Pakistan: Fauji Cement says that its sustainability initiatives across its three cement plants reduced CO₂ emissions by 215,000t in the 2022 financial year. The Pakistan Today newspaper has reported that clinker factor reduction in reduced-CO₂ products such as Askari Green cement and Pamir cement eliminated 89,900t-worth of emissions, 42% of total reductions. Waste heat recovery (WHR) plants eliminated 79,400t of emissions (37%), solar power plants eliminated 31,500t (15%), alternative fuel (AF) substitution eliminated 8030t (3.5%) and reforestation eliminated 600t (2.5%).

India: Police in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa District have raided a fake cement facility in the village of Ghuma. The Times of India newspaper has reported that the raid uncovered 3000 bags of fake cement, as well as vehicles used for their distribution.

Russia: Akkermann Cement reportedly plans to invest US$442m in its construction of the upcoming 3.5Mt/yr Kaluga cement plant. The company says that it expects to complete the project in late 2027. State-owned Prime News has reported that, when operational, the plant will generate 400 new jobs in Kaluga Oblast.

Akkermann Cement acquired the site of the upcoming plant in April 2022.

Kyrgyzstan: United Cement Group (UCG) subsidiary Kant Cement has begun installation of a lining on its Kant cement plant’s rotary kiln in order to reduce losses and improve the efficiency of the plant. The producer expects the lining to raise its kiln’s temperatures by 100°C. It consists of wear-resistent RMAG–H2 bricks and HALBOR–400 refractory bricks.

UCG said “Energy efficiency and energy saving are among the most important factors for the successful implementation of ongoing economic and social reforms.”

Belgium: Holcim Belgium hopes to complete its Obourg cement plant’s Go4Zero oxyfuel kiln conversion and carbon capture installation project by 2025, in order to achieve carbon neutrality at the plant by 2030. The producer says that the plans involves establishing a new 135m-high cooling tower, instead of a 145m-high tower as previously planned.

In an effort to rally local support, Holcim Belgium will begin offering virtual reality (VR) tours of the upgraded plant plans in September 2022.

Chief executive officer Bart Daneels said “We would like to start this project, which will be a world premiere in the cement industry.”

Canada/US: Lime company Lhoist North America raised the price of its lime products by up to 45% from 13 June 2022. The producer acknowledged the ‘challenging circumstance’ for all parties at an ‘unprecedented’ time. It said “We look forward to continuing to deliver the expected value to our customers.”

Russia: Eurocement says that its subsidiary Peterburgcement’s Slantsy cement plant in Leningrad Oblast is undergoing an upgrade in order to co-process 100,000t/yr of alternative fuel (AF) in its cement production. The group claims that the upgrade will improve the efficiency of the 1.9Mt/yr plant and reduce its consumption of natural gas by 25%. The purported cost of the upgrade is US$1.77m.

Eurocement previously implemented the same technology at another of its cement plants in the Republic of Mordovia.

Turkey: Fernas Group has acquired Çimsa Çimento’s 1Mt/yr Kayseri and 1.2Mt/yr Niğde integrated cement plants and Ankara grinding plant, as well as ready-mix concrete assets in Aksaray, Ambar, Basakpinar, Cirgalan, Ereğli, Nevsehir and Kahramanmaras. Reuters News has reported the pre-tax value of the deal as US$110m.

Ireland: CRH bought a further US$300m-worth of its shares between 17 March 2022 and 15 June 2022. The purchases bring the group’s total investment in its on-going share buyback programme to US$3.5bn since May 2018. It will now proceed with a further US$300m buyback, ending on or before 30 September 2022.

On 28 April 2022, CRH’s annual group meeting voted for the group to repurchase a total of 10% of its shares.

Mexico: Cooperativa La Cruz Azul has taken to Twitter to thank the executive and judicial authorities of Mexico City for their work in dismantling the criminal network which had previously taken control of the producer. Prosecutors have indicted former Cooperativa La Cruz Azul legal director Victor N, who went into hiding in July 2020, and an alleged accomplice, Joel N.