Algeria: Saoura Ciment has begun sulphate-resistant cement production at its Saoura cement plant near Béchar. The Groupe des Ciments d'Algérie (GICA) subsidiary made the move as part of efforts to diversify its production. It plans to supply the product to public works projects in the region, where its resistance to high soil salinity will prove useful. The cement will be available from all four of the plant’s commercial outlets in and around Bechér.

In August 2021, Saoura Ciment produced 180,000t of cement. It exported 25,000t to Mali, Mauritania and Niger during the month.

China: Tianrui Group Zhengzhou has repaid its previously outstanding loan facility. Reuters News has reported that parent company China Tianrui Group says the company has withdrawn a new US$15.5m loan.

Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement subsidiary Hachinohe Cement has announced that it will be receiving heavy oil and woodchips from cargo washed ashore from the wreck of a ship at Hachinohe port on 11 August 2021. The company plans to use the waste as refuse-derived fuel (RDF) for cement production at its cement Hachinohe cement plant. The company said that the oil spill from the incident has had a great impact on the region. It added “In the future, we would like to actively promote the acceptance of wreckage with heavy oil attached and cooperate in the early resolution of the situation.”

Germany: Cemex Zement has launched Insularis cement-free concretes, a product range suitable for use in building insulating components. The range includes lightweight concretes Insularis Supra and Insularis Infra. Due to its low bulk density, Insularis Infra currently requires special case-by-case or project-related approval for use in Germany. The company said that it produces Insularis concretes from a mix of recycled and natural raw materials. It added that Insularis is itself 100% recyclable.

Cameroon: A delegation of LafargeHolcim Maroc Afrique representatives has met Minister of Commerce Luc-Magloire Mbarga Atangana to ask him to raise the legally enacted price of cement. The company says that its subsidiary Cimencam’s costs have risen by US$3.58 – 5.37m due to increased clinker prices. This has reportedly resulted in increased costs per bag of US$2.15.

Mbarga Atanga told the World Trade Organisation that clinker prices doubled and gypsum prices rose by 60%year-on-year in the first half of 2021. The Ministry of Commerce previously raised cement prices in 2011.

France: Vicat’s Montalieu-Vercieu cement plant will host a carbon capture and storage (CCS) installation and methanol plant under a joint project by Vicat and Groupe EDF subsidiary Hynamics known as Hynovi. The project aims to achieve 40% carbon capture at the plant. A 330MW electrolyser will convert captured CO2 to methanol through oxycombustion. Commisioning of the entire system is scheduled for 2025. The partners said that Hynovi may subsequently be taken up by cement plants globally.

Guatemala: Cemex Latam Holdings plans to invest US$25m in installing a new mill at its 500,000t/yr Guatemala City grinding plant. The company says that the mill will increase the plant’s capacity by 80% to 900,000t/yr.

Cemex South America, Central America and Caribbean president Jesus Gonzalez said "This investment reinforces Cemex's commitment to Guatemala's development and reflects our confidence in the favourable outlook of the economy in the country and the region." Gonzalez added “We are excited about expanding our offer of products and solutions to the market which contribute to sustainable construction, like Vertua, our family of net-zero and low carbon products."

Vietnam: Member of the Vietnam Cement Association produced 70.7Mt of cement and clinker in the first eight months of 2021, up by 4% year-on-year from 27.2Mt in the corresponding period of 2020. Its exports rose by 12% to 27.2Mt. Viet Nam News has reported that the main importers of Vietnamese cement and clinker were China, the Philippines and Bangladesh. During the period, domestic demand fell by 5% to 43.5Mt.

France: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies has launched H-Iona clinkerless cement, its first cement to be made available to retail customers in bagged form. Dow Jones Institutional News has reported that H-Iona cement production’s CO2 emissions are 150kg/t, according to the producer. It claims that this is just 17% that of ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies produces H-Iona, primarily from ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and gypsum, heat-free at its fully automated Bournezeau plant.

Co-founder Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmannsaid "By launching H-Iona, the lowest carbon cement on the European market, Hoffmann Green Cement is following its continuous innovation approach.” They added “This is the first low-carbon cement to have received CE marking. Thanks to this ground breaking technology, we are democratising access to low-carbon cement.”

India: Shree Cement has given details of its US$67.8m solar power plant project plans. Projects Tiger News has reported that the producer intends to install 106MW-worth of solar power capacity across several Indian cement plants before October 2022. The company expressed its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and fossil fuel dependence.