27 July 2021

Nigeria: Madugu Cement plant to build a 5Mt/yr cement plant at Kembu in Gombe state. The producer has awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the project to China-based Sinoma International Engineering Company. Construction will consist of two phases, each of which will establish a production line of 2.5Mt/yr capacity. The Nigerian Tribune newspaper has reported that, when commissioned, the plant will be the second in Gombe state. The state has extensive gypsum reserves and a surplus of coal and hydroelectric power.

Nigeria: Dangote Cement says that its new 6Mt/yr cement plant at Okpella in Edo state is ready to enter cement production. The Daily Independent newspaper has reported that group invested US$1bn in the plant. China-based Sinoma International Engineering Company supplied engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services. When commissioned, the plant will employ 6000 people, according to the owner.

Dangote Cement is in the process of establishing a further 6Mt/yr cement plant at Itori in Ogun state. The launch of both plants will give the producer an active cement capacity of 41.3Mt/yr. The company says that its aim is to increase the uptake of cement in Nigeria. It said, “We still need to do more to make the cement get to the poorest of the poor.”

World: Switzerland-based Holcim has launched its ECOPlanet reduced-CO₂ cement range in six European markets and Canada. The range offers at least 30% lower emissions than Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). It includes one cement produced using recycled construction and demolition waste.

Chief executive officer Jan Jenisch said “Driving the circular economy, our ECOPlanet range includes the world’s first cement with 20% recycled construction and demolition waste inside, advancing our net zero vision in a nature-positive way. With the world’s population rising and rapid urbanisation, solutions like ECOPlanet are critical to enable greener cities and smarter infrastructure, building more with less.”

The group plans to introduce the range to 15 countries by 2022 and double its market presence in 2023.

US: Cemex USA’s Victorville cement plant in California has won the Portland Cement Association (PCA)’s Chairman’s Safety Performance Award 2021 in the Large category. The award recognises top safety performance. The Victorville cement plant previously won the award in 2019 and 2020. Cemex USA says that the plant recorded zero incidents in 2020. Earlier in 2021, it surpassed four years without a lost time injury to any employee or contractor.

President Jaime Muguiro said “Safety is our top priority, and Victorville cement plant is demonstrating that Zero4Life is possible. We are proud of the continued commitment of our team, and their achievement is a great example of what can happen when everyone is dedicated to safety and works together to look out for one another.”

France: Cemex France has supplied 40,000m³ to the site of the now completed Paris Duo Towers in Paris, Île-de-France. The company also provided construction waste removal services through its multimodal transport network. The producer said that the strong commitment of its technical teams ensured the success of the operation. It said that excellent communication between its various departments and the concrete production teams enabled ‘smooth and consistent’ concrete deliveries.