
21 January 2025
US: The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management has selected Cemex's Knoxville cement plant in Tennessee as the site for a carbon capture, removal and conversion test centre. The project is part of a US$101m initiative shared among five projects that aim to decarbonise cement plants and power facilities.
Cemex, in collaboration with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and a coalition of US cement producers, will develop the conceptual design, business, technical and managerial frameworks for the test centre under Phase 1. Phase 2 will involve constructing and operating the centre to evaluate advanced carbon management systems.
Jaime Muguiro, president of Cemex US, said “While we are making steady progress, the cement industry has the opportunity to accelerate the pace of our decarbonisation even more. I am excited that our Knoxville cement plant has been selected as the host site for the carbon capture test centre. Through collaboration and continuous innovation with the University of Illinois and industry peers, Cemex is committed to advancing decarbonisation solutions.”
Saudi Arabia: Eastern Province Cement Company (EPCC) will install two MVR 5000 R-4 vertical roller mills from Gebr. Pfeiffer at its Khursaniyah plant, as part of a new 3.2Mt/yr (10,000t/day) production line. The mills will grind 550t/hr of cement raw material to a fineness of ≤10%R on 90µm.
The MVR mills are expected to improve technical availability, while reducing operating costs and emissions. This project marks the first installation of MVR vertical roller mills in Saudi Arabia and is being managed by Chinese contractor CBMI. Commissioning is scheduled for the second half of 2025.
Saudi cement sales rise 12% in fourth quarter of 2024 21 January 2025
Saudi Arabia: Cement sales increased by 12% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2024, reaching 14.87Mt, Arab News reports. Sales were primarily driven by domestic demand, which accounted for 96% of total sales. Exports contributed the remaining 4%, according to data from Al-Yamama Cement. For the full year, cement sales grew by 3.7% to 51.2Mt.
Al-Yamama Cement led the domestic market in the fourth quarter of 2024, with a 13% share and sales of 1.83Mt, up by 22% year-on-year. Qassim Cement, after acquiring Hail Cement, held an 11% share with 1.63Mt of sales. Yanbu Cement, Southern Cement, and Al Jouf Cement followed.
During the same period, Saudi Cement dominated in exports with 0.49Mt, representing 80% of total shipments and a 71% year-on-year increase. Clinker production grew by 7% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 14.9Mt, while clinker exports fell by 28% to 1.15Mt.
Amr Nader, CEO of cement consultancy A3&Co, said “These figures may not fully align with the anticipated surge in demand from ambitious infrastructure projects. Megaprojects such as NEOM, the Red Sea project, and FIFA World Cup-related developments require vast quantities of construction materials. The maximum anticipated demand in the next five years is 78Mt/yr.”
Attock Cement commissions 4.8MW wind turbine 21 January 2025
Pakistan: Attock Cement has commissioned a 4.8MW wind turbine project at its Hub site, it stated in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange. The company says that the project aligns with its commitment to sustainable cement production and aims to reduce power costs.