Displaying items by tag: logistics

Spain: Cementos Carral will expand its facilities at the Punta Langosteira Outer Port with four new silos, at a cost of more than €2m. The project will add 1242m² to its existing 3300m² plot, according to local press. To date, the company said it has managed operations of 120 vessels and moved over 700,000t of cement, and aims to increase its logistics capacity in response to growing demand. The expansion has entered the public information phase following publication in the Official State Gazette, with a 20-day window for comment.

US: Ozinga has broken ground on a 1Mt/yr alternative cement grinding plant in East Chicago, Indiana. The plant is equipped with a Gebr. Pfeiffer MVR5300-C6 vertical roller mill. It will produce ASTM C989-compliant slag cement and other blended cements. When operational in 2026, it will be the largest of its kind in North America, and avoid 700,000t/yr of CO₂ emissions from conventional cement production. Its location offers strategic rail, road and shipping access to large markets in the US and Canada.

East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland welcomed an anticipated 150 new jobs resulting from construction and subsequent operations at the plant.

India: Adani Group will invest US$3bn in Kerala over the next five years. The group will reportedly develop a logistics and e-commerce hub in Kochi and expand its cement capacity in the city.

The producer has already invested US$577m in developing the Vizhinjam port, and according to Adani Ports managing director Karan Adani, the company is investing an additional US$2.3bn.

Cuba: Cement production fell to 258,000t in 2024, representing only 10% of the country’s installed capacity, according to the OSDE Group of Business Construction Materials. President Reynolds Ramírez Vigaud attributed the decline to energy shortages amid national financial challenges.

The sector's problems date back to 2017, according to CiberCuba, when capacity utilisation was 58%. Despite initiatives such as the first ‘eco-friendly’ cement production in 2018 and the reopening of the Sancti Spíritus cement plant in 2022, the industry has faced logistical issues and plant shutdowns. This has a knock-on effect on the government’s annual housing plan and the inability to meet domestic demand for cement. The government is also prioritising the export of cement to obtain foreign currency, worsening shortages and increasing prices.

New cement plants at Nuevitas and Santiago de Cuba will begin production in 2025.

India: Kaushalya Logistics has opened new depots for Ambuja Cement, part of the Adani Cement Group, in Kurukshetra and Bhiwani, Haryana.

This marks the first phase of a strategic expansion approved by ACC & Ambuja Cement to establish operations at key locations in Haryana, including Kaithal and Fatehabad. The new depots reportedly aim to improve inventory management, reduce transit times and enhance connectivity across key industrial hubs in the region.

Nigeria: Tetracore Energy has entered into an agreement with Dangote Cement to supply up to 400,000m³/day of compressed natural gas (CNG) for its logistics operations. The energy provider will deploy its mobile refilling units and establish mother stations nationwide to provide a supply of CNG for Dangote’s logistics fleet.

India: AVG Logistics announced that it has successfully secured an order worth US$10.5m from a cement manufacturing company, marking a significant milestone in the company's expansion strategy. Under this contract, the company will leverage its expertise in managing complex logistics networks to provide tailored solutions. The company plans to address the unique challenges of the cement supply chain, from raw material transportation to finished product delivery.

India: Kaushalya Logistics has commenced operations at its new depot in Amritsar, Punjab, Reuters has reported. The facility will serve JK Cement’s regional distribution operations.

US: Dragon Products reportedly plans to lay off six employees at its Thomaston, Maine, cement plant later in 2024, in the plant’s on-going transition from cement production to distribution only. This will reduce the plant’s total employees to 20, down by 76% from 85 at the start of the year. Local press has reported that rising operating costs, including for energy and transport, led to the move.

The Thomaston plant continues to process ‘residual’ raw materials and has begun implementation of its new distribution strategy, taking delivery of 30,000t of bagged cement via the port of Searsport. A second delivery is scheduled for October 2024.

Nepal: Exports of cement to India via the Kakarvitta road border crossing in Jhapa totalled 50,000t in the 2024 financial year, which ended on 15 July 2024. KhabarHub News has reported that shipments had a combined value of US$3.81m. The Kakarvitta crossing had not previously served to convey major despatches of cement between the two countries. The cement industry in Jhapa is 50% dependent on export markets for its demand. Eight plants operate in the district, of which three currently sit idle due to 40% local oversupply.