Pakistan: Lucky Cement has won an award for use of modern technology to control fire accidents and save lives at the Fire and Safety Awards 2020, organised by the National Forum of Environment and Health. The Frontier Post newspaper has reported that the company is an ISO-9001, ISO-45001 and ISO-14001 certified health and safety leader. The cement producer’s chief operating officer (COO) Amin Ganny said, “At Lucky Cement, we ensure a safe and secure environment for all of our employees and stakeholders associated with our business operations directly or indirectly.”

Colombia: Mexico-based Cemex has increased its stake in subsidiary Cemex Latam Holdings to 93% from 73%. Citigroup Global Markets acted as advisor and Corredores Davivienda acted as intermediary broker for the offer.

The group said, “Through the offer, Cemex is simplifying and strengthening its overall capital structure by further consolidating its indirect interest in CLH.

Senegal: Ciments du Sahel has begun work to increase the cement production capacity of its Kirene cement plant to 6Mt/yr. Agence de Presse Sénégalaise has reported that the installation of a third line at the company’s 3.0Mt/yr plant will double the unit’s capacity when opened before the end of 2023.

Chief executive officer (CEO) Latfallah Layousse said, "We are now at a production capacity of 3Mt/yr of cement. Currently, we are starting our third line with a doubling of our production capacity in the next three years. The doubling of our production capacity will allow us, in the long term, to rise to a higher level and become one of the largest cement factories in the region."

Malawi: LafargeHolcim and UK-based development financier CDC Group have printed two buildings in Lilongwe. The partnership, called 14 Trees, built a demo building and a school over a period of two days. It used 3D printing specialist COBOD’s BOD2 3D printer. The supplier also provided training to construction workers on how to operate the equipment.

LafargeHolcim Middle East Africa regional head Miljan Gutovic said, “I am very excited about the work of our joint venture 14Trees, innovating in 3D printing technology to accelerate affordable and sustainable building, from homes to schools. This is a great example of our commitment to build for people and the planet. Starting in Malawi, we will deploy this technology across the broader region with projects already in the pipeline in Kenya and Zimbabwe.”

Azerbaijan: Cement producers produced 3.0Mt of cement in the first 11 months of 2020, down by 3% year-on-year from the same period in 2019. Ready-mix concrete production rose by 11%, according to the Trend News Agency. The total value of building products rose by 25% to US$389m.

Chile: Peru-based Unión Andina de Cementos (Unacem) has signed a contract with Inversiones Mel 20 Limitada and Spain-based Cementos La Unión for the acquisition of the latter’s Chilean subsidiary Cementos La Unión Chile. Diario Financiero News has reported that the company operates the 300,000t/yr San Antonio grinding plant and a concrete plant. The value of the deal is US$23m. The agreement is subject to approval by local regulators.

UK: Cemex subsidiary Cemex UK has concluded a deal with the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust for the sale of its Attenborough Nature Reserve near Nottingham. The trust received a Euro828m grant from Biffa Award towards the acquisition. The Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on the River Trent is home to over 1000 species including bitterns and otters. The former sand and gravel quarry became a nature reserve in the 1960s when it was opened by the broadcaster and natural historian David Attenborough.

Cemex Europe regional land development and permitting director Stephen Redwood said, “After more than half a century of partnership, we are enormously pleased to see the transfer of this amazing and award-winning site to the Trust being completed. To see Attenborough evolve into such an important nature reserve in such close proximity to major population centres has been most rewarding.” He continued, “Our partnership with the Trust - which has included the establishment of the impressive Visitor Centre with support from the company’s own Landfill Communities Fund - has been a major success and we look forward to the Trust taking ownership as the site moves on to the next phase in its development.”

Pakistan: A Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) enquiry committee has recommended that the commission take action against the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA). The Frontier Star newspaper has reported that the enquiry found evidence that APCMA members had formed collusive arrangements contrary to the prohibited agreements under the Competition Act.

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) recorded a cement price rise in Northern Pakistan in April 2020 and May 2020, and in major cities in northern Pakistan and southern Pakistan in June 2020 and July 2020. This occurred in spite of a reduction in demand in early 2020. As a result, the CCP launched a search and inspection of the APCMA head office and the office of its senior vice chairman, a cement company director, in September 2020.

Australia: Adbri subsidiary Cockburn Cement has approved a US$152m upgrade to its Kwinana grinding plant in Western Australia. It says the investment will consolidate the cement operations at its Kwinana site. At present clinker is transported by truck from the Kwinana Bulk Terminal to cement mills at both the Kwinana grinding plant and the company’s integrated plant at Munster. It will increase its production capacity to 1.5Mt/yr from 1.1Mt/yr at present. The project is expected to save the company US$15m/yr due to better energy, transport and maintenance efficiency when the plant is commissioned by mid-2023. The producer will fund the investment through existing debt facilities.

The upgrade project includes: a bulk materials conveyor linking the Kwinana Bulk Terminal (KBT) facility to a new 110,000t clinker storage shed, incorporating an automated reclaim system, to eliminate road transport and minimise clinker handling using mobile equipment; a slag feed system that will handle granulated blast furnace slag and additives such as gypsum and limestone; a ball mill circuit with the installation of two new cement mills capable of grinding slag and clinker; and a new 21,000t finished product storage, truck loading and weighbridge infrastructure for storage and despatch.

Argentina: 40 employees of China Nation Building Materials (CNBM) subsidiary Sinoma International Engineering have arrived at the site of Loma Negra’s upcoming L’Amalí cement plant in Olavarría. El Popular Medios News has reported that the engineers will complete work on the plant in time for commissioning in March 2021. The engineers caused a stir at the Ezeiza International Airport as they were dressed in protective clothing and masks unlike many other local travellers.