Philippines: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has issued an order amending its previous order on cement safeguards. The Manila Bulletin newspaper has reported that the amendment extends safeguard measures to 13 new countries which now exceed the necessary 3% import volume share. These are Chile, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Israel, Indonesia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia and South Korea. Imported cement from these countries will now face a safeguard duty of US$0.2/bag. An official source quoted by the newspaper called the surge in importation from these countries "trade diversion" tactics by importers since these countries were previously exempt from the safeguard duty.

US: R-Tec Creations has launched New World Concrete, a single-stone Portland pozzolan concrete. R-Tec creations classifies the product as super ultra high performance concrete (SUHPC) for its compressive strength. It developed the concrete for use in construction in hurricane and earthquake-affected areas.

Colombia: BBVA has granted a US$45.1m loan to Grupo Argos subsidiary Cementos Argos. The loan includes a pricing adjustment mechanism which links its interest rate to the producer’s environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) performance rating. The company said that the choice of financing arrangement aims to promote a greater commitment to sustainability management and compliance with socially and environmentally responsible practices that ensure the construction of a greener future. The transaction is the first of its kind in Colombia and constitutes Grupo Argos’ debut in sustainable financing.

Chief executive officer Juan Esteban Calle said, “This is a definite advance in line with our sustainability strategy that fills us with joy, not only because it contributes to our debt profile and reassures our commitment to sustainability as a strategic pillar and source of competitive advantage, but it is also a benchmark of trust for our investors and other stakeholders”

Austria: Weitersdorfer Group has consolidated its lime activities under lime subsidiary Intercal. The group says that the closer cooperation of locations under the regionally-rooted InterCal enables the most effective roll-out of new technology such as drones for stockpile management and supports sustainable production practices such as the use of blown wood dust in lime kilns. Austria-based W&P Kalk became InterCal Austria, Slovenia-based IGM became InterCal Slovenija and Croatia-based InterCal became InterCal Croatia.

Sales and marketing managing director Harald Braunecker said, InterCal's "The new umbrella brand enables future-orientated cooperation between the individual locations, thus strengthening our market position from Austria to the Black Sea. The name InterCal combines the international market claim of the umbrella brand with calcium carbonate, the most important basic raw material for lime production.” He added, "Thanks to cross-border synergy effects among the individual InterCal companies, it is also possible for us to place an even stronger focus on the topic of sustainable production."

India: Ramco Cements says that its 16Mt/yr installed production capacity will increase to 20Mt/yr during its 2022 financial year that starts in April 2021 with the completion of a new plant at Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh and a third production line at its Jayanthipuram plant. The original plan to complete the work by the end of March 2021 was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Hindu newspaper. The new integrated plant at Kurnool will have a clinker capacity of 2.25Mt/yr and a cement production capacity of 1Mt/yr. The third production line at the Jayanthipuram plant will have a production capacity of 1.5Mt/yr, increasing the plant’s total to 4.5Mt/yr.

The producer also plans to complete Phase 3 of the installation of a waste heat recover (WHR) unit at the Jayanthipuram plant. Phase 1 (9MW) was commissioned in September 2020, Phase 2 (9MW) in February 2021 and Phase 3 (9MW) is scheduled for after the third line is complete. So far the first two stages have reduced the cement plant’s power consumption from a thermal power plant by 15MW. The project has cost around US$30m.

Ramco Cements has spent US$345m out of its planned US$470m capital expenditure in the 2021 financial year, which ends on 31 March 2021.

India: Shree Cement has commenced commercial production at its 3.0Mt/yr Cuttack grinding plant in Athagarh Tehsil, Odisha. The Economic Times newspaper has reported that the company officially launched the new plant on 15 March 2021.

Oman: Oman Cement has issued an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) tender to build a power plant at its proposed integrated plant at the Port of Duqm. The Muscat Daily newspaper has reported that the plant will have a clinker production capacity of 5000t/day and is expected to cost US$250m.

Iraq: Lucky Cement has started commercial cement production at its 1.2Mt/yr integrated Samawah cement plant. The News International newspaper has reported that the plant brings the company’s overseas installed cement production capacity to 4.1Mt/yr. It operates the 1.7Mt/yr Basra grinding plant in Iraq and a 1.2Mt/yr integrated cement plant in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The company said, “Despite the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic, the project has successfully achieved its milestones on time.”

India: The Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTI) has validated UltraTech Cement’s CO₂ emissions reduction targets. The validation confirms that the company’s targets are in line with a 2°C temperature rise scenario under the Paris Agreement. The targets consist of a 27% reduction in Scope 1 CO₂ emissions between 2017 and 2032 and a 69% reduction in Scope 2 CO₂ emissions between 2017 and 2032. This corresponds to a 462kg/t net CO₂ reduction for the producer’s cement.

Managing director Kailash Jhanwar said, “A changing climate scenario poses significant challenges for the built environment sector. It equally provides valuable opportunities to develop sustainable products and services. By committing to science-based targets, UltraTech Cement has once again demonstrated leadership in paving the way for the sector to help build sustainable infrastructure.”

Bangladesh: Protesters in Chhatak, Sunamganj District have accused LafargeHolcim Bangladesh of selling limestone illegally. The New Nation newspaper has reported that protesters allege that the company sold imported Indian limestone on the open market. They allege that the limestone was imported exclusively for use as a raw material in cement production under Bangladeshi tax law.