China: Asia Cement (China) has predicted a year-on-year increase of 110 - 130% in its consolidated net profit in in the first quarter of 2020. The company has attributed the anticipated growth to increased sales volumes during the quarter.

France: Mexico-based Cemex has signed an agreement to buy assets in Paris metropolitan area. The new acquisitions consist of two aggregates quarries and a rail platform. The assets previously belonged to Ireland-based CRH subsidiary Equiom Granulats. The purchase is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2021.

Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asiaregional president Sergio Menendez said, "This acquisition will allow us to better serve our customers by integrating and complementing our portfolio to provide a comprehensive and sustainable offering, directly aimed at the rapidly growing needs of the North Paris Metropolitan Area." He added "This is a clear example of the efforts that we are doing to foster earning before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation growth by investing in key high-growth urban centres worldwide."

China: Huaxin Cement has forecast consolidated net profit growth of 104% - 111% year-on-year to US$55.7m – US$59.6m in the first quarter of 2021 from US$53.7m in the same period in 2020. The group said that cement volumes rose by 60% and concrete and aggregate volumes grew by over 200%. The cement producer has attributed the growth to the impact of coronavirus upon its business at the start of 2020.

India: Ambuja Cement, part of Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim, plans to commission its upcoming Mundwa cement plant in Rajasthan by September 2021. The plant will have a total capacity of 5Mt/yr, consisting of 3Mt/yr of integrated and 2.0Mt/yr of grinding capacity. The Hindu newspaper has reported that the company aims to achieve 50Mt/yr total installed capacity in the medium term. It said that it is evaluating possible plant upgrades at Bhatapara in Chhattisgarh and Maratha in Maharashtra.

India: Birla Corporation has commissioned a 28MW solar power plant at a cement plant in Uttar Pradesh. EQ International has reported that Waaree Energies supplied 330kW and 335kW solar modules for the project. The subsidiary of Waaree Group is one of the largest solar photovoltaic module manufacturers in the country.

Central America: Imports from Vietnam accounted for 30% of total cement imports to Central America in the first nine months of 2020. The country accounted for no significant share of cement imports to the region as recently as 2016. Central America Data has reported that Turkey supplied 18% of regional cement imports in the first nine months of 2020. Mexico supplied 8% and Barbados 4%.

US: The Portland Cement Association (PCA) has predicted a rise in US cement demand in 2021 and 2022 in its Spring 2021 Cement Consumption and Construction Activity Outlook. The report stated that mortgage rates are expected to remain low throughout 2021, prompting single-family construction. Non-residential cement consumption declines are expected to continue from 2020 in to 2021 and 2022, though with decreasing impact. Predicted oil price rises will increase oil well cement consumption.

The association welcomed a proposed US$2.2Tn eight-year federal government infrastructure spending programme. Chief economist and senior vice president Ed Sullivan warned of the proposal’s inherent political weakness in its inclusion of US$1.2Tn-worth of low or no-cement projects. He said that the opposition would latch on to this as grounds to oppose the necessary tax rises for the funding.

Sullivan said, “This recovery is predicated on continued progress in fighting Covid-19. The rapid pace of vaccinations and increased mask usage have resulted in a decline in death rates from over 3,000 daily in January 2021 to less than 825 daily in April 2021.” said Sullivan. “The Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)’s current forecast suggests a sustained and significant decline in daily Covid-19 deaths to less than 170. Progress associated with Covid-19 is the critical factor in the near-term outlook.” He added, “After committing to spending US$5.2Tn in Covid-19 relief and adding another US$2.0Tn in operations, the federal US debt could rise by US$7.0Tn in 2020 - 2021. This puts the discussion of the Biden US$2.2Tn infrastructure proposal into context. The proposal must pay for itself, which means higher taxes. While investing in traditional infrastructure such as roads and bridges has bi-partisan appeal, tax increases and some programmes dubiously labelled as infrastructure have caused concern. This concern threatens the potential passage of the initiative.”

Mali: Sacko Holding has completed a feasibility study at the site of its upcoming integrated cement plant in Bema, Bamako District. Mali Actu has reported that the plant will directly employ up to 300 people, increasing to up to 400 people after 2 – 3 years. Chief executive officer Ousmane Koné said that the plant would aim to meet local demand and export some cement. Construction is set to begin by the end of 2021.

Thailand: Germany-based Beumer has replaced the belt of a 3.5km raw materials conveying system at TPI Polene’s cement plant. It used a process that allows the new belt to be inserted into the system and the old belt to be pulled out only in one go, instead of exchanging the single belt sections one after other. The supplier says that this resulted in ‘substantial’ time saving for the customer and avoided unplanned system failures.

Beumer originally commissioned the conveying system in 2015. The 2200t/hr system consists of two regenerative belt conveyors with system control, transfer stations and filter systems, as well as foreign material separators. 989m of further belt conveying systems are used to remove the material from the blending bed and to feed the primary hopper of the raw mills complete the system. Installation took 11 months, followed by a three-month commissioning period.

US: Salt River Materials subsidiary Phoenix Cement Plant is working with ST Equipment & Technology (STET) on a fly ash separation system at a power plant in Utah. The cement producer previously secured a contract with a power plant in the state for the supply of fly ash to its Clarkdale cement plant in Yavapai county, Arizona. STET is supplying the separation equipment, engineering and commissioning services, and an exclusive technology operating license for Salt River Materials. Operations are schedule to start in mid-2021.

Pozzolan business senior vice president Dale Diulus said "Salt River Materials and STET have been working closely to develop a commercially effective beneficiation process improving the quality of the fly ash." He added "We look forward to many years of fly ash sales into the southwestern US markets."