Peru: Cementos Pacasmayo recorded full-year sales of US$519m in 2021, up by 49% year-on-year from US$348m in 2020. Sales exceeded pre-Covid levels of US$373m in 2019 by 39%. The company’s profit for the year was US$41m, more than double its profit of US$15.5m in 2020 and up by 16% from US$35.4m in 2019.

The Semana Económica newspaper has reported that Cementos Pacasmayo aims to maintain its 2021 full-year cement sales volumes in 2022. The company is in the process of a US$70m, 600,000t/yr clinker capacity expansion in order to increase its clinker capacity to 100% of its grinding capacity, from 61% currently. This will eliminate the producer’s reliance on clinker imports.

Australia: Boral plans to install chlorine bypass technology at its Berrima cement plant in New South Wales. The Illawara Mercury newspaper has reported that the installation will help the plant to double its alternative fuel (AF) substitution rate to 100%. This is one of the ways in which the producer aims to reduce its Scope One and Two emissions by 46% between 2020 and 2030.

In mid-February 2022, Boral acquired new land at the site of its Dunmore quarry, also in New South Wales.

Algeria: Some cement truck drivers have launched protests against a change in the law which limits their vehicles’ loads below the previous maximum weight. The L’Expression newspaper reports that protests include refusals to depart and the establishment of roadblocks. The actions have prevented the export of some Algerian clinker. Lafarge Algérie said that it raised drivers’ pay per tonne of goods following the law change. The company stated that the new level of pay ensures that transporters will not lose out as a result.

Algeria is targeting cement and clinker exports of 10Mt in 2022.

Canada: Concrete Economics managing director and long-time figure in the North American cement industry Colin Sutherland has died. Colleagues from throughout his 30 year-career spanning Canada, France and the US have been posting memories of Sutherland. Olsen Management Consulting president and Sutherland’s former Lafarge and Votorantim Cimentos colleague Richard Olsen said “We've lost a dear friend and long-time colleague. Colin was highly respected and valued in the cement industry and had developed a depth of knowledge and insight that was unique.” He continued “Colin's infectious laughter, ever-positive attitude and charm endeared him to many. He'll be sorely missed.”

Before joining Concrete Economics in May 2021, Sutherland was president and co-founder of SC Market Analytics and a board member of US Concrete. Previous positions also included vice president, commercial strategy, for Votorantim Cimentos North America; vice president, business development, integration and strategy for Holcim US and vice president, cementitious materials for Lafarge Cement. Between 1995 and 2001, Sutherland served as director of corporate development for Blue Circle North America, where he subsequently became group integration director following its merger with Lafarge Cement.

Nepal: Residents of the Arghakhanchi, Palpa, Pyuthan and Rolpa hill districts of Lumbini Province have reported that increased contamination with residues from limestone extraction has made many traditional water sources unreliable. the Kathmandu Post newspaper has reported that Alpha Cement, BS Cement, Kanchan Quarries, Hongshi Shivam Cement, Palpa Cement, Sarbottam Cement, Satyawati Cement and Siddhartha Minerals operate a total of 10 mines in the affected districts. Springs reportedly took 10 years to recover following the closure of Arghakhanchi Cement’s Narpani quarry in 2012.

India: Ambuja Cement plans to invest US$469m in a 7Mt/yr expansion to its total grinding capacity. BusinessLine Online News has reported that the new capacity will consist of a new grinding plant at Barh, Bihar, and expansions to the company’s Farakka and Sankrail grinding plants in West Bengal. The company says that the new grinding capacity will become crucial after it completes its planned 3.2Mt/yr clinker capacity expansion to its Bhatapara cement plant in Chhattisgarh.

Colombia: Grupo Argos subsidiary Argos recorded consolidated sales of US$2.57bn in 2021, down by 9.1% year-on-year from US$2.27bn in 2020. It sold 17.1Mt of cement across all regions, up by 16% from 14.6Mt in 2020. In the US, its cement sales rose by 5.7% to 6.1Mt, in Colombia they rose by 23% to 5Mt and in the Caribbean and Central America they rose by 27% to 6Mt. The producer’s earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 34% year-on-year to US$443m from US$406m.

CEO Juan Esteban Calle “I am extremely proud of these achievements, which are the result of a disciplined strategy of expansion, efficiencies and customer-centricity that has been carried out based on a long-term vision of sustainability, growth and profitability, aiming at delivering sustained and increasing value to our shareholders.”

India: Ghohari Cement says that it has ignited the new kiln of its Laxmipur cement plant in Dang District. Shivam Cement assistant engineer Nilesh Chouhan said that kiln inlet temperature monitoring was underway on 18 February 2022.

UK: A consortium led by Australia-based First Graphene dedicated to developing graphene-enhanced cement has won Euro228,000 in UK government funding. Innovation agency Innovation UK selected the consortium for its work’s potential to contribute towards cement and concrete’s carbon footprint reduction of 25% by 2030. UK-based Breedon Cement represents the cement industry within the consortium.

China: Jiangxi Wannianqing Cement and the administration of Qingyuan District in Jiangxi Province have signed a strategic framework cooperative agreement. Reuters has reported that the agreement sets out ways in which the partners can advance green building materials use in public procurement, in line with the Jiangxi provincial government’s District Revitalisation and Development plant.