08 April 2020

India: Dalmia Bharat has donated US$262,000 to the Odisha Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to help people survive the coronavirus outbreak and lockdown. United News of India has reported that Dalmia Bharat has participated in extensive humanitarian efforts during the on-going pan-Indian coronavirus lockdown, including delivering a week’s groceries to 650 families in the Odisha town of Rajgangpur and dry food packets to 900 families in districts around its Biswali, Odisha plant. The group has cooked meals for 3000 people and arranged with local administrators to feed a further 8800. Dalmia Bharat has also opened its technical centres, guest houses and schools to medical authorities for use in treating coronavirus cases. Dalmia Bharat East regional manufacturing head Sunil Gupta said, “We are totally committed to supporting the national and state governments in their fight to contain the spread of COVID-19.”

India: Shree Cement has said that it will resume production across its 37.9Mt installed capacity as soon as the government lifts its coronavirus lockdown. Shree Cement general manager Hari Bangur said, “We are technically ready to start our cement plants.” The Business Standard newspaper reported that other producers are equally determined to get back to work. JK Lakshmi Cement has said that it will require a minimum of 15 days after the end of lockdown to streamline its operations.

China: Huaxin Cement has announced a predicted profit drop of 46% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2020, to US$100m from US$188m in the corresponding three months of 2019. Huaxin Cement said, “During the reporting period, the company's performance declined significantly, mainly due to the impact of the coronavirus epidemic, which caused sales to fall by 36%.”

US: Green Business Certification (GBC) has recognised Titan America subsidiary Roanoke Cement’s successful implementation of its zero waste policy at the 1.5Mt/yr Troutville, Virginia plant with a Total Resource Use and Efficiency (TRUE) Gold award. In 2019 the plant won the GBC’s TRUE Silver award. Roanoke Cement environmental engineer Lindsey Layman said, “In order to elevate our TRUE Zero Waste certification, we ramped up our zero waste policy to include, for example, physical audits of waste and improving recycling practices on-site. As a result, we have created a zero-waste culture and achieved an average of 98% overall diversion from landfill and incineration of solid non-hazardous wastes.”

UK: Aggregate Industries has announced a donation of materials to the NHS for use in construction of the Louisa Jordan temporary coronavirus hospital in the Scottish Exhibition Centre (SEC) Glasgow. The hospital will host up to 1000 patients when completed in April 2020.

Nigeria: Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim subsidiary Lafarge Africa has donated three of its facilities - along with personal protective equipment (PPE) - for use to isolate and treat coronavirus patients. Lafarge Africa chief executive officer (CEO) Khaled El Dokani said, “Our intervention will relieve healthcare facilities in Lagos and in our host communities, to support those fighting COVID-19.”

In addition, Lafarge Africa stepped up its water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) initiatives in its host communities.

Poland: The Association of Cement Producers (SPC) has told the government that the cement industry generates 1.0% (Euro5.39bn) of annual gross domestic product (GDP) directly and 10% (Euro53.9bn) indirectly via construction and, as such, ought to be permitted to continue operations as a ‘necessary business’ under the terms of the country’s coronavirus lockdown. The SPC also said that the industry serves a crucial function in disposing of 11-12% (1.32 – 1.44Mt/yr) of Poland’s waste as fuel for cement production.

Poland has been on lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak since 11 March 2020.