Germany: The executive board of Humboldt Wedag (HWG), a subsidiary of KHD Humboldt Wedag International (KHD), is preparing to cut approximately 80 jobs. It has made this decision in response to a ‘difficult’ business environment in cement plant construction industry in the near future. It said that in light of this, ‘personnel capacities cannot be sufficiently utilised.’ The measures required to implement the reorganisation will be discussed with the works council soon.

Guatemala: Cementos Progreso says that its new San Gabriel cement plant is currently being tested. Plant manager Heber Barrios Valenzuela said that this stage of its set-up began in 2018 and will continue throughout 2019, according to the Prensa Libre newspaper. The unit had an investment of US$500m. Work on the project started in 2008 and construction work began in 2013.

The new integrated cement plant will have a clinker production capacity of 4500t/day when fully operational. Key features include a 1.5km conveyor from the quarry to the plant with a capacity of 1000t/hr. After raw material grinding, pre-heating, the kiln and the cooler the production line has a 70,000t clinker silo. This is followed by two vertical cement grinding mills, each with a capacity of 220t/hr. For packaging and despatch the plant has four cement silos. Two of these have a capacity of 10,000t for bulk cement. The other two have a capacity of 5000t for bagged cement. The plant also uses a 0.15Mm³ rainwater reservoir to store water to cool machinery.

Paraguay: Cementos Concepción plans to build a 1Mt/yr plant in Concepción at a cost of US$180m. The new company has been set up by businessman José Ortíz, according to the Hoy newspaper. The capital for the plant is being provided by the Cartes Group, the Jiménez Gaona Group and José Ortiz. The project is currently sourcing equipment for the plant and the plant is expected to be operational by 2021.

Algeria: LafargeHolcim Algeria has exported 10,000t of white cement to South Africa via the port of Oran to Cape Town. The consignment consists of its ‘Super White’ product from its Oggaz plant, according to the Algeria Press Service. The local subsidiary of LafargeHoclim operates two cement plants, at M’Sila and Oggaz respectively, and it runs a third plant at Biskra as a joint venture with Souakri Cilas Group.