12 October 2023

UK: First Graphene and Breedon Group have entered into a development and commercialisation agreement. Together, the companies aim to enhance Breedon Cement’s CEM II Portland limestone cement (PLC) through the use of First Graphene’s graphene enhanced grinding aids and cement admixtures. Breedon will provide increased access to cement production lines in order to optimise the understanding of the processing environment and operating conditions.

Breedon Group’s Hope cement plant in Derbyshire previously conducted a 24-hour graphene-enhanced cement production trial on 28 June 2023.

Kazakhstan: Steppe Cement reported sales of US$65.2m during the first nine months of 2023. This corresponds to a year-on-year decline of 4.8% from US$68.5m in the corresponding period of 2022. Steppe Cement forecast a year-on-year decline in its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in full-year 2023 from US$30.9m in 2022, due partly to the impact of inflation on costs, including energy costs.

CEO Javier del Ser Perez said "Despite a slightly smaller domestic cement market so far in 2023, we remain confident that the company will continue to deliver strong sales figures going forward."

West Africa: Ciments de l'Afrique (CIMAF) plans to produce limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) at cement plants in West Africa. Parent company Omnium des Industries et de la Promotion (OIP) plans to build a calcined clay production facility in Burkina Faso to supply the material. Gulf Oil & Gas News has reported that OIP secured a Euro45m loan from World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation on 10 October 2023. It will invest Euro32.4m in construction of its upcoming calcined clay production facility and Euro12.6m in
construction of solar power plants for three CIMAF subsidiaries in Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali.

CIMAF CEO Anas Sefrioui said "IFC's green loan provides essential long-term financing for our projects in Africa. Through the green loan structure, we are bringing the best practices in financing decarbonisation initiatives in the region. We look forward to reducing our carbon footprint and replicating these best practices in our African operations.”

Kenya: East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC) has won a legal dispute for the right to evict squatters from 1740 hectares of limestone-bearing land in Machakos County. Nation News has reported that the court struck out the case after claimants failed to produce requested documents. It also ordered the claimants to pay EAPCC’s legal costs.

Australia/New Zealand: Belgium-based Etex has signed an agreement with building materials company BGC to acquire the latter’s gypsum and fibre cement businesses. The fibre cement business includes the Canning Vale fibre cement boards plant in Western Australia. BGC also operates nine warehouses across Australia and New Zealand. Etex says that the deal expands its activities in the ‘attractive’ local market, with significant growth opportunities. Finalisation is expected in early 2024.

Etex CEO Bernard Delvaux said “This deal is a strategic opportunity for Etex to complement our footprint in Australia and further increase the accessibility of our products and services for customers. This will both reinforce our gypsum wallboard offering and position us well in the growing fibre cement activities through a broad product range and good channel access.”