Pakistan: Maple Leaf Cement’s first-half standalone sales were US$121m in the 2022 financial year, down by 33% year-on-year from a first-half 2021 financial year figure of US$91.5m. Export sales fell by 46% to US$2.63m, 2.5% of total sales. Its main export markets were Afghanistan, the Seychelles, Oman and Tanzania. The company reported a 70% increase in its consolidated net profit to US$15.2m from US$8.97m in the first half of the 2021 financial year. The producer said that it expects the domestic cement market to remain ‘stagnant’ for numerous reasons, including high inflation, increased interest rates and decelerating implementation of projects under the Public Sector Development Programme.

Australia: Boral has updated the market that ‘exceptional’ wet weather on the East coast of Australia ‘significantly’ disrupted its New South Wales and South East Queensland operations in February and early March 2022. The Australian newspaper has reported that CEO Zlatko Todorcevski has forecast that the disruption to cement production and deliveries will have a negative impact of US$17.1m on the producer’s earnings in the first quarter of 2022. Coal and diesel costs have also risen ‘sharply’ so far in the quarter, to partly offset which the company has raised its cement prices. It now forecasts full-year earnings from continuing operations, excluding property, of US$108 – 115m.

India: TRA Research has named Ambuja Cements as India’s Most Trusted Cement Brand in its Indian Brand Trust Report 2022. The company also secured fifth place on the report’s Manufacturing category list.

China: China Resources Cement’s profit was US$993m in 2021, down by 13% year-on-year from 2020 levels. Its cost of sales grew by 22% to US$3.81bn from US$3.12bn. The group noted that the average cost of coal increased by 54% in 2021. It also pointed out that infrastructure investment growth slowed down in 2021. The company increased its turnover for the year by 9.7% to US$5.62bn. Sales volumes of cement and clinker fell by 7% to 81.3Mt and 7% to 3.3Mt respectively. Concrete sales volumes grew by 11% to 14.8Mm³.

During 2021 the group started construction of a second clinker production line and two cement grinding lines at its plant in Wuxuan, Guangxi. Once the upgrades are completed the plant will have a total cement and clinker capacities of 2.4Mt/yr and 1.4Mt/yr respectively. The group also acquired a 51% stake in Hunan Liangtian Cement in January 2022 to enter into the market in Chenzhou, Hunan. This company has cement and clinker production capacities of 1.6Mt/yr and 2Mt/yr respectively. An ongoing upgrade will increase the cement production capacity of 2.1Mt/yr. In March 2022 it sold its 72% stake in Shanxi China Resources Fulong Cement to Tangshan Jidong Cement to enable it to leave the northern market.

China Resources Cement has also been growing its co-processing capabilities in 2021. At the end of the year it reported 10 co-processing projects with a total capacity of 1.7Mt/yr. The projects, mostly based in Guangxi and Yunnan provinces, process municipal solid waste, urban sludge and industrial waste.

El Salvador: Cementos Fortaleza is establishing a new 0.3Mt/yr cement plant at Acajutla in Sonsonate Department. The Diario El Mundo newspaper has reported that the subsidiary of Grupo Regalado and Mexico-based Elementia plans to commission the plant in eatly 2023. The company will invest US$40m in its construction. The plant will produce its cement from 20% El Salvadorean-produced raw materials and will primarily serve local consumption, with the possibility of also exporting some cement.

Grupo Regalado representative Marcos Regalado Nottebohm said “It is challenging to invest in a project of such magnitude. This has been a natural step between two large business groups of great renown.”

Nigeria: BUA Cement’s Sokoto cement plant has resumed operations following a fire that killed three workers. The Sun newspaper has reported that the fire began at a diesel storage tank depot near to the plant, where third-party contract workers were welding a diesel storage tank. The group said that it activated a swift response in order to prevent any escalation of the incident.

US: New industrial nitrous oxide (NO_x) emissions limits under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s proposed Good Neighbour Plan will cost US$1.1bn by 2026, according to the National Association of Manufacturers. US Political and Economic Organizations News has reported that the association claims that the cost of implementing the regulations may harm US manufacturing and the country’s economy.

Tanzania: Dangote Cement has signed an agreement with the Tanzanian Ports Authority whereby it will ship cement from its Mtwara cement plant and raw materials for its Tanzanian operations via the Port of Mtwara. Ecofin Agency News has reported that the company previously used the road network for both materials. This had a negative impact on local roads and prevented it from exporting the Mtwara cement plant’s cement overseas.

China: Fujian Jianfu Cement has hired Citic Heavy Industries to carry out engineering design, procurement, construction and delivery of its upcoming 4500t/day ‘green smart’ cement plant. Process Worldwide Online News has reported that the plant will cost US$136m and operate with a high degree of process automation. As such, Citic Heavy Industries will rely on 3D parametric equipment design and digital twin technology in order to generate equipment models, incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) and maximise data potential for lifecycle operations.

US: Buzzi Unicem has announced the upcoming transition of its 1Mt/yr Stockertown cement plant in Pennsylvania’s Northampton County to 100% Type IL Portland limestone cement (PLC) production in 2022. Local press has reported that Buzzi Unicem and its subsidiary Alamo Cement Company will have fully converted to PLC production at ‘several locations in the US’ before the end of the year, according to the group.