Displaying items by tag: market

Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement says that it expects sales to rise by 14% year-on-year to US$761m during the first half of the 2024 financial year. Nikkei Financial Summary News has reported that the producer expects a drop in its cement volumes, offset by price hikes. Currency effects will also impact its result. Meanwhile, coal prices remained lower than expected. The company expects to record a net profit of US$26.6m, compared to a loss of US$20.4m in the first half of the 2023 financial year. It previously forecast a US$13.3m loss.

Sumitomo Osaka Cement recorded US$52.8m in sales in the first quarter of the 2024 financial year (1 April - 30 June 2023). This corresponds to year-on-year growth of 16%. Nonetheless, it made a net loss of US$7.6m.

Throughout the first quarter of the 2024 financial year, Japanese cement despatches fell by 15% to 10.1Mt. Exports declined most sharply, by 43%, to 1.51Mt.

Morocco: Members of the Professional Association of Cement Producers (APC) delivered a total of 6.98Mt of cement during the first seven months of 2023. This corresponds to a year-on-year rise of 2.1%, compared with seven-month 2022 levels. Agence Marocaine de Presse News has reported that ready-mix concrete plants consumed 4.29Mt (61%), and precast concrete plants 1.37Mt (20%), of cement deliveries. Producers despatched 367,000t (5.3%) of cement to infrastructure construction sites, and 271,000t (3.9%) to other building sites.

Australia: Alternative cement and concrete producers have welcomed a new Australian civil engineering standard that allows builders to use reduced-CO₂ geopolymer concrete in infrastructure projects. Wagners, which produces Earth Friendly Concrete (EFC), said that the revision has removed on if its key barriers to wider market acceptance. EFC replaces 100% of cement with supplementary cementitious materials, including ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and pulverised fly ash, by virtue of its binder technology. Wagners previously supplied EFC for the London Power Tunnels project in the UK, based on local technical approval-based building codes. The producer now expects a new standard like the Australian one to follow in the EU.

Kenya: East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC) says that it is ready to resume full-scale cement production at its 600,000t/yr Athi River cement plant. The Standard newspaper has reported that the plant is currently operating at 50% capacity, following refurbishment. EAPCC replaced a 16m-long section of kiln shell in the plant's clinker line, at a cost of US$3.5m. Managing director Oliver Kirubai said that the company raised the funds through the sale of land located in Athi River.

Kirubai said "Our employees have cut back a lot, in a situation where we have been struggling even to pay their salaries. We are now back on our feet." He added "A number of companies owed us millions of Shillings. They have been ordered to pay us by the government. If they honour the agreement, the problem we are facing will be a thing of the past.”

EAPCC says that it expects the scale-up of production at the Athi River plant to help lower the cost of cement for its customers.

Nigeria: Lafarge Africa's sales were US$257m during the first half of 2023, up by 5.9% year-on-year from US$242m during the first half of 2022. Costs rose and the company's profit after tax fell by 5.2%.

Lafarge Africa said "Our strategic and cost management initiatives have contributed to improved results, despite the challenges. We remain steadfast in our commitment to driving innovation and accelerating green growth in line with our sustainability ambitions and targets." The company added "The Nigerian infrastructure and construction sector is expected to continue to grow despite inflationary pressure on purchasing power. As a result, we maintain our positive outlook, with market recovery expected for the second half of the year. We will continue to maximise volume opportunities across our markets and actively manage our costs. The company remains committed to its sustainability ambitions and strategy of Accelerating Green Growth.”

Nigeria: Dangote Cement sold 13.4Mt of cement during the first half of 2023. Its sales volumes outside Nigeria were 5.4Mt, up by 12% year-on-year from 4.9Mt in the first half of 2022. The producer noted 'robust demand' in Ethiopia, the Republic of Congo, Senegal and Zambia. It reported revenues worth US$1.23bn in the first half of 2023, up by 17% from first-half 2022 levels. KOGI Reports News has reported that the producer's profit after tax rose by 3.8% in the half, to US$232m.

Chief executive officer Arvind Pathak said "Dangote Cement delivered positive results in the first half of the year. Our Nigeria operations achieved a 23% quarter-on-quarter recovery in sales during the second quarter of 2023, which was impacted by the general elections and the 'cash crunch.' However, the steep currency devaluation in mid-June slowed this volume recovery and increased already inflated operating costs." He added “We will continue to focus on our strategic growth priorities, hinged on our vision of transforming Africa and building a sustainable future. I am optimistic that our business remains resilient and well positioned to overcome unforeseen macroeconomic headwinds.”

US: The United States Geological Survey has reported that the US consumed 40.5Mt-worth of cement shipments in the first five months of 2023. This corresponds to a 4.3% year-on-year fall from five-month 2022 volumes of 41.5Mt. Blended cement, primarily Type IL Portland limestone cement (PLC), accounted for 37% of shipments, compared to 16% in the corresponding period of 2022. Total demand rose by 4.3% year-on-year and by 19% month-on-month to 10.2Mt in May 2023. Imports of cement and clinker totalled 10.5Mt. The leading source of imported cement and clinker were Türkiye, which supplied 3.34Mt (32%), Canada, which supplied 1.58Mt (15%), and Vietnam, which supplied 1.3Mt (13%).

US production of clinker dropped by 2.1% to 29.5Mt in the first five months of 2023, from 30.1Mt a year earlier.

South Africa: PPC has published its Integrated Report for its 2023 financial year, which ended on 31 March 2023. The producer recorded revenues of US$559m, up by 0.2% year-on-year from US$557m in the 2022 financial year. Its cost of sales declined by 0.1% to US$471m from US$472m. As a result, PPC's loss widened by a factor of more than seven, to US$32.5m from US$4.36m.

PPC's cement volumes fell by 5.8% in South Africa and Botswana, where its cement prices rose by 8%. The company noted sustained 'good demand' for cement in coastal South Africa. It said that demand was 'robust' in Zimbabwe, however its local sales volumes fell by 16% on account of an extended kiln shutdown at one of its cement plants during the half. In Rwanda, PPC's subsidiary CIMERWA increased its cement volumes by 1%.

India: ACC recorded sales of US$632m in the first quarter of the 2024 financial year, which began on 1 April 2023. This corresponds to a year-on-year rise of 16% from US$545m. The Economic Times newspaper has reported that ACC increased its cement and clinker sales volumes by 23% to 9.4Mt. The producer reported earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of US$103m, up by 77% year-on-year. It attributed this to lower costs, including fuel costs, and increased operational efficiencies. Its net profit more than doubled during the quarter, to US$56.6m from US$27.6m in the first quarter of the previous financial year.

ACC said "The cement industry is in positive cycle of demand, as well as cost factors. This comes at the most apposite time, when the company is in a transformation phase, buoyed by synergies with the group. We expect the positive trend of industry to continue in the second quarter of 2023."

Gujarat-based conglomerate Adani Group completed its acquisition of ACC on 16 September 2022. It subsequently began to relocate 'significant roles' from the cement producer's headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Germany: Heidelberg Materials' consolidated sales rose by 5.3% year-on-year to Euro10.5bn in the first half of 2022. The producer noted a continuing 'downward trend' in its cement sales volumes in the second quarter of the year. The group recorded a net profit of Euro783m, up by 31% year-on-year from Euro597m.

Chair Dominik von Achten said “We have closed the first half of 2023 with a good result. Even in a weaker market environment, with significant declines in sales volumes in some cases, we performed quite well. We remain confident about the second half of the year, and are once again upgrading our outlook for 2023 significantly." He continued "In the first half of 2023, we achieved a further reduction in our specific net CO₂ emissions through numerous measures. With the large number of our carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) projects, we are aiming at the full decarbonisation of our products. Just recently, one of our pioneering carbon capture and storage projects in Germany was approved to receive funding from the EU Innovation Fund. The continuous reduction of our carbon footprint and strengthening the circular economy are our most powerful levers to offer our customers climate-friendly products on a large scale."

Chief financial officer René Aldach said that the company will demonstrate its financial strength with a third tranche of its on-going share buyback programme, commencing on 28 July 2023.