Displaying items by tag: GCW464

Peru: Domestic cement sales were 500,000t in June 2020, down by 59% year-on-year from 984,000t in June 2019. La República newspaper has reported that sales were nonetheless at their highest since the start of the coronavirus lockdown, up by 45% month-on-month from 343,000t in May 2020 and by 4100% from 12,000t in April 2020. Phase two of post-lockdown economic reactivation began in 2020, with the start of works related to public investment and public-private partnerships.

France: UK-based Carbon8 Systems has announced plans for the commercial implementation of its carbon capture and use (CCU) system at Vicat’s Montalieu integrated cement plant in France. It follows successful demonstration projects at cement plants in the UK and Canada.

The company’s CO₂ntainer product will be deployed directly onsite at the plant and integrated into Vicat's existing industrial processes. It will capture CO₂ directly from the plant's flue gas emissions and use this as part of its Accelerated Carbonisation Technology (ACT) process. This accelerates the carbonation of cement bypass dust into lightweight aggregates. In its first phase of operation it will process and convert up to 12,000t of cement bypass dust.

Colombia: Cementos Argos says that 70% of its total cement orders between 1 January 2020 and 9 July 2020 were placed online via its Argos One automated booking, order management and delivery monitoring platform. The platform handled 81% of orders of cement in the Dominican Republic, 39% in the US, 34% in Honduras and 19% in Panama. The company said, “Argos One has become even more relevant in the current context and will continue to evolve in function to continue its purpose of providing extraordinary solutions to clients.”

Mexico: Two workers died after falling in a crane basket from a height of 35m at Cooperativa La Cruz Azul’s integrated Oaxaca cement plant in El Barrio de Soledad Municipality. Noticias Financieras newspaper has reported that the victims died on impact and that the causes are under investigation.

China: Henan Province has announced a planned rise in water and energy tariffs for cement producers that fail to meet current emissions standards and clean transportation requirements. Reuters News has reported that companies subject to the measures will pay US$0.07 – US$0.14/m3 more for water and up to US$0.01/kWh more for electricity. Henan enacted ‘ultra-low’ emissions limits of 10Mg/Nm³ of dust, 50Mg/Nm3 of NO_x and 100Mg/Nm³ of SO₂ in 2018. Cement plants in the province produce 105Mt/yr of cement.

Myanmar: Young Investment Group Industry Company Limited (YIGICL) has entered into a joint venture with China-based China Gezhouba Group Cement (CGGC) and China Gezhouba Group Overseas Investment (CGGOI) with the aim of establishing an integrated cement plant in Mandalay, Mandalay region. The joint venture, which is held 30:70 by YIGICIL and the Chinese partners respectively, will also set up a limestone mine.

India: The Bureau of Indian Standards has granted a licence to Counto Microfine Products (CMP), a joint venture of Ambuja Cements and medical company Alcon Group, for the production of micro-fine Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) cement. The Times of India newspaper has reported that CMP operates a grinding plant in the state of Goa.

Pakistan: Lucky Cement is using its trucks to deliver food to those eligible for disaster relief under the government’s Ehsaas emergency ration scheme. Pakistan Press International has reported that since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis Lucky Cement has made food 8000 deliveries to affected people in rural Khyber Pakthunkhwa and Sindh. The company said, “We are further expanding our muscle to support more deserving families across Pakistan.”

Canada: LafargeHolcim subsidiary Lafarge Canada has dismissed an employee after a thorough investigation into a piece of racist graffiti ended in discovery of the guilty party. Canada Newswire has reported that the harmful drawing, which occurred at the company’s 1.0Mt/yr integrated St Constant plant in Quebec, has been removed. Lafarge Canada said, “To increase employee awareness and strengthen everyone's role in creating a positive work environment, we have communicated with all of our employees on all of our sites and encourage them to speak up if they see, hear or feel any concerns whatever.”