October 2025

South Korea: Ssangyong Cement has ordered equipment from Germany-based KHD Humboldt Wedag as part of an upgrade to clinker production line five of the Donghae plant. The scope of supply for the contract includes: a Pyroclon R type calciner with Pyrotop mixing chamber; a Pyrorotor type alternative fuel combustion reactor; a Pyrobox type coal firing system for process start-up and operation balancing; replacement of stage four cyclones with new high-efficiency cyclones for calciner connection and an overall pressure drop reduction; a new kiln inlet chamber with orifice, kiln hood and tertiary air ducts; and a new Pyrofloor PFC 738AW type cooler with a Pyrocrusher PRC 420-4ES.

This project will be the fourth Pyrorotor installation at the Donghae plant. KHD’s scope includes the engineering and supply of mechanical equipment for the clinker production as well as electrical equipment for the overall modernisation of the production process. The project scope is the same as the modernisation contract of line four of Donghae plant, which was signed in February 2021 and currently is in commissioning. The commissioning of the modernised line five is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2023.

Gabon: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) and the United Cities and Local Government of Africa (UCLG Africa) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at Africa Climate Week 2022 that is intended to collaboration towards decarbonising cement and concrete industries in Africa. The MOU was signed by UCLG Africa’s Secretary General Jean-Pierre Elong-Mbassi and the GCCA’s Director of Concrete and Sustainable Construction Andrew Minson. The agreement was made during Africa Climate Week 2022 in Gabon and sets out how both parties will work together to strengthen stakeholder advocacy towards net zero and encourage local governments to take policy action towards decarbonisation targets.

Through this agreement the two organisations will work together towards building sustainable and resilient cities, with a focus on an initial first five pilot cities to scope out opportunities and challenges. The two parties will jointly organise events that strengthen advocacy for the involvement of local governments in decarbonisation. Both parties will also aim to help make low carbon cement manufacturing more attractive to investors in Africa, as well as stimulate demand for low-carbon concrete products and to cultivate a positive environment for circular and Net Zero manufacturing across Africa.

To reach these objectives, both parties will work to ensure African cities have more capacity to embrace innovative cement products and that these cities can be mobilised effectively to join the Net Zero by 2050 efforts. GCCA and UCLG Africa will also look to build stakeholder support for multi-level governance in urban planning and housing across Africa.

Ireland: Strong sales revenue and earnings growth from CRH’s America Materials and Building Products divisions have driven its performance in the first half of 2022. The group’s total revenue rose by 14% year-on-year to US$15bn in the first half of 2022 from US$13.2bn in the same period in 2021. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew by 21% to US$2.21bn from US$1.82bn. Its sales revenue of cement, lime and cement products grew by 5% to US$2.47bn.

The group’s America Materials division reported an increase in sales revenue and EBITDA of 17% to US$5.55bn and 12% to US$820m respectively. Cement sales in the region grew by 15% although lower activity was noted in Canada. The group’s Europe Materials division reported an increase in sales revenue and EBITDA of 5% to US$5.43bn and 4% to US$609m respectively. However the company said that before sales and earnings in the region grew by 14% on a like-for-like basis. The group’s Building Products division - which supplies architectural products, infrastructure products and construction accessories – performed particularly well compared to the other sectors.

Albert Manifold, the chief executive officer of CRH, said “CRH has delivered another strong performance with further growth in sales, EBITDA and margin despite a challenging and volatile cost environment. This performance reflects the continued execution of our integrated and sustainable solutions strategy.”

India: UltraTech Cement has commissioned a 1.3Mt/yr upgrade at its Dalla plant in Uttar Pradesh. Following the work the plant now has a total cement production capacity of 1.8Mt/yr. The cement producer said that the project was the first part of a capacity expansion drive previously announced in late 2020. It added that with this latest upgrade its total cement production capacity in India is just under 116Mt/yr.

Jamaica: Mexico-based Cemex plans to expand production by up to 30% at its integrated Rockfort cement plant near Kingston. The first phase of the upgrade project will cost around US$40m and be completed during 2024. Cemex’s chief executive officer Fernando A Gonzalez made the announcement during a visit to the plant. Andrew Holness, the Prime Minister of Jamaica, also attended the event.

Gonzalez said “We are in the final stages of the engineering phase and in obtaining permits from the local authorities.” He added, “Very soon we will begin to procure the equipment needed for this initial phase of the project, designed to not only expand our capacity, but also allow us to optimise our heat consumption in the manufacturing process, and therefore, reduce the carbon footprint of our cement facility in Jamaica.”

The event also included the unveiling of a mural at the plant which commemorates the 60th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence. Titled ‘Reignited for Unity’, the mural measures around 15m tall by 50m wide. It was painted by Mexican artists Irving Cano and Freddie Herrera and Jamaican artists Anthony Smith, Yanque Yip and Jordan Harrison. The mural is part of a local government initiative to use art to promote different communities in Kingston.

Dominican Republic: Cemex says it is planning to start using hydrogen technology at its integrated San Pedro De Macoris cement plant. It inaugurated the project during a visit by chief executive officer Fernando A Gonzalez. It is part of the company's Future in Action program that seeks to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

The group currently uses the technology by injecting hydrogen into cement plant kilns to optimise the combustion process and to increase the use of alternative fuels. It ran a trial at its Alicante cement plant in Spain using hydrogen in 2019 and says it rolled the process out to all of its European cement plants in 2021. Other hydrogen-based projects the cement producer is working on include a partnership with Hiiroc, a gas-to-hydrogen plant producer, and the creation of a renewable hydrogen industrial plant in Spain in collaboration with Acciona and Enagas.

South Korea: Halla Cement has awarded a supply and engineering contract to Germany-based KHD Humboldt Wedag for an upgrade of line 2 at Okke plant. KHD will supply a new Pyroclon R type calciner, with a Pyrotop type mixing chamber, and a 4.2m x 15m Pyrorotor type combustion reactor. Other equipment being provided includes: a Pyrobox type coal firing system for process start-up and operation balancing; replacement of stage five cyclones with new high-efficiency cyclones; and a new kiln inlet chamber with orifice. Erection and commissioning of the modernised production line is scheduled for the first quarter of 2024.

This latest project marks the second installation of a Pyrorotor at Halla Cement’s Okke plant. The installation of line 3 at the site is currently ongoing with commissioning scheduled for the first quarter of 2023. Overall, this will be KHD’s ninth installation of a Pyrorotor in South Korea.

The Pyrorotor has been promoted to cement plants as a way of using low-quality alternative fuels with minimal pre-processing. It offers a thermal substitution rate of over 85% and will also allow the Okke plant to reduce its NO_x emissions. The installation of the new Pyroclon R type calciner and the high-efficiency cyclones in the lowest preheater stages will also provide the production line with an increase in efficiency due to an overall pressure drop reduction in the entire preheater.

India: Adani Cement Industries has ordered a MVR 3750 C-4 type vertical roller mill from Germany-based Gebr. Pfeiffer for a new 165t/hr cement grinding plant it plans to build at Dahej in Gujarat. The order also includes an integrated SLS 4000 VC type classifier and a drive with a rated power of 3090kW. The subsidiary of Adani Group will produce fly ash-pozzolan mixed cement at the site.

Gebr. Pfeiffer’s local subsidiary, Gebr. Pfeiffer (India), will act as the general contractor for the project and will provide plant engineering. The commissioning of the new mill is planned for the period before the rainy season in the summer of 2023.

UK: Bunting plans to promote its magnetic separator and metal detector products at the Powtech trade fair taking place in Germany in late September 2022. The company will be displaying a number of high-strength rare earth magnetic separators including its Plate Magnet Housing (PHMS), Drawer Magnet (HFS), Grate Magnet, Plate Magnet and Bullet Magnet products. Each magnetic separator effectively removes fine tramp iron from a wide range of granules and powders at different locations within a plant. The company promotes its products to the aggregate, quarrying, recycling and slag processing sectors amongst others.

Australia: Boral has posted a slump in its annual profit, which fell by a third year-on-year for the 12 months to 30 June 2022. It made a profit of US$73.7m, down from US$98m in the 12 months to 30 June 2021

The company said that the result had been impacted by rising energy and haulage costs, while severe rains in eastern Australia at the start of 2022 had forced temporary stoppages to numerous construction projects. The company withheld profit guidance in its announcement, saying only that it expected revenue to be higher in the 2023 fiscal year as a result of annual price increases and new freight charges for customers.