt in national public works, as well as rising costs such as taxes on limestone and quarry exploitation fees.

Damián Altgelt, executive director of AFCP, said "The cement sector is going through a difficult year, with a drop of close to 25% compared to 2023. We confidently hope that the macroeconomic measures that the government is undertaking will allow us to overcome this transition period soon and recover the highest levels of activity again. In the past four months we have seen around 0.9Mt of cement sold (per month), which is clearly higher than the very depressed levels we had in the first half of 2024.”

Pakistan: Despite low domestic cement demand, exports rose in October 2024, with total despatches reaching 4.36Mt, a 9% increase compared to 4Mt in October 2023. The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association reported a 51% increase in export despatches, from 714,325t in October 2023 to 1.1Mt in October 2024. This increase offset the slow local market demand, which saw a minor decline of 0.5% in domestic despatches to 3.28Mt from 3.3Mt.

Over the first four months of the 2024 financial year (July – October 2024), total cement despatches (domestic and exports) fell by 8% to 14.6Mt from 16Mt in the previous year's corresponding period. Domestic despatches decreased by 15% to 11.4Mt, whereas exports grew by 31%, reaching 3.2Mt from 2.5Mt.

Spain: Spain's cement consumption declined by 0.5%, with 10.9Mt consumed by the end of the third quarter of 2024, 50,760t less than the same period in 2023, according to Oficemen. However, a 7.1% increase in consumption in September 2024 was also observed, with 1.22Mt consumed, 80,515t more than in September 2023.

General manager of Oficemen, Aniceto Zaragoza, said "The latest cement consumption data continues to corroborate our forecasts for the end of 2024, which pointed to a slight improvement from the summer onwards. At the same time, the positive evolution of building permits could indicate that we are witnessing a moderate change in trend, although, as we have indicated on other occasions, we must wait to see if these works are actually carried out in the short term."

Since September 2023, 14.4Mt of cement were consumed, marking a 1.8% decline year-on-year. Despite a 16% increase in cement exports in September 2024, the annual cumulative data for the first nine months still shows a 14.7% decline, equating to a reduction of 617,855t. Since September 2023, exports have fallen by 17%, resulting in a reduction of 955,590t.

Portugal: Cimpor has signed a 10-year extendable contract with Vodafone Portugal for private ‘pure’ 5G network installations at its plants, starting with the Alhandra plant and soon expanding to Souselas and Loulé. This network will aim to improve data management and operational efficiencies across Cimpor's cement business and eventual expansion to other sectors. Technology partners include Germany-based SAP and Sweden-based Ericsson.

Cimpor's chief technology officer Berkan Fidan said that the company felt the need to make this investment because the cement industry is data-intensive, and the collection of available data is a challenge due to the physical and operational conditions at the plants.

This partnership makes it possible to obtain precise quality reviews of the cement manufactured at the plants without having to wait 28 days. It also gives total visibility of the plant, making emission forecasts and maintenance easier. The deal involves around 10,000 sensors in 19 plants globally, 50 antennas, drones to measure stock levels and thermal cameras with real-time monitoring capabilities. The long-term strategy with Vodafone also involves the use of smart glasses with video streaming functionalities inside the plants. Fidan explained that the plants have some connectivity challenges, which is why the company is investing heavily in the mobile network.

India: Cement demand in India is projected to increase by 7 - 8% to approximately 475Mt in the 2025 financial year, down from a compound annual growth rate of about 11% between financial year (FY) 2022 and FY 2024, according to a report by CRISIL Ratings. The company analysed 18 cement producers, which account for over 85% of domestic sales volume. The forecast follows a 3% growth in demand during the first half of FY 2024, affected by an extended heatwave and a labour shortage during the general elections, the Financial Express has reported.

Director of research at CRISIL Market Intelligence and Analytics, Sehul Bhatt, said "Cement demand is expected to rebound in the second half of the 2024 financial year, as construction activity gathers pace across infrastructure and housing segments post-monsoon. Healthy monsoon, improved labour availability after the festive season, and an increase in government spending on infrastructure and housing should drive demand up 9 – 11% in the second half of the year, taking the annual growth tally to 7 – 8%."

Bolivia: Bolivia recorded a 2.7% year-on-year increase in cement production and sales in August 2024. According to the National Statistics Institute, production reached 2.6Mt from January - August 2024, up from 2.53Mt in the same period in 2023. Santa Cruz produced 699,062t of cement, followed by La Paz with 679,317t, Chuquisaca with 510,841t, Cochabamba with 384,329t, Oruro with 214,660t and Tarija with 150,068t.

Marcelo Morales, general manager of Itacamba Cemento, noted a year-on-year increase of 3% in domestic demand, with 2.6Mt of cement consumed as of August 2024, saying that the growth was positive ‘considering the current economic situation’.

General manager of the Bolivian Institute of Cement and Concrete, Marcelo Alfaro, also mentioned that Santa Cruz, La Paz and Cochabamba collectively account for about 70% of cement sales in Bolivia, according to La Razón newspaper. The cement industry's installed capacity reportedly stands at 10Mt/yr and the country is facing challenges exporting cement, as neighbouring countries already produce their own.

Switzerland: After an initial increase earlier in 2024, the Swiss cement industry experienced a decline from July - September 2024 with deliveries falling by 8% year-on-year to 914,625t, according to AWP Swiss News. In its latest report, Cemsuisse attributes this decline to a continued reluctance to invest in construction. Despite this, the organisation notes potential signs of recovery, particularly in infrastructure projects.

Vietnam: According to data from the General Statistics Office, Vietnam produced 134.5Mt of cement in the first nine months of 2024, marking a 2% rise year-on-year. In September 2024, the country's cement output reached 15.3Mt, up by 9% compared to September 2023.

Saudi Arabia: In 2023, Saudi cement and clinker exports exceeded 8.48Mt. According to Al Riyadh news, the country ranks 10th globally with a production capacity of over 80Mt/yr from 20 plants. Local demand for cement reached 47.3Mt in 2023, with construction sector spending expected to hit US$1.6tn by 2030.

Minister of industry and mineral resources Bandar Alkhorayef said "The cement sector in the Kingdom has a promising future, with several leading companies constantly adopting the latest manufacturing technologies, helping to improve production efficiency. Recently, some companies have been active in upgrading and replacing some of their production lines to enhance quality."

Pakistan: Cement exports from Pakistan significantly increased in September 2024, rising by 71% year-on-year to 0.98Mt, compared to 0.57Mt in September 2023. Despite this growth in exports, domestic cement sales continued to decline, falling by 18% in September 2024. Overall, cement sales for the month decreased by 5.6%, totalling 3.54Mt compared to 3.75Mt in September 2023. From July to September 2024, domestic sales were down by 20%, totalling 8.13Mt, while exports rose by 22%, reaching 2.14Mt.