Displaying items by tag: data

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.

Colombia: Cementos Argos says that it exported 1.5Mt of cement and clinker through its terminals at the Argos Cartagena cement plant in the first nine months of 2024, up by 10% year-on-year from the volumes recorded in the corresponding period of 2023. The plant exports cement and clinker to the US and Caribbean and Central American countries. Its terminals give a combined loading capacity of 1000t/hr of cement or 800t/hr of clinker.

Plant manager Alberto Carlos Riobó said "In 2022, we launched the port expansion project for our Free Trade Zone and, since then, we have continued to invest in the realisation of a dream that has allowed us to export products on a larger scale, receive a larger number of vessels with greater capacity, and continue serving markets beyond our borders. In this way, we continue to confirm that the customer is at the heart of our decisions.”

Pakistan: The cement industry in Pakistan is experiencing a significant decline, with local dispatches for September 2024 projected to fall by 22% year-on-year to approximately 2.79Mt. This decline is reportedly due to a slowdown in construction activities, exacerbated by rising costs of construction materials. According to Topline Pakistan Research, local cement sales for the first quarter of the financial year 2025 are also expected to decrease by 21% compared to the same period in 2023.

Despite a slight month-on-month increase in dispatches from 2.75Mt in August 2024, the year-on-year data highlights a continuing slump in construction and a sharp increase in cement prices. However, there cement exports are projected to increase by 27% month-on-month and 36% year-on-year. Total cement sales for September are estimated at 3.56Mt, marking a 14% decline year-on-year but a 6% increase from August 2024. Capacity utilisation in the sector is estimated at 52% for September 2024, an improvement from August 2024’s 47% but still below the 60% recorded in September 2023.

Jamaica: Senator Aubyn Hill, minister of industry and commerce, has reported an 8% month-on-month decline in cement production from January to August 2024, citing scheduled maintenance at Caribbean Cement Company as a partial cause. The maintenance took place from 12 August to 3 September 2024. Alongside the production drop, there was also a decrease in total domestic sales during the same period. Senator Hill has urged cement importers to utilise quotas issued by his Ministry to mitigate the industry shortfall.