Global Cement News

Uzbekistan: Uzbekistan’s cement imports totalled US$105.6m over the six months to 30 June 2019, up by 32.3% from 2018.

Chinese investment in Uzbek domestic cement production saw two cement plants of 1.2Mt/yr and 2.4Mt/yr capacity enter development in 2018. Huaxin Cement’s Zafarabad plant is expected to become operational in December 2019, with Gansu Hengya Cement’s Kattakurgan plant also due to enter operation in the coming months.

Malaysia: YTL’s net profit in the quarter ended 30 June 2019 was US$0.58m, compared to a net loss of US$15.1m in the same quarter of 2018, as its cement section’s profits before tax grew to US$3.02m, up by 20.0% compared to the same period of 2018, as it benefitted from the higher profit share of its associates.

Ivory Coast: LafargeHolcim has constructed a depot in Bouaké, the second city of Ivory Coast, for storage of cement produced at its facility in the capital of Abidjan.

In a press release sent to the Agence Ivoirienne de Presse, LafargeHolcim explained that the aim of the development is to bring consumers and its supply closer together. It hopes thereby to maximise the national presence of it 2Mt/yr cement plant.

Russia: Eurocement has invested US$2.26m in upgrades to its Pikalevsky cement plant in the Leningrad region.

Eurocement has reported that tests have proven a 27% decrease in the water separation rate and an increase in the rate of curing of Pikalevsky’s cement following the upgrade. Strength indicators showed a 20% improvement in performance to 25MPa after three days, and over 60MPa after 28 days. Setting start time also increased to 175 minutes. Eurocement’s solution for particle size distribution in clinker after grinding has caused a notable boost in durability indicators.

Representatives of KHD, Aumund and Siemens aided in the installation and instruction of plant employees in the use of the new grinding technologies.

UK: Aggregate Industries has released a range of admixture-driven waterproofing solutions, blended with a custom mixes of BASF’s MasterLife WP 799, called Watertight^TM concrete.

Aggregate industries has described the high performance integrated waterproofing systems as ‘insensitive to weather, groundwater and sprinkler systems.’