Japan: Taiheiyo Cement has reported net sales of US$2.86bn for the six months that ended on 30 September 2024, a 5.5% increase compared to US$2.71bn a year earlier. However, the company’s operating profit for the six-month period was US$115m, a decrease of more than 50% compared to US$325m in the first six months of the prior financial year.

Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement has reported net sales of US708m for the six months to 30 September 2024, a decline of 0.3% compared to US$710m a year earlier. The company’s net profit slumped to US$6.1m in the six-month period from US$37.5m in the first six months of the 2023 financial year, a fall of 87.4% year-on-year.

India: Shree Cement’s profit plunged by more than 80% year-on-year to US$11.0m in the three months to 30 September 2024, weighed down by weakness in both demand and low prices. While the September quarter is seasonally weak for cement makers in India, the country's third largest producer's sales volume slipped as compared to the previous year too, falling by 7% to 7.6Mt.

Neeraj Akhoury, managing director of Shree Cement, said "Despite strong headwinds on account of an extended monsoon season and softer pricing environment across the industry, Shree Cement has delivered a steady performance on the back of accelerated operational efficiency measures, focused cost optimisation drive and product ‘premium-isation’ initiatives.” He added that the company expects an increase in demand in the remainder of the 2025 fiscal year due to the release of government budgetary allocations for national infrastructure projects.

Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos has reported that its net profit surged by 24% in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the same period of 2024, to reach US$179m. Its net revenue increased by 6% year-on-year to reach US$1.33bn.

However, when excluding currency fluctuations, revenue decreased by 1%. This highlights the significant impact of foreign exchange rates on Votorantim's global operations. Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 20% to US386m. Cement sales volume increased by 3% to 10Mt during the quarter.

The company said that these figures indicate resilient demand across Votorantim's markets, despite challenging economic conditions in some regions. The company's diversified geographical presence has helped balance market fluctuations.

In the sustainability arena, Votorantim Cimentos also says that it has made significant progress. The company reduced its specific embodied CO₂ emissions by 4% to 556kg/t of cement in 2023. It has also increased its alternative fuel thermal substitution rate (TSR) from 26.5% in 2022 to 30.9% in 2023.

Türkiye: Çimsa will invest US$31.8m in an expansion to its calcium aluminate cement production facilities at its Mersin Cement subsidiary. The upgrade will reportedly be completed by the end of the first half of 2026.

Tunisia: Société les Ciments de Bizerte’s local sales fell by 77.43% in the third quarter of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023, to US$1.7m in 2024. This decrease is due to the total cessation of clinker production during this period. Similarly, the total turnover of Société Les Ciments de Bizerte fell in the third quarter of 2024 due to the domestic sales situation and a total absence of exports. As a result of the company’s ongoing financial crisis, it has not been able to meet its commitments to suppliers or its bank debts.

The company made just 16,796t of cement during the third quarter of 2024, 75,020t less than in the same period of 2023 when it produced 91,816t.

Germany: Heidelberg Materials has started the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) Study phase on the GeZero project at its Milke plant in Geseke. The technical planning phase is being conducted by Fluor Corporation. It will focus on the design and integration of the various systems into the overall technical concept, which also includes a CO₂ transport solution. The technical planning is expected to be completed in mid-2025 with construction scheduled to start in 2026.

Christian Knell, CEO of Heidelberg Materials Germany, said “With GeZero, Heidelberg Materials will rely on CO₂ capture using state-of-the-art oxyfuel technology in combination with a CO₂ cleaning and liquefaction plant. To pave the way for domestic CCS plants, a CO₂ transport solution by rail is part of the planning until the necessary pipeline infrastructure is available. In addition, a local CO2 storage hub is to be created as interim storage. The electrical energy requirement for the operation of the plant is to be covered exclusively by renewable energies. A new photovoltaic system in the vicinity of the factory premises will help to meet the needs.”

The GeZero project is preparing to build a carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) value chain for the Geseke cement plant, North Rhine-Westphalia, in inland Germany. It aims to capture 0.7Mt/yr of CO₂ starting from 2029. The project is supported by the European Union Innovation Fund.

Kenya: East African Portland Cement (EAPC) has contracted a technical audit from Denmark-based FLSmidth Cement with a value of just under US$70m. EAPC’s acting managing director Mohamed Osman said the findings would guide a pending plant upgrade, to be funded by some of the proceeds from the land sale, according to the Star newspaper. It hopes to double capacity at the unit by the late 2020s without incurring debt. The cement producer is also considering its options to use alternative fuels such as macadamia husks and other agricultural biomass. The 10-week audit process is expected to end in early December 2024.

Osman said “We have tapped FLSmidth to undertake a comprehensive technical audit of the plant, which will assess how to maximise the capacity and inform the design and cost of a new one,'' Osman said. “The audit by FLSmidth will also look at the reserves of raw materials that it has and inform whether it needs to acquire more land that has adequate reserves.”

Australia: Hanson Australia has changed its name to Heidelberg Materials Australia as part of parent company Heidelberg Materials’ global rebranding strategy.

The company started in 1949 when Pioneer was established as a ready-mix concrete producer. It was later acquired by Hanson in 2000 and rebranded as Hanson Australia in 2004. Hanson was subsequently acquired by Heidelberg Materials in 2007. Heidelberg Materials began its global rebranding from Heidelberg Cement in September 2022. Hanson’s subsidiaries Hymix, Pioneer North Queensland, Placecrete, Traino, Alex Fraser and Suncoast Asphalt will continue to operate under their existing brands.

Switzerland: ABB has launched a white paper outlining the challenges the global cement industry must tackle to decarbonise operations in line with global emissions reduction targets and the role technology will play in this.

The white paper is supported by industry associations and, in it, ABB details a technology roadmap for potential solutions to achieve net-zero targets. It combines insights from a range of key industry players - including customers, technology partners, industry media and associations - along with ABB’s commercial specialisation. It details the benefits of advanced electrification used in tandem with technologies adopted through industry collaborations. The white paper also includes discussions around how sustainable cement could be defined, as well as practical advice as to what steps producers can immediately take in their decarbonisation journey. Electrification is identified as a major component in the decarbonisation of the cement industry, with the ability to replace fossil fuel burners with electrified, or zero-carbon, solutions. These are predicted to help significantly reduce emissions in line with industry ambitions.

ABB sells products in the electrification and automation sectors. Its Process Automation business automates, electrifies and digitalises industrial operations that address a wide range of essential needs. Its products are marketed to help customers in process, hybrid and maritime industries improve performance and safety of operations.

The full white paper can be accessed online here: https://new.abb.com/cement/campaigns/cementing-a-sustainable-future