US: The Portland Cement Association (PCA) has predicted a rise in US cement demand in 2021 and 2022 in its Spring 2021 Cement Consumption and Construction Activity Outlook. The report stated that mortgage rates are expected to remain low throughout 2021, prompting single-family construction. Non-residential cement consumption declines are expected to continue from 2020 in to 2021 and 2022, though with decreasing impact. Predicted oil price rises will increase oil well cement consumption.

The association welcomed a proposed US$2.2Tn eight-year federal government infrastructure spending programme. Chief economist and senior vice president Ed Sullivan warned of the proposal’s inherent political weakness in its inclusion of US$1.2Tn-worth of low or no-cement projects. He said that the opposition would latch on to this as grounds to oppose the necessary tax rises for the funding.

Sullivan said, “This recovery is predicated on continued progress in fighting Covid-19. The rapid pace of vaccinations and increased mask usage have resulted in a decline in death rates from over 3,000 daily in January 2021 to less than 825 daily in April 2021.” said Sullivan. “The Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)’s current forecast suggests a sustained and significant decline in daily Covid-19 deaths to less than 170. Progress associated with Covid-19 is the critical factor in the near-term outlook.” He added, “After committing to spending US$5.2Tn in Covid-19 relief and adding another US$2.0Tn in operations, the federal US debt could rise by US$7.0Tn in 2020 - 2021. This puts the discussion of the Biden US$2.2Tn infrastructure proposal into context. The proposal must pay for itself, which means higher taxes. While investing in traditional infrastructure such as roads and bridges has bi-partisan appeal, tax increases and some programmes dubiously labelled as infrastructure have caused concern. This concern threatens the potential passage of the initiative.”

Mali: Sacko Holding has completed a feasibility study at the site of its upcoming integrated cement plant in Bema, Bamako District. Mali Actu has reported that the plant will directly employ up to 300 people, increasing to up to 400 people after 2 – 3 years. Chief executive officer Ousmane Koné said that the plant would aim to meet local demand and export some cement. Construction is set to begin by the end of 2021.

Thailand: Germany-based Beumer has replaced the belt of a 3.5km raw materials conveying system at TPI Polene’s cement plant. It used a process that allows the new belt to be inserted into the system and the old belt to be pulled out only in one go, instead of exchanging the single belt sections one after other. The supplier says that this resulted in ‘substantial’ time saving for the customer and avoided unplanned system failures.

Beumer originally commissioned the conveying system in 2015. The 2200t/hr system consists of two regenerative belt conveyors with system control, transfer stations and filter systems, as well as foreign material separators. 989m of further belt conveying systems are used to remove the material from the blending bed and to feed the primary hopper of the raw mills complete the system. Installation took 11 months, followed by a three-month commissioning period.

US: Salt River Materials subsidiary Phoenix Cement Plant is working with ST Equipment & Technology (STET) on a fly ash separation system at a power plant in Utah. The cement producer previously secured a contract with a power plant in the state for the supply of fly ash to its Clarkdale cement plant in Yavapai county, Arizona. STET is supplying the separation equipment, engineering and commissioning services, and an exclusive technology operating license for Salt River Materials. Operations are schedule to start in mid-2021.

Pozzolan business senior vice president Dale Diulus said "Salt River Materials and STET have been working closely to develop a commercially effective beneficiation process improving the quality of the fly ash." He added "We look forward to many years of fly ash sales into the southwestern US markets."

US: The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has approved a request by Holcim US to use more petcoke at its integrated Midlothian plant. Local health and environmental campaigners had hoped to challenge the decision at a meeting in late March 2021, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper. The changes will enable the company, part of Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim, to more than double the plant’s carbon monoxide (CO) emissions to 7000t/yr. 35 local residents submitted requests for a hearing to query the application. Holcim US was identified from state data as the leading emitter of industrial pollutants in North Texas in 2019.

US: Cemex USA, part of Mexico-based Cemex, has won a contract to supply 90,700t of cement and 153,000m³ of concrete for the latest phase of construction of the Houston Grand Parkway. The cement and concrete will help build the road’s I-1 and I-2 sections. The ring road around Houston is the longest of its kind in the US. Cemex USA will provide a portable central mix plant for the project.

Texas regional president Scott Ducoff said “Cemex USA is proud to be part of an iconic infrastructure project in our headquarters city of Houston, and one that will help ease traffic and improve local travel for commuters.” He added “Completing the Grand Parkway is a significant endeavour and opportunity for us to continue to innovate how we efficiently and effectively deliver our best-in-class materials to meet the demands of inspiring projects such as this one.”

Germany: Messe Düsseldorf has announced that the next Interpack processing and packaging fair will take place in Düsseldorf on 4 – 10 May 2023. The organiser said that attendees will be able to attend live web sessions alongside the exhibition.

Qatar: Qatar National Cement Company recorded a profit of US$19.3m in the first quarter of 2021. Reuters has reported that the figure represents a 29% year-on-year rise from US$14.9m from the same period in 2019. The cement producer reported a 6% year-on-year fall in revenue to US$182m and a 13% fall in net profit to US$40.8m in 2020.

Bolivia: Empresa Publica Productiva Cementos de Bolivia (ECEBOL) has signed a contract for the supply of 337,000m³/yr of natural gas to its Potosí cement plant. The La Razón newspaper has reported that the supplier will be Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB). The cement producer will use a 8km pipeline to connect to the network. The value of the deal is US$4.06m.

General manager Fátima Pacheco said that the pipeline will realise "the dream of the Potosí people of becoming a benchmark for cement and clinker production in the south of the country."

Cuba: Cuba’s full-year cement exports totalled 21,200t in 2020, down by 40% year-on-year from 35,200t in 2019. ADN Cuba has reported that the value of exports fell by 45% to US$1.04m from US$1.89m. The vast majority of exported cement went to Colombia. Cuba is currently experiencing domestic shortages of cement.