UAE: Dubai Municipality has launched the world's first system for certification and conformity marks in the field of 3D printing in the construction industry. The Municipality says that this will serve as a proactive measure to streamline procedures and improve the quality of concrete mixes used in factories licensed and operating in the Emirate and that it will play a ‘pivotal role’ to advance Dubai’s leading position for cutting-edge and sustainable construction technology.

Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said “The certification and conformity mark system for factories and entities operating in the field of 3D printing for construction has been comprehensively established in alignment with Dubai Municipality’s proactive vision. This system embraces international best practices to provide exceptional services to both individuals and the community, thereby enhancing Dubai's global reputation and aligning with Dubai Municipality’s strategic objectives outlined in Dubai's 2030 Plan. Additionally, the system supports Dubai’s 3D printing strategy, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The strategy aims to utilise technology for the advancement of humanity and position the UAE and Dubai as prominent regional and global hubs for 3D printing technology.”

Alia Al Harmoodi, chief executive officer of the Environment, Health, and Safety Agency at Dubai Municipality, highlighted that the main focus of the new system includes assessing product and raw material quality, ensuring the efficiency of manufacturing equipment and machinery, defining technical standards of manufacturing operations at every stage of production, and ensuring efficiency of management systems within factories.

Moldova: The Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalisation has announced that Ukraine will cancel an existing anti-dumping duty on imports of Moldovan cement until 31 December 2023. Ukraine announced the move following constructive discussions held during a meeting of the co-chairs of the Moldovan-Ukrainian intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation held in Odesa, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

Moldovan Minister of Economic Development and Digitalisation Vadim Humene insisted that Ukraine cancel the anti-dumping duty so that Moldova did not have to ‘initiate trade defence processes’ regarding products that Moldova imports from Ukraine.

In addition to the temporary removal of the anti-dumping duty, the two countries expressed their readiness to help remove barriers to trade and simplify border controls to optimise the flow of goods, review environmental duties and ensure transparent, uniform application of legislation by both countries.

Algeria: The Chlef Cement and Derivatives Company, a subsidiary of GICA, has obtained the certificate of conformity to European standards (CE) for its GICA-Béton CEM I 42.5R cement product. It adds the CE mark to four other types of cement that already hold the same conformity certification, according to L’Expression newspaper. GICA- Béton CEM I 42.5.R is a high-performance Portland cement for concrete with rapid short-term strength, intended for cold areas, particularly in harsh winters, a season during which the formwork stripping period must be short. Its two day compressive strength is 20MPa.

India: Adani Group's cement businesses are looking to cut their reliance on distributors and wholesalers as the country's second-largest cement maker looks to boost its profitability. As part of a pilot project, Ambuja Cements and ACC have reduced the number of distributors from 12 to three in the south Gujarat region, which is home to half of the state's small and medium industries and a fifth of the state's population, according to the Mint newspaper. Both firms are expected to reduce the number of distributors across the wider country in the coming months.

"The profitability of the distributors is more than some of the cement manufacturers," said an executive privy to the development. "This needs to change. Once you have fewer distributors, they can continue making more money on volumes, provided they aggressively seek discounts. Both Ambuja and ACC are very strong brands and can do even better if we build an even better engagement with retailers. Additionally, all institutional sales will be done by ACC or Ambuja. So, if there is a large requirement for, say, a flyover project, instead of a wholesaler seeking a bulk order, the cement manufacturer will directly provide to the needs of the contractor."

Adani Group became India's second-biggest cement maker in May 2022 when it paid US$10.5bn to Holcim to buy Ambuja Cements and its subsidiary ACC.

Philippines: The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CMAP) is working with the government to attract both domestic and foreign investment to the sector to expand domestic production at low cost. Alongside the Philippine Iron Steel Institute (PISI), CMAP also renewed calls for the promotion of locally produced construction materials with the help of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), according to the Manila Bulletin newspaper.

CMAP President Reiner Dizon said “If you buy locally and if there is a problem, it's easy to chase or ask the manufacturer because it's here in the Philippines. Imagine if there is a problem with the cement but it comes from another country, it's quite a complicated process.” Dizon further stressed that enjoying local produce also benefits the economy and fellow Filipinos by creating a circular advantage where profits are shared among the community.

DTI Assistant Secretary Mary Jean Pacheco said that the DTI promotes local construction products and demonstrates confidence that local suppliers provide quality products. Pacheco assured CMAP and PISI that the DTI will strive to advocate standardised products to ensure safety and quality when using construction materials.

Pakistan: Fauji Cement sold 4.9Mt of cement during Pakistan’s 2023 financial year (FY2023), which ended on 30 June 2023. This generated revenues of US$244m, up by 25% year-on-year from US$194m in FY2022. The producer’s earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) also rose, by 29% to US$72.3m from US$56.2m.

Managing director and CEO Qamar Haris Manzoor said “The transformation journey which started in 2020 on capacity enhancement, cost reduction initiatives and increasing captive green energy has now started to pay dividends, despite unpreceded economic challenges.” He continued “FY2023 has been challenging for businesses due to all-time high inflation and interest rates, which saw a drop in consumer demand, negatively affecting the industry. The cement industry saw a demand decline of 16% as construction activities decreased in both the northern and southern regions of the country. Despite the tough environment, Fauji Cement remained committed to its growth strategy, and successfully commissioned its 6500t/day expansion project at its Nizampur site.”

Brazil: InterCement has hired BTG Pactual to help explore ‘capitalisation alternatives’ as part of a proposed restructuring, possibly involving the sale of the group’s Brazilian business. Valor International News has reported that Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN) Cimentos has signalled its interest in acquiring the business, while Votorantim Cimentos may group together with other cement companies to make a bid. This would entail a division of the assets in order to conform to Brazilian competition laws.

InterCement successfully secured a postponement for payment of its outstanding bank debt in September 2023. It owes net debt of US$1.5bn up to 2027, including a senior note of US$548m due in May 2024. InterCement operates 12.2Mt/yr worth of cement capacity, and produced 8.7Mt of cement in 2022.

Canada: Lafarge Canada has engaged Canadian Utilities on a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) basis to supply solar energy for its Exshaw cement plant in Alberta. Under the agreement, the Exshaw cement plant will receive 100% of energy generated at the 38.5MW Empress solar power plant in Cypress County. The VPPA lasts until 2036, and covers 34% of the Exshaw plant’s energy consumption up to that time.

Lafarge Canada (West) president and CEO Brad Kohl said "We're continually assessing ways we can reduce our environmental impact while actively pursuing sustainable solutions within our operations." He concluded "Our collaboration with Atco underscores our commitment to adopting renewable energy at our plants and sites, which is key to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels."

Asia/Middle East: South Korea-based Samsung Engineering and Canada-based Svante have signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU). Under the MoU, the companies will collaborate on the development and deployment of carbon capture technology in cement and other industries in Asia and the Middle East.

Svante President and CEO Claude Letourneau said “Samsung Engineering’s more than 50 years of experience in the energy and industrial sectors will be invaluable as we continue to rapidly expand our operations and filter production capabilities.”

UK: Holcim subsidiary Aggregate Industries has installed Driver Status Monitoring Systems supplied by Spillard Vehicle Safety Systems in the cabins of its Cauldon cement plant truck fleet. The systems use cameras and AI software to detect signs of tiredness, as well as mobile phone use, lane deviation, not wearing a seatbelt and smoking. In the case of tiredness, this triggers an alarm which continues to sound until the vehicle comes to a stop.

Cement supply chain manager Matt Owen said “Health and safety is a massive priority for us as a company and the industry, so anything that can serve to continuously improve our approach to it is very welcome. Driver fatigue is always a potential issue across any business involved in transport and fleet, so we’re delighted to be utilising the latest technology with our partners to ensure that everyone gets safely home from work.”