Displaying items by tag: GCW598
France: CRH subsidiary Eqiom expects to complete its carbon capture system installation and kiln upgrade at its Lumbres cement plant under the EU's K6 Programme in early 2028. The project uses Air Liquide's capture technology, whereby purified CO2 is liquefied for storage or use in building materials production.
Pakistan: Dandot Cement recorded a net loss after taxation of US$463,000 during the first six months of the 2023 financial year. This corresponds to a year-on-year rise of 8% from US$429,000 in the first half of the 2022 financial year. Its finance costs rose by 10% to US$437,000, while its administrative expenses fell by 18% to US$71,400.
The producer's 0.5Mt/yr Lahore cement plant closed in 2019 for a 'balancing, modernisation and replacement' upgrade. Dandot Cement says that the on-going project is on schedule for completion before the end of the current Pakistani financial year on 30 June 2023. The company anticipates a rise in domestic cement demand due to new infrastructure projects and the renovation of existing infrastructure. However, it noted several principal risks and uncertainties, namely rising coal, diesel and electricity prices, rising interest rates, currency devaluation and current overcapacity in the Pakistani cement industry.
Oman: Oman Cement Company recorded cement sales worth US$173m in 2022. This corresponds to year-on-year growth of 42% from US$122m in 2021. Its cement sales volumes were 3.46Mt, up by 45% from 2.39Mt.
Chair Rashid bin Sultan al Hashmi said "The company has produced and sold record quantities of cement during the period to help the nation and the consumers in overcoming a scarcity created by various challenges faced by consumers due to short supply of cement from other manufacturers and prevailing global macroeconomic trends."
CEO Salim Abdullah al Hajri added a note of caution, saying "Though the demand for cement in Oman continues to remain reasonably stable and is expected to remain at 2022 levels, unreasonably low priced cement being supplied by competitors remains a major challenge, and the company will continue to monitor the market situation."
The Oman Daily Observer newspaper has reported that Oman Cement Company is in the process of selecting a contractor for an expansion to its Misfah cement plant. The project will increase the plant's capacity by 25% to 5000t/day from 4000t/day across its three production lines. The producer subsequently plans to build an additional line at the plant, which will triple its capacity to 15,000t/day. Meanwhile, plans for a new 5000t/day cement plant at Duqm are currently under review. The company is in discussions with the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ) to 'explore alternatives,' including possible relocation of the site of the plant, due to 'issues in the supply of gas.'
Cemex raises US$5.8m from bond repurchases
07 March 2023Mexico: Cemex raised US$5.8m dollars from bond repurchases in 2022. Noticias Financieras News has reported that the producer paid US$65.2m for tender offers and other market operations over the same period.
Jamaica: Cemex subsidiary Caribbean Cement has co-processed 1t of waste at its Rockfort cement plant under the National Environment and Planning Agency's Adopt-a-Beach programme. Since July 2022, the producer has also recovered 500kg of recyclable materials for processing by its partners. The Our Today newspaper has reported that the cement company has carried out three cleans of its adopted beach, Sirgany Beach, to date.
Profit falls at Cementarnica Usje in North Macedonia
06 March 2023North Macedonia: Cementarnica Usje, part of Greece-based Titan Group has announced a 13% year-on-year fall in its net profit to Euro16.3m in 2022. It said that the decline in profit was a direct result of rising input prices.
Cementarnica Usje's operating expenses rose by 41% to US$100m in 2022, as costs for materials rose 67% to US$60m. Operating revenue grew by 25% to Euro108m. Domestic sales rose by 26% to Euro66.6m, while export sales rose by 26% to Euro37.3m.
Diamond Cement workers stage strike
06 March 2023Guinea: Employees from Diamond Cement began a strike on 2 March 2023. Sékouba Kouyaté, 1st delegate of the Diamond Cement workers' union, said “We have decided to go on strike under articles 431.1; 431.2; 431.3 and following of the labour code of the Republic of Guinea. To this end, it should be reiterated that the reason for this strike is the categorical refusal of the general management to open a framework for frank and credible dialogue. We pitifully deplore the fate of the workers working in this company from construction until now, more particularly in its intermediary companies that no longer comply with article 135.7 of the labor code. Enough is enough.”
Uzbekistan’s cement sales reach 14.6Mt in 2022
06 March 2023Uzbekistan: A total of 14.6Mt of cement was produced in 2022, equivalent to 415kg/capita. The world average was 519kg/capita. Production rose by 69.3% between 2017 and 2022, in line with a 71.5% increase in construction rates.
Pakistani cement consumption drops in February 2023
06 March 2023Pakistan: Cement consumption fell by 7.1% year-on-year in February 2023 with total dispatches reaching 4.04Mt against 4.35Mt dispatched in February 2022. According to the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA), local cement dispatches by the industry during February 2023 were 3.59Mt compared to 3.94Mt in February 2022, a decline of 9%. Exports increased by 11%, as volumes rose from 405,489t in February 2022 to 449,940t in February 2023.
In February 2023, cement plants in the north of Pakistan dispatched a total of 3.01Mt of cement, down by 7.4% against 3.26Mt in February 2022. Cement plants in the south of Pakistan dispatched 1.03Mt during February 2023, 6.1% less than 1.09Mt during February 2022.
Northern cement plants supplied 2.95Mt to the domestic market, an 8.3% fall, while southern plants sold 640,645t, a 12.0% fall. Exports from the north rose by 58.2% as quantities increased to 64,717t. Exports from the south increased by 5.7% to 385,223t.
An APCMA spokesperson said that the economic situation in the country was becoming more complicated with each passing day. “We are facing serious operational problems. We need timely supply of spare parts and consumable items to ensure stable operation of our plants and we urge the government to come-up with practically applicable and industry friendly policies to enable the industry to come out of this difficult situation.”
Hoffmann Green granted second Chinese patent
06 March 2023China: Hoffmann Green Cement, which produces clinker-free cement products has been granted a Chinese patent, No. CN 201880079822.X, for its clay-based H-EVA cement. The patent comes a year after a similar patent for its H-P2A binder.
H-EVA is a clinker-free cement that is based on an alkaline ettringitic technology. It uses activated clay and is presented in the form of a powder that can be stored in a silo. With a mechanical strength of up to 60MPa at 28 days, its strong technical performance makes it suitable for all types of concrete applications in buildings and on roads.
Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmann, co-founders of Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies, said "Following the granting of a first patent for our H-P2A technology, we are delighted to announce the strengthening of our intellectual property in the Chinese market with the granting of a patent for our clay-based H-EVA cement. This confirms once again our technological lead and the relevance of our low-carbon solutions".