Japan/Singapore: Taiheiyo Cement, which operates a cement terminal in Singapore through Singapore Cement Manufacturing (SCMC), a joint venture with Singapore-based Hong Leong Asia Ltd, has completed a new 24,000t cement silo at SCMC's cement terminal in Singapore.

Infrastructure investment, including subway and highway construction, is driving the robust cement market in Singapore and fuelling demand for low-heat-type cement as a way to prevent thermal cracking in concrete structures with large cross-sections (so-called mass concrete).

Coinciding with the construction of SCMC's new silo, Taiheiyo Cement has developed a new type of cement specifically formulated to satisfy Singapore's local needs. The new export-oriented product, which is manufactured using Portland cement and admixture ingredients such as fly ash from coal-fired power plants, qualifies as type CEM II as defined by Singapore's cement quality standard (SS EN 197-1). The new cement has greater resistance to thermal cracking due to its low-heat and low-shrinkage characteristics, higher long-term strength, improved workability and lower alkali-silica reactivity. It is also certified under the Singapore Green Labelling Scheme (SGLS) and therefore carries a Green Label in recognition of its environmental friendliness, which was demonstrated during a series of tests carried out with the cooperation of local users and experts. SCMC also used the new cement in the construction of its new silo and in the process verified its performance.

Taiheiyo plans to manufacture the product using fly ash that has been selected, formulated and managed with the cooperation of domestic Japanese power companies. It is expected to contribute to the effective use of fly ash from newly-built coal-fired power plants in Japan. Going forward, SCMC plans to use the new silo for CEM II, complementing its Ordinary Portland Cement and expanding its business through the supply of new cement that meets local needs.