Israel: Seebo has announced an extended Series B funding round for a total of US$24m. Vertex Ventures is leading the round, in which10D, The Phoenix and Leumi Partners participate. Seebo will use the funding for a further expansion to its global reach, as well as enhancement of its process-based artificial intelligence product.

The company says that its product enables cement producers to identify process-driven inefficiencies in their operations in order to predict and prevent production losses. It can target losses including those involving kiln throughputs, emissions, clinker quality and ammonia usage. General partner Yanai Oron claimed that Seebo is the only supplier providing a productised solution based on artificial intelligence across the full product line.

UK: Mexico-based Cemex subsidiary Cemex UK has announced the launch of Supaflo Rapide, a calcium sulphate binder-based screed for all domestic and commercial floor applications. The company said that the product achieved a moisture condition of below 75% relative humidity at between 10 and 15 days under controlled conditions.

West Europe regional quality and product technology director Steve Crompton said, “Our technical expertise has enabled us to develop a new, more sustainable, premium quality screed that will help increase the efficiency of the job site, allow effective use of labour and improve the climate impact of projects. Supaflo Rapide uses an enhanced calcium sulphate binder and the latest admixture technology to cut down on drying time while maintaining the speed of installation associated with these types of screeds.” He added, “This will greatly benefit construction companies as they juggle the on-going challenges of site working requirements alongside increasing demand for fast and safe completion of jobs with a lower environmental impact.”

China: Starlinger says that its Ad*Star bag has received designation as one of three types of national standard cement bag type specifications by the Chinese government. The supplier developed the block bottom valve bags made of woven polypropylene tape fabric in 1995. Global production was 15.7bn in 2020.

The new Chinese standard for cement packaging was released in October 2020. It applies to cement bags holding up to 50kg and lists laminated woven plastic bags (made of one layer of laminated plastic fabric or with additional paper liner), paper bags (three-layer, three-layer with PE liner, four-layer bags), as well as paper-plastic composite bags (paper bags with plastic liner) as possible packaging options. All three types of bags must be designed as block bottom valve bags.

The standard specifies the dimensions as well as physical and mechanical requirements of the cement bags. Regarding break resistance, for example, a cement bag has to survive a drop from 1m height a minimum of six times before it breaks. Furthermore, printing and marking, general bag appearance, testing methods, and rules for quality inspection during bag manufacture are established in the standard. It also stipulates that each bag must be provided with a certificate before selling.

Local cement companies have been given a transition period until 31 March 2022 to adapt to the new standard. Starlinger expects to deliver and install machines for an additional production capacity of more than 2 billion Ad*Star bags on the Chinese market in 2021 and 2022.

Pakistan: Members of the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) recorded cement sales of 38.0Mt in the eight-month period ending on 28 February 2021 – the first eight months of its 2021 financial year – up by 14% year-on-year from 33.3Mt in the corresponding period of the 2020 financial year. The Dawn newspaper has reported that exports rose by 7% to 6.33Mt from 5.94Mt while local dispatches rose by 16% to 31.6Mt from 27.4Mt.

The association said that producers face problematically high costs due to rises in coal and energy prices.