Displaying items by tag: Americas

Bolivia: The municipal government of Santa Cruz de la Sierra has signed an agreement with Itacamba Cemento to recycle thousands of end-of-life tyres (ENDTs) into alternative fuel for cement production, according to the El Deber newspaper. The initiative was implemented through the Municipal Waste Management Company (Emacruz).

Under the agreement, discarded tyres collected from landfills will be transformed into thermal energy for use in Itacamba’s cement kilns, reducing waste and fossil fuel consumption. The tyres will be incinerated at temperatures exceeding 1400°C, with monitoring and gas-capture systems employed to prevent harmful emissions.

Mayor Jhonny Fernández said “We guarantee the responsible disposal of thousands of tonnes of tyres that would otherwise cause pollution or become breeding grounds for diseases like dengue. This is our tangible contribution to a healthier environment and better quality of life for our citizens.”

Itacamba Cemento general manager Marcelo Morales said “Co-processing is a globally recognised waste management method that complies with the waste hierarchy. Our kiln enables the complete and safe destruction of non-recyclable materials.”

Brazil: The cement industry closed the third quarter of 2025 on a positive note, with sales reaching 6.1Mt in September 2025, up by 4.6% year-on-year. From January to September 2025, cumulative sales stood at 50.3Mt, representing 3% year-on-year growth, according to preliminary figures released by the National Union of the Cement Industry (SNIC). The sector’s performance reflected mixed economic signals, with a robust labour market balancing the effects of high interest rates, rising defaults and elevated household debt. The unemployment rate fell to 5.6% in the quarter ending in August 2025, alongside record levels of formal employment and wage growth of 1.4%.

Despite these gains, overall economic activity has shown signs of slowing in the second half of 2025, with industry confidence stabilising in September 2025 after three months of decline. Given this context, SNIC projects a moderate 2% increase in cement consumption for 2025, supported by continued demand from housing and infrastructure projects.

“The cement industry demonstrates resilience by maintaining positive performance based on a sales recovery that began in 2024,” said Paulo Camillo Penna, president of SNIC. “However, the increased uncertainty in the economy creates an environment of caution. Our projections for 2025 reflect this moderation, but the focus on social housing and sustainable infrastructure solutions such as concrete paving will continue to drive consumption and support Brazil’s economic, social and environmental development.”

Bolivia: The Santa Cruz Chamber of Construction (Cadecocruz) has warned that the 65% increase in cement prices could ‘paralyse’ public and private construction projects across the country, according to Noticias Financieras. The organisation said the increase is inflating project costs, adding pressure to an industry that is reportedly already struggling with broader material price hikes. In response, the chamber has called for cement to be included among the materials covered by Supreme Decrees 5321 and 5452 on price readjustment, arguing that the measure would help to prevent work stoppages and job losses.

US: Silvi Cement, a division of Silvi Materials, has announced a significant expansion of its cementitious materials distribution network, with new facilities in North Carolina and Ohio.

The company has opened a temporary cement rail load-out facility at the deep-water port of Morehead City, North Carolina, now fully operational for pickup and delivery. Construction is also underway on a major cement import terminal at the same site, scheduled to open in 2027. The upcoming terminal will feature two 100,000t domes for Type I/II low-alkali cement and Grade 120 slag, with round-the-clock truck loading and direct rail loadout capabilities.

Silvi is simultaneously developing a large-scale, rail-served cement distribution terminal in Central Ohio, expected to open in spring 2026. Designed to handle over 250,000t/yr, the facility will distribute Type I/II low-alkali cement and Grade 120 slag to meet rising demand across the Midwest. Until the Morehead City domes are completed, both terminals will be supplied by rail from Silvi’s flagship cement terminal in Bristol, Pennsylvania, which houses three domes with a combined storage capacity of 165,000t.

Argentina: Cement dispatches in September 2025 reached 0.92Mt, a 0.5% increase compared to September 2024 and up by 3% from August 2025, according to data from the AFCP. Domestic shipments in September 2025 totalled 0.92Mt, while exports amounted to 5166t. Cumulative cement deliveries from January to September 2025 reached 7.5Mt, representing a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

Mexico: Cemex has completed the sale of its operations in Panama to Dominican-Republic based industrial conglomerate Grupo Estrella for an enterprise value of approximately US$200m. The divested assets include a 1.2Mt/yr capacity cement plant in Calzada Larga, Chilibre, along with related ready-mix, aggregates operations, and rights to acquire additional reserves. Cemex has increased its holdings to a majority stake in US-based Couch Aggregates, using a small portion of the Panama sale proceeds to offset the EBITDA impact from the divestment.

“These transactions are important building blocks in our strategy to rebalance our portfolio and continue investing in growth in priority markets,” said Jaime Muguiro, CEO of Cemex.

US: Total shipments of Portland and blended cement, including imports, were an estimated 9.16Mt in June 2025, a 2% decrease from 9.40Mt in June 2024, according to the latest US Geological Survey data. Shipments for the first six months of 2025 reached 47.0Mt, down by 5.3% year-on-year. The leading cement-consuming states were, in descending order, Texas, California, Florida, Ohio, and Illinois, which together accounted for 38% of total shipments in June 2025.

Clinker production, excluding Puerto Rico, was estimated at 6.29Mt in June 2025, down by 2% from 6.40Mt in the same month of 2024. For the first half of 2025, clinker output reached 30.8Mt, an 8% decline from 33.6Mt in the same period of 2024. Cement and clinker imports, including those through the San Juan customs district in Puerto Rico, totalled 2.61Mt in June 2025, an 11% increase compared with June 2024. Imports for the year to June 2025 reached 12.4Mt.

Mexico: The government of Campeche and directors of La Cruz Azul Cooperativa have officially launched the construction of the company’s new 1.0Mt/yr cement plant in Seybaplaya, Campeche. This will be the company’s fifth cement plant.

Gustavo Cruz Vega, director of new projects, said the plant will be “a modern automated facility, with 432 vibration measurement points, 600 temperature and vibration sensors, digital management and 100% advanced artificial intelligence, in addition to being able to generate clean energy and use alternative fuels.” He added that the plant’s systems will ‘guarantee zero dust emissions’ and low levels of pollutants.

He Xiaolong, vice president of China National Materials Group Corporation (SINOMA) and president of China National Building Material Group (CNBM) and Equipment Group (TCDRI), said this will be the first smart production line the consortium has built outside China, with 90% of the equipment designed and manufactured by its own engineering teams.

US: CRH has finalised its US$2.1bn acquisition of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) supplier Eco Material Technologies. CRH previously announced the agreement on 29 July 2025. It said that the acquisition is expected to ‘unlock significant future growth opportunities.’

Jamaica: Caribbean Cement Company has exported 3000t of cement to Curaçao, following the completion of its US$41.8m debottlenecking project at the Rockfort plant in June 2025. The upgrade expanded production capacity, allowing the company to sustain ‘record output’ of cement and clinker, according to Our Today news.

Managing director Jorge Martinez said the shipment demonstrated the company’s ability to serve both domestic and regional markets. “What you are witnessing is a company that not only fully resources the local market but also has the strengthened capacity to export. Our first commitment is to Jamaica, and now that we can consistently meet domestic demand, we are complementing the local market with exports, leveraging the surplus from our expanded capacity,” he said.

The cargo was loaded onto the MV Suzie Q on 22 September 2025. Curaçao’s construction sector is reportedly growing on the back of tourism-led economic activity, with demand rising for real estate, roads, public spaces and utilities. Caribbean Cement said that it plans to expand its export presence across the Caribbean Basin.