China: China Resources Cement has forecast a loss of US$4.46 – 5.73m during the first quarter of 2023, which ended on 31 March 2023. Dow Jones Institutional News has reported that the group attributed the anticipated scale of the loss to a year-on-year decline in its cement prices.

India: UltraTech Cement says that it has made a second deployment of GreenLine liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered cement trucks in its cement operations. Indo-Asian News Service has reported that the new trucks will operate from UltraTech Cement’s Pune cement terminal in Maharashtra. GreenLine says that its LNG trucks have 28% lower CO₂ emissions than ordinary cement trucks, equating to reductions of 24t/yr per truck for UltraTech Cement.

The cement producer’s associate vice president Tanmay Pradhan said “We are dedicated to creating a sustainable future, and we are fully committed to collaborating with our partners and stakeholders to achieve our goal of a cleaner environment. Our association with GreenLine is a step forward in our ongoing efforts to decrease emissions, enhance energy efficiency, and promote sustainability."

India: The government has published plans for a new broad-gauge double railway line in Rajasthan. The planned line will connect Jaipur and Sawai Madhopur, and will facilitate the transport of coal to businesses including cement plants. Maritime Gateway News has reported that the new line will increase carrying capacity in the local railway maintenance block by 80%. It is scheduled for commissioning in the 2027 financial year.

New Zealand: Cement producer and construction firm Fletcher Building has reported a 20% year-on-year drop in domestic housing demand during the first quarter of 2023. The Australian newspaper has reported that the company attributed the decline to ‘soaring’ interest rates in the country. It now expects to sell 800 residential units in 2023, 20% below its previous expectation of 1000 units. Fletcher Building said that building materials costs rose by 5 – 10% between 2020 and 2022, due to ‘higher input and commodity costs’ in production.

CEO Ross Taylor said that Fletcher Building faces labour shortages in its civil construction business, but maintained a strong order pipeline. Taylor said “It won’t drive an uptick in volumes but it will underpin the volumes in the next three to four years.”

India: ACC’s Jamul, Thondebhavi and Tikaria cement plants have won safety prizes at the National Safety Council of India (NSCI)’s Safety, Health and Environment Convention (SHECON) 2023. Press in attendance reported that the 1.6Mt/yr Thondebhavi plant in Karnataka won a safety award and a bronze trophy for implementation of its occupational safety and health (OSH) plan. Meanwhile, the 1.6Mt/yr Jamul plant in Chhattisgarh won a letter of commendation and the 3Mt/yr Tikaria grinding plant in Uttar Pradesh won a certificate of recognition.

Adani Group’s cement business CEO Ajay Kapur said "We are honoured to have been recognised by the NSCI with three prestigious awards for our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our employees, and we are proud to be recognised for our efforts. With a strong emphasis on occupational health and safety, we have a robust safety management system in place."

Oman: China-based Huaxin Cement completed its acquisition of a 60% stake in Oman Cement on 5 April 2023. That the group completed the transaction via a Abra Holdings, a wholly-owned subsidiary incorporated in Mauritius. In a submission to the Hong Kong Exchange, Huaxin Cement stated the estimated purchase price for the stake as US$193m.

Oman Cement operates the 4.2Mt/yr Rusayl cement plant in Muscat Governorate. The producer was in talks with possible contractors for an upgrade to the plant’s existing production lines and the construction of a new 10,000t/day Line 4 in March 2023.

Switzerland: Holcim has published its Climate Report 2023, detailing the company’s progress towards meeting its sustainability commitments up to the end of 2022. The cement producer recorded net specific CO₂ emissions per tonne of product of 562kg/t, down by 1.7% year-on-year from 572kg/t in 2021. In line with its 1.5°C climate change-aligned targets, Holcim is committed to 420kg/t specific CO₂ emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

Overall, the group’s Scope 1 CO₂ emissions from cement production fell by 2.5% to 77Mt from 79Mt, while its Scope 2 emissions remained at 5Mt and its Scope 3 emissions fell by 11% to 47Mt from 53Mt. Its cement had an average clinker factor of 73%, down from 73.6% in 2021. Holcim processed 6.8Mt of construction and demolition waste, up by 3% from 6.6Mt. Meanwhile, its thermal substitution rate of alternative fuel (AF) rose to 28% from 26%.

CEO Jan Jenisch and chief sustainability officer Magali Anderson said “With our successful transformation, we reduced our CO₂ per net sales by 21% in 2022, and commit to reducing it by over 10% in 2023. Accelerating the shift to net-zero cities requires deep partnerships across our value chain. In 2022 we engaged with public authorities to evolve building standards, with cities to scale up green demand in their projects, and with architects and engineers to specify sustainable solutions in their designs. We did this as a key partner for our customers, bringing solutions that help them achieve their sustainability goals.”

Canada: Heidelberg Materials and the Canadian government have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the installation of a carbon capture system at the company’s Edmonton cement plant in Alberta. The project is scheduled for completion in 2026, at a total cost of US$1.01bn. When operational, the system will capture 100% of the Edmonton cement plant’s CO₂ emissions - 1Mt/yr – for transportation and storage in nearby Wabamun. Canada Newswire has reported that construction of the system will create 2000 jobs.

The government said that it would be a ‘significant partner’ for the project. The size of funding will depend on other provisions under its Investment Tax Credit for Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage scheme, which is currently being finalised.

Greece: Titan Cement Group published its 2022 Integrated Report on 6 April 2023. The report outlines the cement producer’s financial and environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. For the full year, the group recorded a net profit of Euro110m, up by 19.3% year-on-year. It made ‘record’ capital expenditure investments of Euro242m, and increased its net debt by 12% to Euro797m.

The group says that it is ‘on track’ to meet its ESG targets for 2025 and beyond. It reduced its specific CO₂ emissions by 5% decade-on-decade in 2022. Throughout the year, Titan Cement Group continued its investments in research, development and innovation activities across all markets, with an increased focus on carbon capture, storage and utilisation. It also rolled out its digital transformation to further plants around the globe.

UK: Holcim has acquired leading London construction and demolition waste (CDW) recycling company Sivyer Logistics. Sivyer Logistics produced 500,000t of recycled aggregates and manufactured soils from 1Mt of CDW across its six sites in 2022. Holcim says that the acquisition represents a step towards realising its target of 10Mt/yr of construction and demolition waste in Holcim products by 2025.

The group’s Europe regional head Miljan Gutovic said “Sivyer Logistics is an excellent addition to help us drive circular construction.” He added “I look forward to welcoming all employees of Sivyer Logistics and investing in our next era of growth together.”