Global Cement News

UK: Aggregates Industries has appointed Pete Hollingworth as the managing director of its Concrete Products business. He has spent over 25 years working in the construction industry to date, holding various commercial and managerial positions across the flat roofing, structural waterproofing and flooring industries. Most recently, he was the head of business support in the Europe, the Middle East and Africa region for Sika.

Mozambique/South Africa: China-based Huaxin Cement has agreed to buy the Africa-based business of InterCement for US$265m. The deal includes the Brazil-based company’s assets in Mozambique and South Africa. It follows InterCement’s sale of its business in Egypt earlier in 2023 to an unnamed buyer. The company will use the latest proposed sale to reduce its debts. The transaction will be subject to approval from regulators in China, Mozambique and South Africa. InterCement appointed JP Morgan as its financial advisor to the sale of its operations in Egypt, Mozambique and South Africa.

InterCement operates two integrated cement plants and three grinding plants in Mozambique under its Cimentos de Moçambique subsidiary and one integrated plant and two grinding plants in South Africa under its Natal Portland Cement subsidiary. Huaxin Cement’s operations in Africa include subsidiaries in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia.

Malaysia: Cahya Mata Sarawak subsidiary CMS Cement has secured board approval to build a new 1.9Mt/yr clinker line at its Kuching cement plant at Jalan Mambong. This will more than triple its clinker capacity to 2.8Mt/yr. The Star newspaper has reported that construction will continue for 36 months from the date of groundbreaking. CMS Cement expects to invest US$161m in the project.

The Kuching cement plant is reportedly operating at 55% utilisation of its 2.75Mt/yr cement capacity. It currently relies on 40% of its own clinker to produce cement, with 60% of clinker imported. It aims to achieve clinker self-sufficiency to better serve growing markets in Sarawak and elsewhere, including Malaysia’s upcoming new capital city, Nusantara, on the opposite side of Borneo.

Canada: Heidelberg Materials North America has appointed engineering firm WSP to carry out design, engineering and implementation of a planned 1Mt/yr carbon capture installation at its Edmonton cement plant in Alberta. Construction will begin in late 2024 and reach completion in late 2027. Through the project, Heidelberg Materials North America aims to realise net zero CO₂ cement production at the 1.4Mt/yr Edmonton plant.

Heidelberg Materials’ vice president of cement Joerg Nixdorf said "WSP’s proven track record of delivering high-quality and sustainable engineering solutions aligns perfectly with our vision of driving decarbonisation in the cement industry. Together, we will push the boundaries of what's possible and create a truly transformative project."

China: China National Building Material (CNBM) subsidiary New Tianshan Cement plans to increase its stake in Ningxia Building Materials to 51% from 49% for US$373m. Reuters has reported that New Tianshan Cement will raise funds through the issuance of US$971m-worth of commercial papers.

Further to the restructuring, CNBM will enlarge its stake in Ningxia Building Materials subsidiary Ningxia Saima by 12%.