Ghana: Wan Heng Ghana has issued a statement clarifying its position after the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) found that it had failed to pay US$60.6m in taxes. The company markets cement from its Tema grinding plant as Sol Cement.

The producer said “We acknowledge that we are indebted to the GRA for unpaid taxes. We are fully committed to resolving this matter in a responsible and timely manner. We want to reassure our valued customers, stakeholders and the public that we are taking immediate and proactive steps to address this issue. We are in discussions with relevant tax authorities to develop a structured repayment plan that aligns with our financial capabilities and ensures that our tax obligations are met.”

It continued “Sol Cement remains dedicated to its mission of contributing to the growth and development of Ghana. We understand that paying our taxes is an essential part of fulfilling this commitment. We apologise for any concerns or inconveniences this situation may have caused, and we promise to keep all our stakeholders informed throughout this process. We appreciate the trust and support that our customers and partners have placed in us over the years, and we are determined to rectify this situation while continuing to provide top-quality cement products and services. We thank you for your understanding and patience during this challenging period. Sol Cement remains committed to being a responsible corporate citizen and a reliable contributor to the Ghanaian economy.

Latin America: Denmark-based FLSmidth says it has been awarded a new service contract with an unnamed cement producer in Latin America. The new contract builds on an existing relationship between the two companies and will last a period of 18 months. It will cover the complete production process, from quarry to packing plant. FLSmidth says that will support the customer in improving overall equipment efficiency and thus plant productivity. The scope of supply also includes training and mentoring of plant personnel to ensure successful execution of a jointly developed strategy long after the initial period of the contract ends. No value for the deal has been disclosed.

Jose Gil, Head of Service Execution - USA and Canada, FLSmidth, said “This contract is the result of conversations inspired by a reliability audit in the third quarter of 2022. From that, an action plan was developed in which FLSmidth has responsibility for the execution of activities in operations and the customer takes care of other support areas.” He added “The result is a tailored solution, encompassing a range of factors, including maintenance, reliability and operations, that will ultimately deliver much more efficient and productive cement plants.”

Dominican Republic: Domicem held a ceremony marking the lighting up of the kiln on the new second production line at its Sabana Grande de Palenque cement plant in San Cristóbal province in mid-October 2023. Company engineers, staff from China-based CBMI Construction and representatives from parent company Colacem were present for the event. The cement company signed a contract with China-based Sinoma Construction for a 3500t/day clinker production line in 2021. The project had a reported investment of US$120m. The official inauguration of the new line is scheduled to take place on 22 November 2023 and the President of the Dominican Republic is expected to attend.

Yemen: Ahmed Al-Masawa, the governor of Taiz, has taken an inspection tour of the Al-Barah Cement plant in Maqbana District. The site was damaged in a bombing raid in 2021 led by the Saudi Arabia-backed coalition in the Yemen Civil War, according to the pro-Houthi Yemen News Agency. At the time damage worth US$26m was reported at the unit. During his visit Al-Masawa discussed how the plant could be repaired and restored to a working condition once again. He also praised the efforts of the workers to preserve what remained of the plant despite all the difficulties they had faced.

US: Summit Materials has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with hydrogen producer PCC Hydrogen (PCCH2). The MOU establishes an alliance to develop a fuel replacement strategy for Summit Materials’ cement production. PCCH2 will build a hydrogen plant to supply green hydrogen at a cement plant belonging to Summit Materials subsidiary Continental Cement.

Continental Cement president David Loomes said "Continental Cement has a longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship, seeking out opportunities to develop innovative practices and differentiated solutions to build a better tomorrow. Our company has signed on to the Portland Cement Association (PCA)'s Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality, with a goal of achieving carbon neutrality across the value chain by 2050. By coupling PCCH2's hydrogen production process with our cement manufacturing know-how, we are taking a bold stride towards achieving that goal, while continuing the push to cost-effective decarbonisation of cement manufacturing."

France: Holcim France has commissioned its new Saint-Laurent-de-Mûre alternative raw materials plant in Rhône Department. The unit produces cementitious paste from construction and demolition waste using Holcim’s ECOCycle upcycling process. It will source construction and demolition waste from the Lyon Metropolitan Area.

Holcim’s global head of circular construction Vincent Teissier said “Advancing such circular technologies is one of the main pillars of our sustainability strategy. This new advanced crushing unit in Saint-Laurent-de-Mûre is a major step toward using construction and demolition materials to their full value.”

Ghana: The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has shut down Wan Heng Ghana’s 0.5Mt/yr grinding plant in Tema after the company failed to pay US$60.6m in taxes. GhanaWeb reports that the GRA gave the China-based company 10 days in which to pay its taxes, otherwise the closure will continue. Wan Heng Ghana operates in the country using the Sol Cement brand.

Spain: Cementos Molins has processed 75,000t of waste into alternative raw materials for use in its cement production since opening its Barcelona alternative raw materials plant in September 2022. The plant has a production capacity of 200,000t/yr. It produces the materials from construction and demolition waste and various industrial by-products.

Cementos Molins’ director of corporate development and sustainability, Carlos Martínez, said “Our commitment to the environment is intrinsically linked to our business model, which is based on the development of sustainable and innovative materials.” He continued “We provide a second life to industrial and construction waste that would otherwise end up in landfills, generating high-quality sustainable products from them. The plant has enabled all our cements to incorporate alternative raw materials in their production process. Furthermore, we are working to reduce the carbon footprint of all our concretes, ensuring that, in the short term, all of them include recycled aggregates in their manufacture."

UK: Cemex UK says that it has collected 130,000t of by-pass dust (BPD) from its Rugby cement plant in Warwickshire since 2015. The producer supplies the BPD to the agriculture sector, where it can replace traditional fertilisers and lime due to its high lime and potassium content. Additionally, Cemex UK has sponsored research into this and other circular economic uses of BPD, including an on-going study which claimed the Carbon Journey Award at the Eco Innovation North West Awards 2023.

Cemex’s Europe regional head of sustainability Paul Fletcher said “We are very proud of our partnership with Silverwoods and the considerable positive impact their innovation and expertise has had on our ability to reuse BPD for other applications. We believe it leads the way in our industry and presents real potential to be adapted elsewhere across our operations. Not only does it benefit the environment by reducing the amount of materials that need to be disposed of, but it generates a product that has a value for farmers and helps cut the use of traditional materials.” He added “This partnership demonstrates that to deliver true circularity, more industrial by-products, including those from different sectors of the economy, need to be used as secondary resources, rather than primarily be seen as waste. If this is to be achieved, a new perspective is needed to boost circular economy practices, with regulations and permitting supporting this proactively.”

US: Heidelberg Materials is rumoured to have hired advisors for a possible attempt to acquire Summit Materials. Bloomberg has reported that the company made two approaches to Summit Materials ‘in recent weeks.’ Meanwhile, the Colorado-based producer revealed in a statement that it has rejected two takeover bids from an unnamed party, the more recent on 18 October 2023.

Summit Materials previously agreed to merge with Cementos Argos subsidiary Argos USA in early September 2023.