India: Ramco Cements’ earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in the 2022 financial year were US$169m, down by 17% year-on-year from US$204m in the 2021 financial year. The producer’s profit after tax also rose by 17%, to US$115m from US$98m.

The Hindu Business Line newspaper has reported that the company attributed its full-year earnings decline to increased fuel costs and reduced cement prices. In the fourth quarter of the 2022 financial year, power and fuel costs rose by 88% year-on-year to US$60.1m from US$31.9m.

Uzbekistan: United Cement Group (UCG) has successfully completed the modernisation of the grinding units at its Kuvasay cement plant in Fergana. The work consisted of installation of protective armour on the inner surface of mill drums and mill ends and the replacement of bar partitions between chambers with sectional partitions. This increased the total mass of the cylpebs to 43t from 39t and improved the mills’ efficiency. UCG also upgraded the units’ dust removal equipment, replacing their original electrostatic precipitators with RIF–0500–03 K and FRKI 360 bag filters. The group carried out the modernisation in collaboration with the Uzsanoatkurilishmateriallari Association and the Fergana Regional Committee for Environmental Safety.

Egypt: Arabian Cement more than doubled its consolidated sales year-on-year to US$57.4m in the first quarter of 2022 from US$23.4m in the first quarter of 2021. During the quarter, the producer recorded a profit of US$3.19m, compared to a US$343,000 loss in the corresponding quarter of 2021.

Brazil: The Falcão Bauer Quality Institute (IFBQ) has certified LafargeHolcim Brasil’s CP III-32 blast furnace slag cement for all construction applications. The certificate confirms that the product offers 50% reduced CO₂ compared to the average cement on the Brazilian market.

The Jornal Dia Dia newspaper has reported that sustainability manager Bruno Hallak said “The IFBQ is an institution recognised by the market and this certification confirms that we are on the right track. The production processes and methodologies evaluated can even be reproduced in other units, according to their local characteristics, increasing the gain for the environment.”

LafargeHolcim Brasil previously obtained IFBQ certification for its CP III-40 blast furnace slag cement, which offers a slightly less reduced clinker factor than CP III-32 cement, in 2021. It was the first cement of its type in Brazil to receive the certification. The company produces both cements at its Vitória grinding plant in Espírito Santo.

Mexico: GCC has announced its plan for a 100% Portland limestone cement (PLC) transition of its Samalayuca, Chihuahua, cement plant. The producer says that the plant will complete its transition in July 2022. It said that the move is part of its CO₂ emissions reduction roadmap.

India: Shree Cement recorded standalone sales of US$1.84bn in its 2022 financial year, corresponding to a rise of 13% year-on-year from US$1.63bn in the 2021 financial year. Profit after tax for the year was US$306m, up by 2.8% from 298m.

In the fourth quarter of the 2022 financial year, Shree Cement’s energy costs rose by 10% year-on-year and equalled 26% of its sales, while transport costs fell by 1.1% to 23% of sales. Raw materials costs equalled 6.6% of the quarter’s sales.

India: Nuvoco Vistas recorded full-year consolidated sales of US$1.2bn in its 2022 financial year, up by 24% year-on-year. The group’s earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) remained level year-on-year at US$198m. Its profit after tax also remained level at US$4.12m.

The Pioneer newspaper has reported that Nuvoco Vistas’ Chittor cement plant achieved an alternative fuel (AF) substitution capacity of 23% during the 2022 financial year. The group says that it remains focused on increasing its proportion of blended cement products, in addition to AF and waste heat recovery (WHR) projects.

India: The board of JK Cement has recommended a proposal for the company to seek to raise US$64.4m via non-convertible debentures (NCDs). Under the proposal, the cement producer would issue the NCDs on a private placement basis in one or more tranches.

Cameroon: The Cameroon Minister of Trade Luc-Magloire Mbarga has authorised cement producers and importers to begin importing more cement from Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in order to combat a local shortage. The Business in Cameroon newspaper has reported that Mbarga said that authorisation will operate temporarily, until high cement prices drop.

In 2021, Cameroon produced 4.5Mt of cement. Its domestic consumption was 4Mt, up by 14% year-on-year from 3.5Mt in 2021.

US: Holcim US’ Lafarge Ravena cement plant in New York State has launched a celebration of six decades’ successes on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the plant’s groundbreaking ceremony. 1000 people attended the ceremony on 19 May 1961, where New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller broke ground on the then Atlantic Cement Company’s new US$64m facility.

Addressing the crowd, Rockefeller said “The enormous production capacity of this plant will undoubtedly draw many large and small companies to the environs, and, as a result, employment will rise considerably.”

Today, the Lafarge Ravena cement plant directly employs 160 local people.