Sweden: The government has extended Cementa’s permit to continue mining limestone at the quarries supporting its Slite cement plant for just over one year until the end of December 2022. The cement producer said that it would restart its mining activity immediately. However, it warned that the decision could still be appealed and work stopped whilst the case was pending. The subsidiary of Germany-based HeidelbergCement also refused to rule out shortages of cement in the future due to general uncertainty with the situation. Cementa has now started applying for a three to four year mining permit at the site.

Brazil: Germany-based Loesche says that it has acquired burner manufacturer Dynamis for an undisclosed amount. The engineering company was founded in 2003 and its products include the D-Gasifier, the D-Flame Burner, the D-Igniter, and the D-HotGas. Dynamis said it was excited by the opportunities that the agreement with Loesche would bring.

US: The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has fined Lehigh Cement’s Mason City plant in Iowa US$198,000 for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act. The agency alleges that the company exceeded Clean Air Act emissions limits, failed to submit required reports to the state and failed to conduct required testing of equipment. The EPA also determined that air pollution from the facility may affect nearby overburdened communities. Under the terms of the settlement with the EPA, Lehigh Cement is required to conduct additional air emissions testing to demonstrate ongoing compliance with the Clean Air Act.

Kuwait: Bruks Siwertell has received an order from Kuwait Portland Cement for a ST 490-M type ship unloader. The rail-mounted unit will handle various cement types and deliver a continuous material handling capacity of 800t/hr, discharging vessels up 50,000dwt. It will be installed on an existing jetty next to the customer’s older ST 490-F type rail-mounted Siwertell unloader. Delivery to the port is planned for mid-2023. A notable feature of the order is the unit’s ability to withstand high ambient temperatures of up to 55°C.