India: Dalmia Bharat Refractories plans to launch its cement refractory products in new export markets. Chemical Industry Digest has reported that the company aims to achieve a turnover of US$191m in the 2023 financial year, and to launch a 3 – 4 year US$38.1 capital expenditure investment package. The supplier currently exports some refractories to Canada, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Spain and West Asia.

Managing director and CEO Sameer Nagpal said “We have started some trials in Germany, before we turn regular suppliers and tap deeper into the export market.” Nagpal said that the company would also target other markets in Asia, Africa and Europe. He concluded “We are looking to gain a greater share of the customer’s wallet in these markets and in India.”

India: Protestors have halted mining operations at JSW Cement’s Khatkurbahal mine in Odisha, which serves the company’s Sundargarh cement plant. The New Indian Express newspaper has reported that the protestors accuse the company of mining and dumping overburden on neighbouring agricultural land, damaging properties with debris from blasts, drying up six wells and creating excessive dust pollution. The protestors also complained that the mine has failed to create new jobs for local people.

US: The Nevada Department of Transportation has approved the use of Portland limestone cement (PLC) for road construction and repairs. The department expects the move to reduce CO₂ emissions by 4000t/yr. It uses 45,000t/yr of cement in its projects. Local press has reported that transport contributed 35% of Nevada’s CO₂ emissions in 2022, making it the largest single source.

Somaliland: MSG Group of Companies through its DIFC Dubai based subsidiary company Horn Holding Group ltd (HHG) has signed an agreement with Bedeschi SPA Italy for the construction of phase 1 of a full cement plant in Berbera, Somaliland. Phase 1, a grinding unit, will take about 18 months and will have production capacity of 0.7Mt/yr. The project has also achieved financing from reputed Italian Financial Institutions. The complete full plant project shall take three years to complete with a production capacity of 1.2Mt/yr of cement and 1.0Mt/yr of clinker.

This article replaces an earlier version that erroneously stated that Raysut Cement was also involved in the project. MSG Group and Global Cement would like to make it clear that MSG Group is the 100% owner of this project.

Morocco: Holcim subsidiary LafargeHolcim Maroc has released information about its 1.6Mt/yr Agadir cement plant in Souss-Massa Region. The producer invested US$299m in the plant’s construction and it has been operational since late 2021. The plant is highly automated in line with Holcim’s Plants of Tomorrow strategy. It will run off wind power from 2023, and also uses alternative fuel (AF). 200 people work at the plant.

In conjunction with its work in setting up the new cement plant, LafargeHolcim Maroc developed drinking water networks in the surrounding area, including the construction of three solar-powered water towers.

Germany: HeidelbergCement has joined EPEA’s Heidelberg Circular City Building Material Registry pilot project. The initiative uses EMEA’s Urban Mining Screening digital registry, which is able to estimate the composition of buildings based on building data. HeidelbergCement says that it will enable it to source construction and demolition waste for circular economic use in building materials production. This will support its ReConcrete 360° recycled concrete CO₂ reincorporation project, among other projects. The initiative will turn Heidelberg into Europe’s first Circular City.

“Full circular economy and sustainable construction are central elements of our climate strategy,” said HeidelbergCement chair Dominik von Achten. “We are focusing on the life cycle assessment of our product concrete, including the processing of demolished concrete, and returning it to the construction cycle. By 2030, we want to offer circular alternatives for half of our concrete products.” Von Achten concluded “Together with the city of Heidelberg, also a pioneer in the area of climate protection, we want to use the Circular City project to demonstrate the enormous potential of concrete recycling for future urban construction.” 


UK: Karbonite UK has developed a new supplementary cementitious material consisting of mineral feedstock, geopolymers and waste biomass. The process also involves CO₂ sequestration and liquid-infused CO₂ absorption within the mineral structure. The material, called Karbonite, is activated at 750 – 850°C, releasing water, which is captured for recycling. Its CO2 emissions are 2.7kg/t, according to Karbonite UK. The developer says that Karbonite ground with 50% clinker yields a cement of equal compressive strength to ordinary Portland cement (OPC).

Karbonite UK is currently preparing a final report on the product for a major cement producer.

Managing director Rajeev Sood said “Karbonite offers a wealth of potential to an industry targeting net zero. We are excited to talk to cement and concrete producers about how they could integrate Karbonite technology into their existing process.”

Uzbekistan: QuvasoyCement has installed Denair Energy Saving Technology (Shanghai)’s DV 315 compressors at its Fergana cement plant. The cement producer says that the new compressors increase performance by 95% compared to previous equipment. It predicts cost savings of US$25,100/yr as a result of the upgrade.

Austria: RHI Magnesita’s customers can now rely on Environmental Indicators on all of its products’ Technical Data Sheets to check their CO₂ emissions. The indicators state the CO₂ equivalent emissions per tonne of each product. The supplier calculated the figures in line with ISO standards under on-going external supervision.

Chief sustainability officer Gustavo Franco said “One of RHI Magnesita’s main targets is to significantly reduce emissions over the next few decades, with the long-term goal of achieving net-zero operations in all areas of the company. It is clear that a solid basis for sustainable decisions and developments can only be achieved by creating a valid audited database.”

Argentina: The National Commission for Competition Defence (CNDC) has recommended that the Asociación de Fabricantes de Cemento Portland (AFCP) stop sharing information on cement production and deliveries on a provincial basis that is less than 12 months old. Following an investigation into the cement sector the competition body expressed concern about the “exchange of information" between the main local cement producers, according to the Ámbito Financiero newspaper. An official investigation into collusion between the companies that ran from 2016 to 2021 found that they carried out anti-competitive behaviour that led to costs for construction being inflated by US$180m. It concluded that the sector had a, “high degree of concentration, high barriers to entry and reduced competitive dynamics.” The cement industry was previously fined in 2005 when it was found to have acted as a cartel for 20 years from the 1980s.