India: Ramco Cements reported consolidated net sales of US$731m in its 2021 financial year, down by 2% year-on-year from US$745m in its 2020 financial year. Cement sales volumes fell by 11% to 9.98Mt from 11.2Mt. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 34% to US$218m from US$162m. The company said that cement markets had shrunk in the south due the coronavirus pandemic but they grew in the east. It added that it was complying with state government mandated public health lockdowns, which were introduced in May 2021, on a regional basis.

India: The India Cements recorded full-year consolidated net sales of US$619m in the 2021 financial year, down by 13% year-on-year from US$712m. Cement sales volumes fell by 19% to 8.9Mt from 11Mt, which it blamed on production overcapacity in the south of the country. Its profit after taxes, minority interests and share of profit of associates was US$28.6m, more than triple the figure for the 2020 financial year of US$7.34m. The cement producer warned that, despite an economic recovery following the first wave of coronavirus, it expected an uncertain outlook with the current second wave of the epidemic.

China: China National Building Material has amended the funding arrangements for an upcoming joint venture of its subsidiaries China United Cement and Henan Investment Group. Reuters has reported that China United Cement will now contribute US$937m to the joint venture’s registered capital, while Henan Investment Group will contribute US$622m.

Australia: Adbri says it wants to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 as part of its commitment to a low carbon future. The board and management team are assessing medium and long term emissions reduction options and are intend to release a roadmap by the 2022 annual general meeting. Adbri set its current emissions reduction target in 2019, to deliver a 7% reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions by 2024 against 2019 baselines. In 2020 it achieved 2.3% reduction.

“We recognise that process emissions from the production of cement and lime are not easy to abate. Adbri is committed to maintaining its sector leadership position in sustainability by continuing to increase its use of renewable energy, alternative fuels and supplementary cementitious materials. Developments in technology and partnership with industry, government and research institutions will be critical as we deepen our understanding of long term emission reduction options. This will form part of our roadmap toward net zero by 2050,” said Adbri’s chief executive officer Nick Miller.

US: HeidelbergCement subsidiary Lehigh Hanson has agreed to sell its assets in its US West region to Martin Marietta for US$2.3bn. The transaction includes the sale of its business activities in cement, aggregates, ready-mixed concrete and asphalt in California, Arizona, Oregon and Nevada, with the exception of the Permanente cement plant and quarry. The sale includes two cement plants with related distribution terminals, 17 active aggregates sites and several downstream operations. The companies expect to conclude the deal by 2022 subject to regulatory approval.

“The sale of our US West region activities is a major step in our portfolio optimisation as part of our ‘Beyond 2020’ strategy,” said Dominik von Achten, chairman of the managing board of HeidelbergCement. “We are simplifying our portfolio in North America and prioritising on the strongest market positions.” Chris Ward, president and chief executive officer of Lehigh Hanson added, “We will accelerate the build-out of our positions in the four key regions Canada, Midwest, Northeast and South through selected bolt-on acquisitions and capacity expansion projects in the future.”

India: Shree Cement’s full-year consolidated net sales rose by 5% year-on-year to US$1.85bn in the 2021 financial year from US$1.77bn in the 2020 financial year. Its profit for the period increased by 48% to US$314m from US$212m.

Nepal: A report by the Nepal Rastra Bank has estimated that Nepal will require 26Mt/yr of cement by the 2024 – 25 financial year due to large-scale infrastructure projects. However, current production before the coronavirus pandemic was around 7.5Mt/yr despite the country’s production capacity of 15Mt/yr, according to the Kathmandu Post newspaper. Domestic consumption is 9Mt with around 1.5Mt of demand supplied from imports, mainly from India. The report added that most of the large projects in Nepal used cement imported from India due to issues with certification, consistent quality and the inability of local producers to offer bulk supply. In 2019 the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies forecast that the country’s cement production capacity could increase to 20Mt/yr by the end of the 2023 – 24 year.

Dhruba Raj Thapa, president of the Cement Manufacturers Association of Nepal, said that the data in the report by the bank contained errors. He pointed out that the country has a cement production capacity of 22Mt/yr and that it is already self-sufficient in the commodity. He also refuted the claims that infrastructure projects prefer imported cement.

Bangladesh: Cement producers are warning of price rises due to a ‘significant’ rise in international freight rates. The Bangladesh Cement Manufacturers Association (BCMA) has expressed concern about the situation, according to the New Nation newspaper. Freight rates to transport clinker from Indonesia, Vietnam or the Middle-East have increased by up to 30% in the last few months. The BCMA has called on the government to cut import duties to keep consumer prices low.

India: Power company OPGC has dispatched its first shipment of fly ash to ACC’s Jhinkpani cement plant in West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand. The Pioneer newspaper has reported that the shipment consists of 3450t of fly ash from its Ib power plant. The power plant has fly ash storage facilities with a capacity of 6900t. It previously supplied ash to a Star Cement cement plant in Assam.

US: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed an administrative complaint and authorised a legal suit against Lehigh Cement’s acquisition of Keystone Cement. The HeidelbergCement subsidiary acquired the subsidiary of Mexico-based Elementia in September 2019. The commission said that the acquisition may be harmful to competition in the grey cement market in Pennsylvania and New Jersey as it reduces the number of competitors to three from four and enlarges the largest. It added that Keystone Cement’s aggressive pricing had previously caused Lehigh Cement to lower its prices.

The case will go to trial at administrative court in November 2021.