27 January 2022

Mexico/US: GCC plans to invest US$500m over the next three years to the end of 2024 on increasing its production capacity and strengthening its logistics and distribution network in North America. New projects in development include the expansion of a cement plant, debottlenecking at the integrated Samalayuca plant in Mexico, the construction of two new terminals and other projects to improve the company’s operational efficiency and its social and environmental strategy. The cement producer reported strong sales in 2021 and it expects even better results in 2022 and 2023, particularly in the US, due to the effect of the US infrastructure bill.

Notably GCC reported that both the kilns at its Odessa plant in Texas were running at full capacity in 2021 and an additional kiln at a plant in Chihuahua, Mexico was complimenting supply to the US state. High demand was also recorded in Montana.

Czech Republic: Ceskomoravsky Cement is planning a Euro12m upgrade of its integrated Radotín plant. The work will include installing a new vertical grinding mill and other environmental measures, according to the Czech Information Agency. The subsidiary of Germany-based HeidelbergCement will choose suppliers and apply for building permits by early 2023, ahead of construction in mid-2023 and potential operation in 2025.

India: Ramco Cements plans to commission a new 2.5Mt/yr clinker production line at its new plant near Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh in February 2022. A 1Mt/yr grinding unit, 12MW waste heat recovery system and 18MW captive power unit at the plant are expected to be commissioned in the 2022 – 2023 financial year, which starts in April 2022.

The cement producer also intends to commission at upgrade to its Nagar cement plant in the 2023 – 2024 financial year. The US$63m project includes installing a new 300t/day kiln at the plant in Tamil Nadu.

Canada: Lehigh Cement and Enbridge have announced a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on carbon storage for the integrated Edmonton cement plant in Alberta. Captured emissions will be transported via pipeline and sequestered by Enbridge. Lehigh Cement says it is developing North America’s first full-scale carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) unit for the cement industry at its Edmonton plant, with the goal of capturing approximately 0.78Mt/yr of CO₂.

Pipeline company Enbridge intends to apply to develop an open access carbon hub in the Wabamun area, west of Edmonton in conjunction with Lehigh Cement and Capital Power, as part of the Government of Alberta's Request for Full Project Proposals process. Once complete the Open Access Wabamun Carbon Hub would be among the largest integrated CCUS projects in the world. Subject to the award of carbon sequestration rights and regulatory approvals, the project could be in service as early as 2025.

UK: Northern-Ireland-based Cookstown Cement plans to invest around Euro14m on environmental and process upgrades to its integrated 0.45Mt/yr plant in Cookstown. The company is managed and co-owned by David Millar, a sales director with Lafarge, according to the Belfast News Letter newspaper. Holcim announced the sale of its cement business in the region in late January 2022. Cookstown Cement has acquired a cement plant, a limestone quarry in Cookstown, a shale quarry in Dungannon and a terminal at Belfast Harbour.

Azerbaijan: Cement production grew by 6.3% year-on-year to 3.4Mt in 2021. 113,000t of cement in inventory was reported on 1 January 2022, according to the State Statistical Committee and the Trend News Agency. Production of construction gypsum and limestone rose by 48% and 4.4% to 35,800t and 35,800t respectively.