Nigeria: BUA Cement has appointed Chikezie Ajaero as its Acting Chief Financial Director (CFO). He succeeds Jacques Piekarski in the full post of CFO.

Ajaero has worked as the Finance Director of BUA Cement’s Obu plant since 2020. He is an accountant with a master’s of business administration from the University of Lagos. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and holds over 25 years of experience in financial reporting and control.

Ireland: Ecocem has appointed Sally Anne Sherry as the Managing Director for its UK and Ireland business operations. She succeeds Susan McGarry in the post, who has become the group’s Director of Public Affairs and Sustainability.

Sherry holds around two decades of experience in the property sector and has worked as a non-executive director for several companies. Notably she worked as a Director and General Counsel for property development and investment company Bartra from 2015 to 2023. She holds legal qualifications from the University of Galway.

Germany: Buzzi subsidiary Deuna Zement plans to invest €350m to install a carbon capture system at its cement plant in Deuna, having completed two feasibility studies. The Thüringer Allgemeine newspaper has reported that, when operational in 2029, the system will capture 620,000t/yr of CO₂. This will make the Deuna cement plant carbon neutral. The company has applied for government funding for the project.

Buzzi Unicem said that its subsidiary is ‘Doing pioneering work on the path to decarbonising the cement industry.’ It added “The system will be efficient and take all relevant environmental considerations into account.”

India: Jaiprakash Associates has defaulted on loans worth US$553m, including principal of US$210m and interest payments of US$343m. The Deccan Chronicle newspaper has reported that the producer has total borrowings of US$3.57bn, repayable by 2037. The borrowings are comprised of fund-based working capital, non-fund-based working capital, term loans and foreign currency convertible bonds.

Jaiprakash Associates will now transfer US$2.27bn to a special purpose vehicle as part of a scheme of arrangement, subject to the approval of the National Company Law Tribunal.

Ukraine: CRH has invested €465m in Ukraine since entering the country in 1999, €74.5m of it since the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022. CRH Central and Eastern Europe president Guillaume Cavalier noted the double role of locally-produced cement in generating employment and state revenues.

Cavalier said "Investing in the expansion of production now is crucial to ensure the potential growth of the Ukrainian cement market following its integration into the EU."

Nigeria: Finland-based Wärtsilä has signed a 10-year operations and maintenance (O&M) agreement for a captive power plant that provides the energy for Mangal Industries’ cement plant located in Kogi State. The cement plant has limited access to the local electricity grid and its power plant operates with five Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel engines delivering an output of 50MW. The O&M agreement is designed to ensure that the facility can reliably maintain its cement production target of 3Mt/yr.

The 10-year agreement starts immediately as the unit commences operations in the second quarter of 2024. It will run on liquid fuel initially but then switch to gas operation when a natural gas pipeline is commissioned. The power plant’s dual-fuel engines can be operated both on liquid fuel and natural gas. They could also be potentially converted to operate with low- or zero-carbon fuels in the future subject to availability.

Patrick Borstner, Director, Operations Africa at Wärtsilä Energy said, “Wärtsilä now has more than 400MW of installed capacity for the cement industry in Nigeria, and we are operating three captive power plants in three different states. This successful track record clearly indicates our capabilities and highlights the added value we can deliver to our customers through our experience and expertise in supporting their operations.”

Mangal Industries signed a contract with China-based Sinoma International Engineering in 2021 for the construction of a 3Mt/yr new integrated cement plant. Construction at the site commenced in mid-2022.

Zambia: Chilanga Cement has started lime production at its Ndola plant. The new lime unit at the plant has a production capacity of 108,000t/yr, according to the Times of Zambia newspaper. The project had an investment of US$5m. The subsidiary of Switzerland-based Holcim has launched a new lime produced called ‘PAWA Lime’ targeted at the mining and industrial sectors.

Spain: The Spanish cement manufacturers' association, Oficemen, and Siemens Energy have signed a two-year collaboration agreement to develop decarbonisation techniques and solutions for Spain's cement industry. The agreement was signed by Siemens Energy's Industrial Sales Director for Southwest Europe, Angel Cillerruelo, and Oficemen's General Director, Aniceto Zaragoza.

Zaragoza said "The Spanish cement industry's commitment to climate neutrality by 2050, outlined in our roadmap, includes exploring the most effective levers for emission reduction, such as the decarbonisation of energy sources or the comprehensive energy management of industrial processes."

Kenya: Cemtech, a subsidiary of Devki Group, has submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment report to the National Environment Management Authority for a new clinker plant in Kitui County. The company aims to receive approval from the Kenyan government to establish the plant, according to the Business Daily newspaper. The company says that the plant will boost local cement production and increase employment opportunities.

Germany: Heidelberg Materials has reported its 2024 quarterly financial report for January – March 2024. Revenue for this period was €4.48bn, representing a year-on-year decrease of 8.1% from €4.89bn. Result from current operations before depreciation and amortisation was €542m, a year-on-year decrease of 2.6% from €557m. Poor weather conditions in key regions and a reduced number of working days in the first quarter of 2024 contributed to declining sales volumes, according to the company.

Dr Dominik von Achten, Chair of the Managing Board of Heidelberg Materials, said "Despite declining revenues compared to a strong prior-year quarter, we have further increased our profitability. This was in particular due to the very good start to the year in North America and strict cost management. The good start allows us to look forward confidently to the rest of the year.”