19 March 2020
Germany: HeidelbergCement’s profit was Euro1.24bn in 2019, down by 3.4% from Euro1.23bn in 2018. Its revenue grew by 4.3% to Euro18.9bn from Euro18.1bn. HeidelbergCement says that it reduced its specific net CO2 emissions by 1.5% year-on-year to 590kg/t from 599kg/t in 2018 and ‘intensified its research and development (R&D) efforts on carbon capture and utilisation/storage (CCU/S)’ in every operating region globally.
The group announced a year-on-year increase in volumes in the first two months of 2020, with all but three of its plants (HeidelbergCement subsidiary Italcementi’s 2.8Mt/yr Calusco plant, 2.5Mt/yr Rezzato plant and 0.6Mt/yr Tavernola plant in Lombardy region, Italy) still operating through the coronavirus pandemic, though it noted that construction is slowing in the US, Australia and Western Europe due to the outbreak.
HeidelbergCement cancelled its 7 May 2020 annual general meeting (AGM) ‘due to the spread of the coronavirus.’
Kunda Nordic Tsement to close plant 19 March 2020
Estonia: Germany-based HeidelbergCement’s subsidiary Kunda Nordic Tsement has announced the planned closure of its 0.8Mt/yr integrated Kunda plant in Kunda, Lääne-Viru County in March 2020. Business World Magazine has reported the plant closure will result in 80 redundancies. The company has stated the reason for the closure as being that the plant’s equipment, which produces cement by the wet method, is economically unviable due to its CO2 intensity.
The price of EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) emissions permits fell to Euro15.24/t of CO2 on 18 March 2020, down by 30% from Euro21.71/t on 18 March 2020.
China: Hebei province-based Tangshan Jidong Cement’s net 2019 profit was US$298m, up by 42% year-on-year from US$210m in 2018. Cement and clinker sales remained flat. Tangshan Jidong Cement attributed the growth to increased prices due to a 9.9% year-on-year increase in infrastructure spending to US$1.86tn. Throughout the year, the company said, it completed energy-saving optimisation and upgrades to improve efficiency, implemented strategic marketing and reduced the cost of material procurement.
Roanoke Cement receives emissions violation fine 19 March 2020
US: Titan America subsidiary Roanoke Cement has settled on a fine of US$3640 with the Virginia Department of Environment Quality (DEQ) for the breach of emissions regulations after a kiln gas outlet at its 1.5Mt/yr Troutville plant in Botetourt County, Virginia, recorded an average temperature of 121°C over a nine-hour period on 26 June 2019. Virginia DEQ enforcer Marvin Booth said there was ‘no documented harm to public health or the environment’ resulting from the violation.