World: The United Nations (UN) has reviewed the progress of initiatives towards the reduction of mercury emissions from cement and other industries under its Environment Programme (UNEP). Mercury is sometimes present in the raw materials and fuel used in cement production. The sector currently emits 2220t/yr of mercury, 11% of global anthropogenic mercury emissions. The UNEP’s Cement Partnership Area aims to ensure ‘globally significant’ emissions reductions. Its priority actions include: establishing sectoral mercury inventories and baseline scenarios, encouraging techniques for the minimisation of mercury releases, increasing awareness in the industry, governments and regulatory bodies and supporting the development of policies in line with the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

The Cement Partnership Area said that it has achieved progress in expanding its cement plant mercury emissions management knowledge base and in reducing emissions. It called on governments to increase funding for projects, the development of new technologies and the publication of guidance documents.

US: SLB has launched EcoShield, a geopolymer-based well cement product. The company, also known as Schlumberger, says that the product cuts out up to 85% of embodied CO₂ emissions compared with conventional well cementing systems because it does not use ordinary Portland cement (OPC). It also reduces transport related emissions by using locally-sourced natural materials and industrial waste streams in its composition. The company says that the cement-free system can be deployed throughout various phases of the well life cycle, including abandonment. It can also be deployed across a range of field applications, including corrosive environments.

Jesus Lamas, SLB’s president of Well Construction, said “Decarbonising the well construction process while ensuring safety and performance standards is critical to our industry’s pathway to net zero.” He added “The cement-free EcoShield system is a breakthrough that delivers industry-standard zonal isolation capabilities while significantly minimising impacts from upstream oil and gas production.”

EcoShield has been tested by Pioneer Natural Resources in the Permian Basin on an 18-well field testing campaign and its use is ongoing.

Canada: Progressive Planet is preparing to build a 3200t/yr pilot plant for its PozGlass product at its headquarters in Kamloops, British Columbia. The company aims to commercialise its process, which produces pozzolan from recycled glass for use in cement or concrete production. The pilot unit will also sequester CO₂ released by a gas dryer at the site, from which it will produce sodium carbonate. The pilot plant is expected to go under construction in 2023 and be operational in 2024.

Steve Harpur, the chief executive officer of Progressive Planet, said “With PozGlass, a CleanTech breakthrough from our C-Quester Centre of Sustainable Innovation in Kamloops, we are producing one of many upcoming private-sector solutions that are needed to meet the 2050 Net Zero targets to fight climate change.”

Progressive Planet aims for PozGlass production to be situated at cement kilns, where PozGlass could be mixed with Portland cement at a 50:50 ratio.

World: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has launched a year-long spotlight on the work of women in the cement industry under the tagline Essential Women in Essential Industry. The launch of the campaign on International Women’s Day 2023 included video stories from 100 women across different industry roles.

Secil chief operating officer Majida Chahine, who in 1997 became the industry’s first female general manager in Lebanon, encouraged women to ‘break barriers to create a better future for themselves and others.’

Megan Mulholland, a Breedon Group weighbridge operator in Ireland, said “I think the industry is changing as more women are coming through.”

GCCA cement director Claude Lorea said “Concrete is essential to us all. It provides homes, connects communities, encourages trade, provides energy, and improves health. The wide-reaching roles covered by the women in these videos demonstrate the variety of skills they provide to our industry.” She concluded “Having a diverse industry enables us to problem-solve and succeed. There’s still a lot more we have to do, to have gender parity in heavy industries like ours. But today and throughout 2023, we celebrate the women already working with us to break down barriers.”

France: CRH subsidiary Eqiom expects to complete its carbon capture system installation and kiln upgrade at its Lumbres cement plant under the EU's K6 Programme in early 2028. The project uses Air Liquide's capture technology, whereby purified CO₂ is liquefied for storage or use in building materials production.

Pakistan: Dandot Cement recorded a net loss after taxation of US$463,000 during the first six months of the 2023 financial year. This corresponds to a year-on-year rise of 8% from US$429,000 in the first half of the 2022 financial year. Its finance costs rose by 10% to US$437,000, while its administrative expenses fell by 18% to US$71,400.

The producer's 0.5Mt/yr Lahore cement plant closed in 2019 for a 'balancing, modernisation and replacement' upgrade. Dandot Cement says that the on-going project is on schedule for completion before the end of the current Pakistani financial year on 30 June 2023. The company anticipates a rise in domestic cement demand due to new infrastructure projects and the renovation of existing infrastructure. However, it noted several principal risks and uncertainties, namely rising coal, diesel and electricity prices, rising interest rates, currency devaluation and current overcapacity in the Pakistani cement industry.

Oman: Oman Cement Company recorded cement sales worth US$173m in 2022. This corresponds to year-on-year growth of 42% from US$122m in 2021. Its cement sales volumes were 3.46Mt, up by 45% from 2.39Mt.

Chair Rashid bin Sultan al Hashmi said "The company has produced and sold record quantities of cement during the period to help the nation and the consumers in overcoming a scarcity created by various challenges faced by consumers due to short supply of cement from other manufacturers and prevailing global macroeconomic trends."

CEO Salim Abdullah al Hajri added a note of caution, saying "Though the demand for cement in Oman continues to remain reasonably stable and is expected to remain at 2022 levels, unreasonably low priced cement being supplied by competitors remains a major challenge, and the company will continue to monitor the market situation."

The Oman Daily Observer newspaper has reported that Oman Cement Company is in the process of selecting a contractor for an expansion to its Misfah cement plant. The project will increase the plant's capacity by 25% to 5000t/day from 4000t/day across its three production lines. The producer subsequently plans to build an additional line at the plant, which will triple its capacity to 15,000t/day. Meanwhile, plans for a new 5000t/day cement plant at Duqm are currently under review. The company is in discussions with the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ) to 'explore alternatives,' including possible relocation of the site of the plant, due to 'issues in the supply of gas.'

Mexico: Cemex raised US$5.8m dollars from bond repurchases in 2022. Noticias Financieras News has reported that the producer paid US$65.2m for tender offers and other market operations over the same period.

Jamaica: Cemex subsidiary Caribbean Cement has co-processed 1t of waste at its Rockfort cement plant under the National Environment and Planning Agency's Adopt-a-Beach programme. Since July 2022, the producer has also recovered 500kg of recyclable materials for processing by its partners. The Our Today newspaper has reported that the cement company has carried out three cleans of its adopted beach, Sirgany Beach, to date.

North Macedonia: Cementarnica Usje, part of Greece-based Titan Group has announced a 13% year-on-year fall in its net profit to Euro16.3m in 2022. It said that the decline in profit was a direct result of rising input prices.

Cementarnica Usje's operating expenses rose by 41% to US$100m in 2022, as costs for materials rose 67% to US$60m. Operating revenue grew by 25% to Euro108m. Domestic sales rose by 26% to Euro66.6m, while export sales rose by 26% to Euro37.3m.