Displaying items by tag: demand
Pakistan: Maple Leaf Cement’s first-half standalone sales were US$121m in the 2022 financial year, down by 33% year-on-year from a first-half 2021 financial year figure of US$91.5m. Export sales fell by 46% to US$2.63m, 2.5% of total sales. Its main export markets were Afghanistan, the Seychelles, Oman and Tanzania. The company reported a 70% increase in its consolidated net profit to US$15.2m from US$8.97m in the first half of the 2021 financial year. The producer said that it expects the domestic cement market to remain ‘stagnant’ for numerous reasons, including high inflation, increased interest rates and decelerating implementation of projects under the Public Sector Development Programme.
Holcim Australia and New Zealand announces upcoming Auckland low carbon cement distribution centre
17 March 2022New Zealand: Holcim Australia and New Zealand plans to establish a new low carbon cement import and distribution facility next to its existing cement terminal at Ports of Auckland. The company says that the facility will have the capacity to replace 100,000t/yr of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) used in New Zealand. In 2021, the country consumed 1.6Mt of cement, generating 1.3Mt of CO2 emissions.
CEO George Agriogiannis said “I’m pleased Holcim Australia and New Zealand is progressing to the building phase of a facility that will import and distribute low carbon cement replacement products. Once operational, the site will enable the reduction of carbon emissions via a cement replacement which can be used for applications such as infrastructure, commercial and residential projects.” He concluded “This initiative is a positive step toward the New Zealand government’s Zero Carbon ambitions and Holcim’s Net Zero climate pledge.”
UK: The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has urged the the UK government to reduce energy costs, maintain mineral products companies’ access to low-tax red diesel and to deliver on planned infrastructure investments. The association says that high costs already threaten its member’s competitiveness against EU-based rivals. The Ukraine crisis has caused energy costs to rise, while mineral products companies expect their rebate for red diesel to end on 1 April 2022. The MPA has asked the government to delay the end of the red diesel rebate. It also called for transparency on the delivery of the government’s infrastructure plans.
CEO Nigel Jackson said “The high ambitions the government has set out for the UK’s infrastructure and housing rely on our members’ ability to supply aggregates, asphalt, cement, concrete and other essential materials You can’t build with thin air – construction needs materials and producing materials requires long-term planning and investment, so our industry needs clarity on what’s in the pipeline for the next 10 or 20 years, not the next 10 months. There is a widely recognised maxim ‘if you can’t grow it, you have to dig it.’ Clearly, this is not as recognised by government given the exemptions and subsidies some other industries enjoy. We also provide high-skill, well-paid jobs in regions most in need of economic growth.” Jackson concluded “Our overriding aim is for our sector to deliver for the UK by having economic conditions that reduce uncertainty and boost confidence to encourage investment for growth.”
Cemex to restart CPN cement plant’s Line 2
08 March 2022Mexico: Cemex says that it plans to restart Line 2 at its CPN cement plant in Sonora State. The line has a capacity of 0.8Mt/yr. Cemex will invest US$29m in restarting it, bringing its total recent investments in the CPN plant to US$44m. It previously invested US$15m in a restart of the plant’s 1Mt/yr Line 1 in 2021. When operational in mid-late 2022, Line 2 will join the existing line in supplying cement to Arizona, California and Nevada in the US.
Cemex USA president Jaime Muguiro said “Many cement customers in the western US have been impacted by tight supply constraints for several months, and at Cemex, we are proactively looking for opportunities to further alleviate those conditions and enrich customer experiences by enhancing how we operate while utilising our global reach.” He continued “Customers require more cement to keep pace with the region’s growth, and we want to ensure they have stable and steady access to the high-quality materials that are essential to meet their needs.”
Lanwa Sanstha Cement to invest US$60m in Phase 2 of Hambantota grinding plant construction
08 March 2022Sri Lanka: Lanwa Sanstha Cement says that it will invest US$60m in expanding its newly commissioned Hambantota grinding plant in order to enable it to serve 60% of local demand.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said "Construction is a key contributor to the local gross domestic product (GDP). Our construction sector has a competitive edge in the global context, given its focus on technology and its emphasis on ethics and sustainability. We are certain this endeavour would serve to boost investor confidence, which is timely."
Germany: Rohrdorfer and Austria-based Andritz Group are in the process of installing a 2t/day CO2 separation plant on the roof of the former’s Rohrdorf cement plant in Bavaria. The pilot plant will capture CO2 from the plant’s emissions for use by the regional chemicals industry. The Ingenieur newspaper has reported that it will cost Euro3m and is scheduled for commissioning before June 2022. It is the first installation of its kind at a German cement plant.
Rohrdorfer’s plant and process engineering manager Helmut Leibinger said “We must begin to see CO2 as a product of value rather than a problem. With CO2 as a carbon source, Germany can protect the climate and at the same time become less dependent on oil and natural gas. In addition, value creation and jobs will remain in the country.”
Sri Lanka: Lanwa Sanstha Cement has successfully commissioned its 2.8Mt/yr Hambantota grinding plant in the Mirijjawila Export Processing Zone. Daily News (Sri Lanka) has reported that the facility is equipped with two bridge ship unloaders and an automated stacker reclaimer yard. It will produce the company’s full range of cements, including ordinary Portland cement (OPC), Portland composite cement (PPC) and blended hydraulic cement (BHC) catering to the rising local demand from landmark projects including the Port City and the network of expressways.
Cementir Holding launches Futurecem limestone calcined clay cement in the Benelux and France
04 March 2022Benelux/France: Cementir Holding has introduced its Futurecem limestone calcined clay cement into the Benelux and French cement markets. Futurecem cement applies Cementir Holding’s patented processes to substitute over 35% of clinker in cement with limestone and calcined clay, preserving the cement’s strength and quality while reducing its carbon footprint by 30% compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC).
Cementir Holding previously rolled out Futurecem cement in Denmark in 2021. In 2022, it plans to launch InBind high performance concrete (HPC) and ReCover ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) to expand its range of HPC and UHPCs using Futurecem technology.
Eddy Fostier, managing director of Cementir Holding’s Belgian subsidiary CCB, said “Thanks to the joint efforts of the group and CCB teams, Futurecem technology is the main pillar for CCB’s low carbon transition within the Group roadmap. This product technology is matching customer needs, highlighted through a specific survey carried out across the most relevant market areas and applications.” Fostier concluded “I’m fully convinced that Futurecem will play a relevant role in the decarbonisation of the construction industry, where cement and concrete are essential building materials both in the present and in the future.”
Pakistan: All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) members exported 405,000t of cement in February 2022, down by 34% year-on-year from 616,000t in February 2021. Domestic deliveries also dropped, by under 1% to 3.95Mt from 3.96Mt. Amid the declines, Pakistani cement producers have reported a steep rise in their costs due to increases in international freight rates and coal prices and the country’s on-going ban on trade with neighbouring India. Cheaper Iranian cement has undercut Pakistani cement sales to Bangladesh, while the Afghan market has yet to recover following the withdrawal of peacekeeping forces.
Martin Marietta increases sales and earnings in 2021
25 February 2022US: Martin Marietta’s full-year consolidated sales were US$5.08bn in 2021, up by 15% year-on-year from US$4.43bn in 2020. Its cement sales rose by 9.3% to US$495m from US$453m. Overall, its adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 9.7% year-on-year to US$1.53bn from US$1.39bn.
The producer said that its Texas cement shipments increased by less than 1% to 1.1Mt in the fourth quarter of 2021. It attributed the record volume to demand growth from large and diversified projects and increased oil well cement demand. Nonetheless, higher energy and raw materials costs ultimately outpaced shipment and pricing gains.