Displaying items by tag: Power

Nepal: Udayapur Cement Industry resumed operations on 24 April 2025, despite ongoing legal disputes and internal administrative obstructions, according to acting general manager Mahesh Sah. The plant ceased all activities in late November 2024. It began kiln firing at 10:40am local time and expected clinker production to begin after eight hours of machine operation.

The plant aims to produce approximately 400t/day of clinker. Coal and dinepalesel stocks are expected to last 12 days. Sah noted that coordination has been made with the Nepal Electricity Authority, which has assured uninterrupted power supply despite outstanding dues. Udayapur Cement, a fully state-owned enterprise, has a daily production capacity of 800t/day.

Nepal: Hetauda Cement Industry has paused production for nearly three months, with no clear timeline for the return to regular cement production, according to Khabar Hub news. The company has cited a need for repairs to various equipment and the installation of new machinery as the cause.

Basanta Raj Pandey, general manager, said that operations depend on confirmation of a regular 8MW power supply from the Nepal Electricity Authority. Ongoing negotiations with the NEA have reportedly yet to resolve daily power cuts, which have delayed the repairs and installations, which are expected to take several more weeks. The company once produced 18,000 bags/day of cement, but now produces just 10,000 bags/day due to deteriorating equipment. A bidding process for the procurement of 4000t/day of coal has now begun.

Egypt: Starting in October 2024, the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources will centralise distribution of mazut to cement plants to ensure continued operations amidst the country's power shortages. Deputy PM Kamel El Wazir announced the plan, responding to requests from cement producers for a reliable fuel supply to maintain the stable production and distribution of cement.

Cement plants are required to submit a report on quarry material prices over the past three years, highlighting price increases and their impact on the industry. The Cement Division of the Building Materials Industry Chamber also requested consistent export support payments, the extension of investor rights to quarry resources, and the testing of pozzolanic cement for standard compliance.

Philippines: Alsons Power has signed a retail electricity supply agreement with Holcim Philippines, committing to provide 80% of the energy needs for Holcim's facilities in Davao and Lugait, Misamis Oriental.

Edwin Villas, senior vice president and head of supply chain at Holcim Philippines, said “We are confident that our partnership with Alsons Power will help us achieve our business goals and sustainability aspirations. Partnering with Alsons Power is the right choice given its strong and trusted reputation for providing reliable and affordable electricity in its three decades in the energy industry.”

India: Adani Group says that it will power 60% of its cement production using renewable energy by 2028. In a post on X, the group noted that its Adani Cement business uses fly ash or slag in cement production at 90% of its plants.

Canada: Lafarge Canada has engaged Canadian Utilities on a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) basis to supply solar energy for its Exshaw cement plant in Alberta. Under the agreement, the Exshaw cement plant will receive 100% of energy generated at the 38.5MW Empress solar power plant in Cypress County. The VPPA lasts until 2036, and covers 34% of the Exshaw plant’s energy consumption up to that time.

Lafarge Canada (West) president and CEO Brad Kohl said "We're continually assessing ways we can reduce our environmental impact while actively pursuing sustainable solutions within our operations." He concluded "Our collaboration with Atco underscores our commitment to adopting renewable energy at our plants and sites, which is key to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels."

Poland: Górażdże Cement has announced an investment of Euro261m in planned sustainability upgrades to its Górażdże cement plant in Opole Voivodeship, the Polish News Bulletin newspaper has reported. The Heidelberg Materials subsidiary plans to build a carbon capture installation, a green energy source and a facility to recycle construction and demolition waste for use in its cement production.

US: Buzzi subsidiary Buzzi Unicem USA has published an update following a fire on the evening of 13 July 2023. The producer said that it first detected smoke from an alternative fuel (AF) store that housed wood chips and shredded tyres. Staff contacted the fire service, which brought the blaze under control without any injuries. The fire damaged the siding of the storehouse, as well as some electrical equipment. The producer said that the Stockertown cement plant did not lose electrical power, and that it is currently evaluating the extent of the damage.

Plant manager Rad Slavov said “I want to thank all the emergency responders for their quick response and professionalism in getting the fire under control swiftly.”

US: Ash Grove Cement has won funding for a US$15.2m front-end engineering design (FEED) study for a carbon capture installation at its 2Mt/yr Foreman cement plant in Arkansas. Parent company CRH said that the study will run for 24 months from its date of commencement. The project team also includes consultancy and research firms Advanced Resources International and Crescent Resource Information, as well as non-profit interstate policy organisation Southern States Energy Board. Equipment suppliers will include France-based industrial gases company Air Liquide and energy company Sargent & Lundy, while electricity provider Talos will participate as an energy sector stakeholder.

The Foreman cement plant carbon capture FEED study is one of eight projects selected by the US Department of Energy to receive part of a US$189m funding pot for carbon capture demonstrations across US industry.

India: Adani Group has taken a total US$2.33bn-worth of new loans over the two-and-a-half month period since the publication of a report into the group's activities by US-based shortseller Hindenburg Research on 24 January 2023. The report concluded with a finding of 'numerous issues of suspected fraud' by Adani Group. Adani Group explained at the time that all findings were 'stale, baseless and discredited.' The Times of India newspaper has reported that the group's net debt rose by 17% year-on-year to US$22.6bn on 8 June 2023. Adani Group's energy sector subsidiaries raised US$2.01bn-worth (86%) of the debt.

Adani Group completely paid off loans used in its US$6.4bn acquisition of Holcim India on 6 June 2023.