US: Hawaiian Cement has announced the relocation of its Kahului Harbour cement terminal to an adjacent facility, previously occupied by a sugar company. The Maui News newspaper has reported the reason for the relocation as a disruption caused by operations at the terminal to a neighbouring company’s unloading operations, which caused “a significant constraint to operations and safety at Pier 2.” The new terminal, adjoining Pier 3, will have two cement silos with a joint capacity of 6000t, up by 88% from 3200t. Hawaiian Cement says that this will enable it to meet 100% of demand on the island of Maui.

Germany: Schwenk Zement has announced plans for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from cement kiln CO₂ emissions. The World Ethanol and Biofuels Report has reported that Schwenk Zement’s integrated 1.0Mt/yr Allmendingen, Baden-Württemberg plant will receive a pilot SAF plant in late 2020.

Russia: Sibtsem Holding Company subsidiary Timlyuy Cement has announced the completion of essential upkeep on raw material mills five and ten at its Timlyuy Cement plant. Improvements included the replacement of exhausted plate feeders with bucket feeders for accurate dosing, “improving the quality of the finished product while lowering cost,” according to Timlyuy Cement process control chief expert Vladislav Zarubin. A new conveyor belt with an electric drive, strain gauges and control system was also included under the US$57,500 upgrades.

Timlyuy Cement says that per unit productivity has increased by 37% to 55t/hr from 41t/hr. Managing director Vladimir Klichko said, “For the Timlyuy Cement plant, improving the reliability of process equipment is traditionally one of the primary tasks. The modernisation of raw materials grinding, performed at the proper level, is the key to stable and efficient operation of the enterprise - a guarantee that even at the peak of the construction season, consumers will receive high-quality products on time, and in the right amount.”

Russia: The International Standards Organisation (ISO) has granted Eurocement subsidiary Akhangarantsement ISO 9001:2015 quality management systems certification for its Akhangarantsement integrated cement plant. A TÜV audit concluded that the plant’s production, distribution and management systems conform to international quality standards.

Akhangarantsement general director Gennady Kulikov said, “The introduction of a modern management system allows us to flexibly respond to changes in demand and implement an active investment program. The development strategy of the enterprise involves increasing production capabilities through the construction of a new high-tech dry process plant with a capacity of 3Mt/yr. A number of measures are aimed at sustainable development and increasing efficiency: introduction of energy-saving technologies, automation of production, development of new types of products, professional development of employees and the creation of high-tech jobs and the introduction of green technologies and advanced environmental solutions.”

France: CRH subsidiary EQIOM has announced a 9000t/yr reduction in its transport-related CO₂ emissions, down by 5% to 171,000t/yr for the past three years from 180,000t in 2017. It achieved the reduction through its commitment to the FRET21 initiative, a sustainable development strategy of the Agence de l’Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l’Énergie (ADEME) and Association des Utilisateurs de Transport de Fret (AFAT).

The initiative is based on CO₂ reduction around four key activities: loading rate; distance travelled; means of transport; and responsible purchasing. EQIOM launched five initiatives, including increasing laden returns of trucks to reduce empty transport to 28%, commissioning four new natural gas and bioethanol-powered vehicles and increasing rail freight to 89%.

EQIOM logistics manager Jérôme Becamel said, "As in the rest of the country, our transport activity has been impacted by the social situation, particularly strikes on the roads and in the railways. However, we are delighted with the results obtained for this first challenge even if we were unable to reach our ambitions 100%. We are only more motivated and we will be stepping up our efforts over the next three years.”

US: Bulk materials handling specialist Conveyor Components has announced the launch of the Tripper Position Switch (TPS), a control unit consisting of two SP/DT micro switches rated for 20A at 120V, 240V or 480V. The unit indicates when the tripper of a shuttle conveyor is located on a multiple discharge point and will activate the dumper when signalled. Conveyor Components says that the device is housed in a “cast aluminium enclosure rated for NEMA 4 weather-proof or NEMA 7/9 explosion proof.”

Germany: Schmersal says it is once more connected to the internet and fully operational following a cyber attack on 20 May 2020 that forced it to shut down its local networks and go offline. During the incident the engineering company reacted to a malware injection in progress and stopped the criminals from completing the attack. Systems were gradually restored over the following two weeks.

Managing director Philip Schmersal said, “Situations like these really highlight how dependent companies now are on IT. Making telephone calls, e-mails, accepting orders – we had to find alternative channels for every process. We worked extremely hard to keep in contact with our customers in every conceivable way and to keep them up to date.” Schmersal thanked “customers for their understanding and all employees for their tremendous dedication in this testing time.”

Uzbekistan: JV Pro Euro Cement has announced the start of construction of an integrated cement plant in Namangan Region. Trend News Agency has reported that Czech Republic-based PSP Engineering will oversee procurement, construction and installation of the plant, with the support of Netherlands-based Arona International. The plant’s scheduled completion date is in mid-2023.

India: JK Cement’s sales rose by 10% year-on-year to US$763m in the financial year to 31 March 2020 from US$691m in the same period in 2019. Its sales volumes of cement decreased slightly to 9.8Mt and its profit after tax nearly doubled to US$63.5m. However, its sales fell slightly in the fourth quarter, sales volumes of cement dropped by 7% year-on-year to 2.9Mt and it reported a significantly reduced standalone net profit.

The cement producer said that its operations had gradually stabilising since coronavirus lockdown measures were relaxed. All of its integrated and cement grinding plants had resumed production and despatch. It noted that due to lower power demands less fly ash was available so it is sourcing this from other locations. Labour shortages are also affecting bag supplies and the availability of drivers. As part of cash conservation measures it has restricted capital expenditure to US$66m in the current financial year.

India: Odisha has received its first cement-free road near Amanapada, Cuttack District. The Pioneer newspaper has reported that researchers from the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) developed the new material, made from 100% industrial waste, in order to cut the CO₂ emissions involved in cement production and in anticipation of an acute limestone shortage in India in 25 – 50 years. KIIT founder Achyuta Samanta thanked the students whose work brought this pilot project to fruition. “The new technology has the potential to bring about a revolution in engineering construction,” he said.