Global Cement News

Saudi Arabia: Northern Region Cement has begun oil well cement production at its 2Mt/yr-capacity Arar integrated cement plant in Northern Borders Province. Mubasher News has reported that the company will begin sale of the cement in early 2021. The American Petroleum Institute (API) has certified the product.

Tunisia: Ciments de Bizerte dispatched its first batch of cement since 2008 from the Port of Bizerte on 19 October 2020. Agency Tunis Afrique Press has reported that the cement was sold on the Libyan market. The development follows Ciments de Bizerte’s investment in an upgrade of its quay at the Port of Bizerte.

Niger: President Issoufou Mahamadou has launched the construction of the upcoming 1Mt/yr Kao cement plant at a ceremony at the integrated plant’s site in Kao, Tahoua Region. Minister of Industry Adeniyi Adebayo said that the US$290m plant will generate 314 jobs, according to the Angola Press Agency. It is expected to be completed by early 2022. Kao Cement is 33% owned by private investors from Niger and Mauritania.

India: Shiva Cement is preparing to break ground on an expansion project to set up a 4000t/day clinker unit and a 1Mt/yr grinding unit. The subsidiary of JSW Cement will spend around US$208m on the works from a mixture of debt and equity.

India: JSW Cement subsidiary Shiva Cement’s three-month net loss for the quarter ended 30 September 2020 – the second quarter of the 2021 financial year – was US$0.85m, up slightly from the second quarter of the 2020 financial year. Dion News Service has reported that the company recorded a revenue fall of 6.5%, to US$0.72m from US$0.77m. Operating expenses fell by 12% to US$1m from US$1.2m.