UK: Tarmac has supplied its Toptint Glow glow-in-the-dark concrete for a major mixed-use commercial development called The Glass Yard in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Construction company Blue Deer used Toptint Glow in the main walkways and first-floor balconies of the office, restaurant and retail complex. France-based Chryso supplied its Lumintech glow-in-the-dark chippings for use in the concrete. The supplier said that the chippings are fully recycled. They are available in white, stone, light grey, agate and jade to match the colour of the concrete mix. Each has a corresponding glow colour of blue, green turquoise or blue turquoise. Tarmac says that glow-in-the-dark concrete helps to enhance the nighttime built environment.

Product development manager Glanville Norman said “Tarmac is always looking to develop new and exciting materials that can complement bold design. This is the first time that Toptint Glow has been used on a major commercial development and we were delighted to be able to propose a solution that not only has high aesthetic and environmental quality but also helped to improve safety and visibility.”

Peru: Germany-based Christian Pfeiffer is supplying grinding and separation equipment for Cementos Inka’s grinding plant project near Pisco. A 4.2m diameter 3500KW mill and a QDK 143-Z type separator with gas recirculation, to help dry the raw material without hot gases, are being provided. Cementos Inka’s 0.7Mt/yr plant was previously reported to have a budget of US$20m.

Sri Lanka: Insee Cement says it has eased a local cement shortage by operating at maximum production capacity and optimising its distribution channels. It reported a record output of 0.7Mt for the third quarter of 2021, according to the Colombo Post newspaper. The company also introduced two new import ships to help the situation.

Gustavo Navarro, the chief executive officer of Insee Cement Sri Lanka said, “We continued to fully support government regulations and industrial policies to first stabilise the market, and were able to deploy our island-wide distribution and dealership network to ensure an uninterrupted supply across the island. The loyalty and patience of our customers gave us that extra encouragement we needed to overcome the challenge.”

Turkey: Steel company Erdmir has received the Turkish Competition Board (TCB)'s approval for its acquisition of a 100% stake in refractory and magnesia producer Kümaş Manyezit Sanayi. Erdemir's parent company is OYAK Group, an industrial conglomerate with interests in cement alongside other industries. Thus, the TCB considered the deal's competition impacts on the cement industry. The board ruled that the vertical merger would not have a negative effect on competition because it does not give rise to horizontally affected markets, hence neither creating nor strengthening any dominant market position.