Azerbaijan: Cement companies increased the total volume of cement produced in the first eight months of 2021 by 1.5% year-on-year to 2.2Mt from 2.17Mt in the corresponding period of 2020. Meanwhile, ready-mix concrete production increased sharply, by 39% to 1.7Mt from 1.3Mt.

On-going large-scale state construction projects the new territories East of Zangazur and Karabakh are anticipated to increase full-year cement production in 2021 and into subsequent years.

US: The US Department of Energy has selected Central Plains Cement to receive US$5m-worth of funding to realise its plans for a cryogenic carbon capture (CCC) installation at its Sugar Creek, Missouri, cement plant. Contify Energy News has reported that the system will initially have a capacity of 30t/day of CO₂, with a view to eventually capturing 95% of the plant’s flue gas’ CO₂ content. The Eagle Materials subsidiary will receive US$5m in funding from the US Department of Energy for the project. The sum is part of a raft of a total US$45m-worth of grants to help towards decarbonising heavy industry and natural gas power. Chart Industries will carry out the work.

Chart Industries CEO and President Jill Evanko said that the company’s CCC model increases cement production costs by just 24%, compared to 38% - 130% for other types of system. She added “We are delighted that public and private entities recognise Chart as a leader in carbon capture technologies and products; we view this award as well as our third quarter 2021 commercial activity as meaningful steps and accelerators toward capturing - pun intended - a significant share of our anticipated US$6bn total addressable market for carbon and direct air capture in 2030.”

The St Louis Post newspaper has reported that Holcim US’s Ste-Genevieve, Missouri, cement plant is also among facilities chosen to receive funding for carbon capture and storage (CCS) installations.

Mexico: Cemex CEO Fernando Gonzalez has estimated that the impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak will cost the group US$100m in 2021. Gonzalez attributed the anticipated negative effect on full-year earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to supply chain disruptions and currency effects, especially on the Mexican Peso, as well as delays to projects globally.

China: Tangshan Jidong Cement has announced plans to issue a tranche of bonds with a total value of not more than US$155m. Reuters News has reported that the issuance is the second by the company.

Finland: Wärtsilä has announced that its upcoming Capital Markets Day event will take place at 1pm – 4.30pm, Eastern European Time (EET), on 18 November 2021. The supplier says that attendees will be able to follow proceedings via a webcast. President and CEO Håkan Agnevall together will host the event, during which members of the board of management will provide information on the company's business operations, strategy, and financial development.

Registration is open until 11 November 2021 and may be accessed here.

India: NCL Industries recorded a 10% year-on-year rise in cement production to 677,000Mt in the second quarter of the 2022 financial year from 615,000t in the second quarter of the 2021 financial year. Its cement dispatches also increased by 10% to 678,000t from 617,000t. The company's cement board production during the quarter was 19,200t, while its cement board dispatches were 18,800t.

Oman: Oman Cement Company will spend US$300m on the new 10,000t/day Line 4 as part of the upcoming upgrade and expansion of its Rusayl cement plant in Muscat governorate. The Oman Observer newspaper has reported that Switzerland-based PEG Resources will carry out the work. Oman Cement Company CEO Salem bin Abdullah al Hajri said that the new line will help Oman to achieve cement self-sufficiency by 2024.

The company said “The new 10,000t/day production line will be the largest in Oman and will have more cost-effective production, for the company to sustain its success and competitiveness in the local and international cement markets in a long run.” It added “The company will focus on utilising state-of-the-art production technology resulting in lower power consumption, potential for waste heat recovery (WHR), higher fuel efficiency, realisable use of alternative fuels (AF), improved productivity and the best environmental standards.”

Oman Cement Company is also expanding the Rusayl plant’s Line 3 by 25% to 5000t/day from 4000t/day, prior to decommissioning its other two lines.

Belgium: The low-emissions intensity lime and cement (LEILAC) consortium has published the results of its LEILAC-1 carbon capture and storage (CCS) study at HeidelbergCement’s Lixhe cement plant in Visé. The study found the cost of CCS to be Euro14 – 24/t of CO2 captured. It found that full-chain CO2 mitigation projects incur costs are Euro39 – 80/t, depending on transport and storage selections.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) credits currently cost Euro62/t.

Germany: Aumund has announced the launch of its PREMAS 360° packages. The three packages – basic, advanced, premium - combine quality Aumund all-around maintenance and inventory management support, extended warranties, physical inspections, cutting-edge Industry 4.0 monitoring of Aumund and other conveying equipment, technical training, emergency remote support and consultation programmes.

Managing Director Pietro de Michieli said “With PREMAS 360°, Aumund puts customer service to the forefront. Our goal is to reassure machine availability and reliability through the simplicity and flexibility of a fully bundled maintenance solution, to be a partner to our customers assisting them to reach operation excellence.”

Poland: Cemex Poland has established a new 50kW solar power plant at its Pruszków ready-mix concrete production plant in Masovian Voivodeship. The company says that it is planning other investments to retrofit renewable energy systems into its operations across Poland.

Materials director Michał Grys said “Cemex is actively addressing the climate challenge by decarbonising our processes. The key to realising our ambitious goals is finding and implementing new low-emission products as well as more sustainable technologies and construction solutions.” He added “Photovoltaic farms are another investment by Cemex Poland in renewable energy sources. Currently, much of the electricity used in our aggregate quarries, cement plants and many concrete plants comes from renewable sources."