15 January 2021
Pakistan Supreme Court may consider cement producers’ claim against legality of Competition Commission of Pakistan 15 January 2021
Pakistan: Cement producers including DG Khan have filed pleas to the Pakistan Supreme Court challenging the Lahore High Court’s ruling in favour of parliament’s right to introduce new competition legislation. The pleas challenge the constitutionality of the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP)’s existence, according to the Pakistan Today newspaper. The producers claim that the high court made a procedural error in failing to adjourn during the coronavirus pandemic and a domestic ban on air travel.
Vietnamese cement plants average 2.2Mt/yr cement production 15 January 2021
Vietnam: The Vietnam National Cement Association (VNCA) says that the average cement production of each integrated cement plant is 2.2Mt/yr. It alleges this is the lowest output in the Southeast Asian region, according to the Viet Nam newspaper. It further explained that 70% of the country’s plants produce less than 1Mt/yr of cement, accounting for 20% of the total output.
Huaxin Cement predicts 2020 profit drop 15 January 2021
China: Huaxin Cement has forecast a 9 -14% year-on-year fall in full-year net profit in 2020, of up to US$140m. It said that it recorded a net profit attributable to shareholders after deducting non-recurring gains and losses of around US$980m in 2019.
The company said, “The main reason for 2020 performance decline is the hit of Covid-19 in the first half of this year and vast flood disaster along Yangtze River in July 2020. The sales volume of main products were hugely affected and the price fell to some extent, leading to the reduction in the operating revenue.”
FLSmidth enters negotiations with ThyssenKrupp over acquisition of its mining business 15 January 2021
Germany: Denmark-based FLSmidth has entered into non-binding negotiations with ThyssenKrupp over the possible acquisition of its mining business. Mining is one of ThyssenKrupp subsidiary ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions’ major businesses, alongside cement. This business segment reported net sales of Euro2.9bn in its 2020 financial year, a small decline from the sales figure in 2019 despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Cemex UK supplies Vertua Classic concrete for building in Leeds Climate Innovation District 15 January 2021
UK: Cemex UK has supplied 70m3 of Vertua Classic concrete to the site of Citu’s upcoming office building in its Climate Innovation District in Leeds, West Yorkshire. It will provide the building’s foundations. The company says that it has a 30 – 50% smaller carbon footprint than a standard mix. It produced the concrete at its Leeds ready-mix plant.
Ready-mix technical manager Tracey Carden said “We are very proud to have supplied our Vertua Classic concrete to the latest phase of work at Citu’s Climate Innovation District in Leeds, particularly as this will be its head office. This is a development that prioritises sustainable construction, making our low-carbon concrete the obvious choice for the office building foundations.”
US: Georgia Power will begin dewatering three ash ponds at its Mitchell power plant in Albany, Georgia. The company says that the coal ash will be used in local cement production.
Environmental and natural resources vice president Mark Berry said “As we begin the dewatering process at Plant Mitchell, we continue to focus on safety and meeting all requirements throughout the process to fulfill our longstanding commitment to protect the environment, our local communities and water quality every step of the way." He added “Throughout the process, clear communication to our customers and the community about our progress remains a priority."
With the Plant Mitchell project, approximately 2Mt of stored coal ash will be removed from the existing ash ponds for reuse in cement manufacturing. The project at Plant Mitchell marks the first time that stored ash from existing ash ponds at sites in Georgia will be excavated for beneficial reuse as part of an ash pond closure project. At present Georgia Power recycles more than 85% of all ash and gypsum, including more than 95% of fly ash, it produces from current operations for various beneficial reuses such as concrete production as well as other construction products.