Global Cement Newsletter

Issue: GCW583 / 16 November 2022

Headlines


The Infrastructure Development Company in Bangladesh announced this week that it had agreed to loan Crown Cement US$25m to help it add a new mill to its cement grinding plant at Munshiganj, south of Dhaka. If completed it will be the plant’s sixth mill. Originally known as MI Cement the plant has a production capacity of 3.3Mt/yr and the most recent mill was added in 2017. The plan to add a sixth mill dates back to 2019 but was revised in 2021 with a total investment of US$90m. Securing a loan marks a significant step forward for the project.

The timing to expand a cement plant in Bangladesh is interesting given the problems facing the local cement sector. In August 2022 Mohammed Alamgir Kabir, the president of the Bangladesh Cement Manufacturers Association (BCMA), told the Daily Star newspaper that cement producers were facing both falling investment in infrastructure development and private projects. The local cement industry imports 90% of the raw materials it uses and most of the country’s cement plants grind cement use imported clinker. However, the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic created supply chain problems leading to higher costs of raw materials, dearer transportation charges and started to push up global energy prices. This was then exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and negative currency exchange effects as the Bangladeshi Taka fell in value against the US Dollar. In words echoing cement associations in other parts of the world, Kabir suggested that cement producers now faced the option of either continuing to raise prices or simply shutting down production.

The local cement production capacity utilisation rate appears to be around 56% based on data from a recent feature in the Financial Express newspaper. It placed total production capacity at 83Mt/yr from 37 active plants but demand at only 47Mt/yr. This is similar to the reported utilisation rate of 54% back in 2017 from a total production capacity of 50Mt/yr. Data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) suggests that cement production picked up in 2021 but then declined on a monthly year-to-date basis between December 2021 and February 2022. However, the BBS only reports production from a sample of plants. Masud Khan, the chief advisor to Crown Cement and its former chief executive officer, placed the cost of all that unused capacity at US$40/t or something like an investment of US$1.46bn for idle manufacturing potential. In his view, the larger local producers forecast an increase in demand around five to 10 years ago and invested accordingly to avoid losing market share. However, some smaller companies may also have done the same.

The local sector has likely been able to cope with a relatively low capacity utilisation rate previously because it was ‘grinding heavy.‘ How the current problems have shown themselves on cement company balance sheets has been mixed though. LafargeHolcim Bangladesh’s sales revenue and profit grew by 8% year-on-year to US$166m and 7% to US$32.2m in the nine months to September 2022. It was probably able to do this, in part, due to the fact that it operates one the few integrated plants in the country and it has direct access to limestone reserves across the border in India. By contrast, HeidelbergCement Bangladesh’s sales fell by 3% year-on-year to US$90.7m in the first six months of 2021 and it made a loss of around US$2m. Aramit Cement’s revenue fell by 60% year-on-year to US$6.09m in the nine months to March 2022 and it reported a loss. Premier Cement Mills increased its revenue by 5% to US$99m in the same period, although its net profit dropped by 91% to US$387,000. Crown Cement’s revenue rose by 16% to US$13m but its net profit fell by 81% to US$1.32m.

Geopolitics, high energy prices and local problems are all combining to make life difficult for cement producers in Bangladesh. As the market adjusts to the current situation the determining factor here is likely to be the cost of grinding cement to end users versus just importing cement directly. Current conditions do not seem to be stopping Crown Cement though nor LafargeHolcim Bangladesh. The latter, for example, launched a new blended cement product, Supercrete Plus, earlier in November 2022. One way out for the others might be explore exports and the BCMA suggested just that to the government over the summer, although this doesn’t seem like the most obvious solution for a country that imports so much of its raw materials.


Vietnam: The Ministry of Construction has appointed Bui Xuan Dung as the chair of the Vietnam Cement Corporation (VICEM).

Bui Xuan Dung trained as a civil engineer and holds a master’s degree in business administration. He worked for the Hanoi Construction Corporation from 1995 to 2021 becoming its General Director in 2015. Since 2021 he has held the post of Director of the Housing and Real Estate Market Management Department at the Ministry of Construction.

VICEM is a state-owned cement producer controlled by the Ministry of Construction. It operates 16 production lines at 10 plants and holds around 35% of the country’s market share in the cement sector.


Czech Republic: Lafarge Cement says that an on-going national cement shortage due to high operating costs will likely continue into 2023. MACR News has reported that Lafarge Cement chief executive officer Miroslav Kratochvíl said that the producer's Čížkovice cement plant would have suspended deliveries altogether if not for its existing commitments to customers. The company's pre-existing deals for its power supply enabled it to restrict energy costs growth to less than double 2021 levels in November 2022. Fuels, including alternative fuels, and other raw materials, are also at a price high due to shortages.

Lafarge Cement expects Czech construction activity to decline by 5 - 10% year-on-year in 2023. Kratochvíl said "We would welcome a slight drop in demand."


Belarus/Russia: Exports of cement from Belarus to Russia increased by 61% to 0.43Mt in September and October 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. Eurocement has also warned that Russia’s total imports could rise to 2.2Mt in 2022, comprising 1.5Mt from Belarus, according to RIA. The Russia-based cement producer forecast that total imports could rise to 5Mt in 2023, split mainly between imports from Belarus and Iran. Eurocement noted that it had encountered problems with rising imports already in 2022.


South Africa: PPC’s earnings fell by 12% year-on-year to US$42m in the six months to September 2022, excluding its subsidiary in Zimbabwe due to hyperinflation. In South Africa and Botswana the group reported higher sales in coastal regions due to less imports but tougher conditions inland that led to a 2.6% fall in cement sales volumes. Despite this, it raised its revenue through price rises. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 29% to US$29.9m. Performance was better in Rwanda where its Cimerwa subsidiary increased its sales volumes by 11% and its EBITDA by 63% to US$14.5m. PPC Zimbabwe’s sales volumes declined by 13% due to a planned kiln shutdown in the first quarter and margins were negatively affected by the use of imported clinker primarily from PPC South Africa and increased maintenance costs. However, sales volumes improved in the second quarter. EBITDA fell by 48% to US$8.59m.

Roland van Wijnen, the chief executive officer PPC, said, “The PPC group continues to deliver sound cash generation and deleverage the balance sheet despite difficult trading conditions in its core South African and Botswana cement market, offset by positive trading conditions in its Zimbabwe and Rwanda operations. To maintain volumes in the South African and Botswana cement markets, sales price increases were limited to 5% in the period under review. Key input costs, especially those related to fuel and energy, increased at double-digits in percentage terms.”


Egypt: Misr Beni Suef's sales were US$51.1m in the first nine months of 2022, up by 77% year-on-year from US$28.8m. Nonetheless, the producer recorded a loss of US$15.9m, compared to a profit of US$3.4m during the corresponding period of 2021.


South Korea: UK-based TCRK has announced a deal with Asia Cement to use its carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) technology at the cement producer’s plant in Jaechon. The project will see the first commercial deployment of TCRK’s CCUS technology from the first quarter of 2023. It will initially target 30,000t/yr of CO2 equivalent and then ramp up to 120,000t/yr of CO2 equivalent by mid-2024. The second target is intended to help Asia Cement reduce its emissions by 20% required to meet its 2025 decarbonisation plan.

TCRK’s approach will use two processes to utilise capture CO2 from cement production. Its Arago Cement Process uses captured CO2, cement kiln dust and by-pass particles to produce precipitated calcium carbonate, which TCRK uses to produce a product called Arago Cement. The captured CO2 will also be used to grow microalgae in a process called bio-fixation. This method will offer 10% extra carbon storage capacity. The microalgae has a wide range of potential end-products including bioplastics and animal feed, and can also be used as a source of bio-cement production.


India: Dalmia Cement (Bharat) is among buyers which will receive a supply of renewable energy from Sunsure Energy's new 74MW Tirunelveli open access solar power plant in Tamil Nadu. Press Trust of India News has reported that the solar power provider built the plant in three phases, with the first commencing in January 2022.

Project head Tarunveer Singh said "This is our largest single-site installation and one of the largest open access projects in the renewable energy-rich state of Tamil Nadu. Credit goes to our on-site team for completing this project in time, despite execution challenges posed by the weather and the daunting supply chain constraints plaguing the solar sector."

Sunsure Energy commands 250MW of solar power across 16 Indian states.


India: Dalmia Cement (Bharat) has won the Climate Orientated award at the Confederation of India Industry (CII)'s Third Climate Action Programme Awards. The awards aim to help companies to prepare scenario analyses, implement climate-related financial disclosures recommendations and calculate internal carbon pricing. This marks the second time that the producer has prevailed in the category. Dalmia Cement (Bharat)'s efforts along these lines include promoting and incorporating its own ‘Waste to Prosperity’ philosophy, through which it engages with waste generators, policy makers and stakeholders. Industrial waste streams constituted 40% of raw materials used in the company's cement production during the second quarter of the 2023 financial year. Municipal solid waste (MSW) provided 18% of heat in its kilns. Its CO2 emissions per tonne of cement during the quarter were 467kg/t.


US: Lehigh Hanson plans to stop cement production at its integrated Permanente plant near Cupertino in California. The subsidiary of Germany-based Heidelberg Materials plans to use the site as a distribution centre and to continue some quarry work, according to the Mercury News newspaper. The cement plant was originally opened in 1939 but it stopped clinker production in 2020.


US: The National Mining Association has named Titan America's Pennsuco, Florida, quarry as winner of its Sentinels of Safety 2022 large quarry safety award. The quarry operated for 432,000 man hours without a single lost time incident during 2021.

Titan America's senior vice president Walter Reed said "The team at our Pennsuco Quarry demonstrates yet again that a fully embraced and entrenched safety culture will inevitably form the foundation for a long-term successful, sustainable, and extremely productive operation."

The 2022 award is the Pennsuco's second consecutive and eighth overall Sentinels of Safety win.


Peru: UNACEM (Unión Andina de Cementos) has updated its branding, including its logo, for its 10th anniversary following the merger of Cemento Andino and Cementos Lima. The new logo is intended to convey its essence, origin and its commitment to union and sustainable construction, according to the Ojo newspaper. It is based around the letter ‘U’ and is also meant to be reminiscent of a quarry seen from above. The rebranding exercise is also being run at the same time as the company’s 'Co-building Peru' campaign, where it seeks to promote the message that, “...the infrastructure of a country is built with cement, a homeland is built by all of us, working together.”


India: Grasim Industries recorded US$6.86bn in consolidated sales during the first half of the 2023 financial year, which ended on 30 September 2022. The figure corresponds to a 31% increase from US$5.25bn in the first half of the 2022 financial year. Cement and allied products contributed US$3.59bn in sales, up by 22% from US$2.95bn. 36% costs growth caused the producer's net profit to fall by 3.3% in the period, to US$527m from US$545m.


Bolivia: Empresa Publica Productiva Cementos de Bolivia (ECEBOL)'s upcoming 1.3Mt/yr Potosí cement plant is 91% completed and will commence cement production during the first quarter of 2023, according to the Bolivian government. When operational, the plant will produce up to 3000t/day of clinker and employ 2200 people directly and indirectly.


India: Star Cement generated US$156m in total income during the first half of the 2023 financial year, up by 36% year-on-year from US$114m during the first half of the 2022 financial year. The producer's net profit dropped by 16% year-on-year to US$8m from US$9.51m.


Europe: The Carbon Negative Biofuels from Organic Waste (Carbiow) project has received EU funding under the Horizon Europe initiative. Carbiow seeks to develop a dense, dry homogenous marine and aviation biofuel by carbonising gasification ash with oxygen and captured CO2 from cement plants. 12 consortium members from the Benelux, Germany, Nordic countries, Slovenia and Spain are participating in the project.


India: JK Cement recorded US$536m in standalone income during the first half of its 2023 financial year, up by 26% year-on-year from US$427m. Throughout the period, the producer's profit after tax declined by 19%, to US$37.7m from US$46.4m. Also on a standalone basis, the company reported total expenses of US$482m, up by 31% year-on-year from US$368m. JK Cement's consolidated income rose by 23% to US$558m, while the group's expenses rose by 30% to US$509m, resulting in a 20% consolidated net profit drop to US$33.5m.


Sri Lanka: Tokyo Cement's consolidated sales rose by 34% year-on-year to US$82.8m during the first half of its 2023 financial year. Its cost of sales rose by less than 1% to US$50.8m. As such, the company recorded a profit for the period of US$10.1m, up by more than a factor of eight from first-half 2022 financial year levels.


Saudi Arabia: Yanbu Cement was among successful bidders in Saudi Arabia's largest carbon credit auction to date earlier in November 2022. The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF)’s Voluntary Carbon Market Initiative Auction sold 1.4Mt-worth of carbon credits to 15 different entities, of which Yanbu Cement was the only cement sector representative. The PIF said that the sale will support the country's Saudi Vision 2030 development goal, while also advancing its progress towards net zero CO2 emissions by 2060.


China: Gansu Shangfeng Cement has announced plans for the establishment of a new building materials digital intelligence research company. Local press has reported that the company will function as a joint venture of a Gansu Shangfeng Cement subsidiary and another company. Gansu Shangfeng Cement says that the new venture will have registered capital of US$70.3m.


US: A coal pile collapse at Cemex USA's Knoxville, Tennessee, cement plant killed one worker at the plant earlier in November 2022. Local press has reported that Thomas Mitchell, aged 21, died at the scene.

Cemex says that it is cooperating with an on-going investigation into the disaster.


Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos’ net revenue grew by 18% year-on-year to US$3.60bn in the first nine months of 2022 from US$3.04bn in the same period in 2021. Its cement sales volumes rose slightly to 27.8Mt. However, its adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 16% to US$659m from US$780m.

Domestically the group said that its revenue grew because price rises counteracted falling sales volumes of cement. Outside of Brazil it reported growing revenue, apart from in its Latin American business. Here it blamed the fall on a new competitor entering the Uruguayan market and market issues in Bolivia. Earnings were noted to have decreased in every region mainly due to mounting fuel, raw material and energy costs.

Votorantim launched a new logo in October 2022 and completed its acquisition of Heidelberg Materials' Southern Spanish businesses in November 2022. The purchase included an integrated cement plant located in Málaga, three aggregates quarries and 11 ready-mix concrete plants in the Andalusia region.


India: Ramco Cements has approved plants to build a second production line at its Haridaspur grinding plant in Jajpur District, Odisha with a capacity of 0.9Mt/yr. Around US$16m has been earmarked for the project. Once commissioned the plant’s total capacity will be 1.8Mt/yr.

The cement producer’s revenue grew by 31% year-on-year to US$442m in the first half of its financial year to 30 September 2022. However, its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 35% to US$61.9m. It blamed the loss in earnings on falling cement prices and mounting fuel costs. The company currently has cement and clinker production capacities of 21Mt/yr and 14Mt/yr respectively. It also reported that a 6MW waste heat recovery unit at its Kurnool plant in Andhra Pradesh will be commissioned in November 2022. An additional 6MW at the same plant is scheduled to start operation in March 2023.


Philippines: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has backed a recommendation from the Tariff Commission (TC) to repeal import duties on Ordinary Portland Cement and Blended Cement. The so-called safeguard measures were originally introduced in October 2019 for a period of three years, according to the Philippine Star newspaper. The latest investigation by the TC was started due to a request by the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CEMAP). However, it found that the domestic cement industry was generally profitable and it said, “There is no existence of an imminent threat of serious injury and significant overall impairment to the position of the domestic cement industry in the near future.” CEMAP said it was saddened by the recommendation of the TC and that it would jeopardise the local sector’s progress.


Kenya: East African Portland Cement (EAPCC) has launched a sustainable cement product called Green Triangle Cement. Trade and Investments Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria attended the official launch for the product, according to the Business daily newspaper. The product is a new masonry cement suited for mortar works. It is produced using less clinker. It is certified under the 22.5 standard via the Kenya Bureau of Standards but the company says it has been ‘boosted’ to 28 strength for a wider range of applications. The EAPCC is currently aiming to increase its range of cements to five brands.


Greece: Titan Group says that its updated 2030 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as consistent with the levels required to limit a global temperature increase to 1.5°C. With the new targets the cement producer intends to tackle direct (Scope 1) emissions, indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity (Scope 2), and also other indirect emissions from the supply chain (Scope 3).

The company plans to reduce Scope 1 (gross), 2 and 3 (gross) GHG emissions covering in produced and purchased cement and clinker, by 25.1% per tonne of cementitious product sold by 2030, from a 2020 base year. Within this target it intends to reduce Scope 1 GHG emissions (gross) by 22.8% per tonne of cementitious product and to reduce Scope 2 GHG emissions by 58.1% per tonne of cementitious product from a 2020 base year. It also intends to reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from the use of sold fossil fuels by 42% from a 2021 base year. A Global Cement estimate suggests that it aims to reduce its specific net Scope 1 CO2 emissions to around 520kgCO2/t of cementitious product in 2030 compared to 654kgCO2/t in 2021.


Mexico: Cemex says it has validated its 2030 decarbonisation goals through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for alignment under their new 1.5°C scenario. Under the new target the group plans to reduce its Scope 1 (direct) emissions by 47% less of CO2 per ton of cementitious material and 35% less of carbon content in concrete compared to a 1990 baseline. A Global Cement estimate suggests that Cemex has set its 2030 target to around 425kg CO2/t of cementitious product compared to 800kg CO2/t in 1990 and 591kg CO2/t in 2021.

The group also intends to reduce its Scope 2 (indirect) emissions via a 65% increase in sustainable electricity consumption. It aims to reduce its Scope 3 emissions through a 25% reduction in CO2 per tonne of purchased clinker and cement, a 30% reduction in transport emissions, a 40% reduction of scope 3 emissions per tonne of purchased fuels and a 42% reduction in absolute scope 3 emissions from the use of traded fuels compared to a 2020 baseline.


Canada: The government and the Cement Association of Canada have published the ‘Roadmap to Net-Zero Carbon Concrete by 2050.’ The document details how cement and concrete producers and legislators could achieve net-zero CO2 emissions from the cement and concrete sector by 2050. The joint government-industry working group next plans to release an action plan explaining how the sector will reduce its CO2 emissions by up to 40% by 2030 and a plan for research and development required to meet the 2050 target. The country’s cement and concrete industry says it has committed to reducing over 15Mt of greenhouse gases cumulatively by 2030 and achieving net-zero by 2050.

“Decarbonising concrete is a necessity, and Canada’s cement and concrete industry has demonstrated that it is up to the task. This roadmap demonstrates our industry’s leadership in CO2 emissions reduction and positions us to achieve our goal of net-zero cement by 2050,” said Marie Glenn, chair of the Cement Association of Canada. Association president and chief executive officer Adam Auer added, “While we are steadfast in our commitment to reduce our emissions by 15MT cumulatively by 2030 and reach true net-zero by 2050, we know we can’t do it alone. Together in collaboration with government we will continue to support the innovation and investment needed on our path to delivering net-zero concrete, while at the same time preserving its properties as a durable, resilient, versatile, and cost-effective material.”


Japan: Taiheiyo Cement’s sales in the first half of its financial year to 30 September 2022 rose by 10.6% year-on-year to US$2.57bn from US$2.32bn in the same period in 2021. Its reported an operating loss of US$2.14m compared to a profit of US$176m previously. Its domestic and export sales volumes of cement fell by 0.5% to 6.56Mt and 27% to 1.41Mt respectively.

By region the group said that, although demand was consistent for its business in the western US, sales volumes fell due to poor weather. In China sales volumes dropped to the effects of the country’s zero coronavirus policy upon the market. Sales decreased in Vietnam, partly due anti-dumping duties imposed by the Philippines upon imports.


Italy: Buzzi Unicem’s net sales rose by 18% year-on-year to Euro3.00bn in the first nine months of 2022 from Euro2.54bn in the same period in 2021. Its cement sales volumes fell by 6% to 21.9Mt from 23.4Mt. Its ready-mixed concrete sales volumes dropped by 3% to 8.80Mm3 from 9.05Mm3. The group reported a general slowdown in demand during the third quarter of 2022, particularly in Italy, Eastern Europe and Ukraine. This trend was weaker in the US and sales volumes improved in Central Europe. Buzzi Unicem added that it increased its prices in all regions in the third quarter.


Colombia: Cementos Argos has reported record sales and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in the first nine months of 2022. Sales for the period reached US$1.73bn, with EBITDA reaching US$306m. In terms of shipments, Cementos Argos delivered 12.3Mt of cement, 2% less than in the first nine months of 2021. It delivered 5.8Mm3/yr of concrete, a year-on-year rise of 9%.

Juan Esteban Calle, president of the company, said "We are excited to deliver positive results to our shareholders that show that the strategies we are implementing, in terms of deleveraging, efficiency, network integration logistics and price recovery, are bearing fruit. Amid strong inflationary pressures in all markets, we were able to expand profitability and margins versus last year."

During the third quarter of 2022 the company saw revenues of US$414m in the US market, an increase of 23% compared to the third quarter of 2021. Its EBITDA in the US for the quarter increased by 26% to US$77m. It said that 'solid' demand helped it to increase cement sales volumes by 6% to 1.6Mt, while concrete sales rose by 4% to 1.1Mm3.

In its native Colombia, revenues reached US$143m, a year-on-year increase of 11%, with EBITDA at US$32.1m. During the three-month period, cement shipments remained stable, while the concrete business has continued its sustained recovery, supported by infrastructure and formal housing projects. The company highlighted that exports from Cartagena grew by 37% to reach 319,000t, the highest quarterly figure in the company's history.

In the Caribbean and Central America revenues rose by 8% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2022 to reach US$136m, with EBITDA stable year-on-year at US£31m. However, cement shipments decreased by 13% to 1.0Mt. Cementos Argos said that this was partly due to serious social disruption in Haiti, as well as a change of government in Honduras and scheduled maintenance in the Dominican Republic. However, the company saw a 59% increase in concrete shipments to 77,000m3.


Indonesia: Semen Indonesia’s revenue fell slightly to US$1.61bn in the first nine months of 2022. Its total sales volumes of cement fell by 13% year-on-year to 26.2Mt from 30Mt in the same period in 2021. Domestic and regional sales fell by 6% to 21.9Mt and by 37% to 4.3Mt respectively. The group’s earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBIDTA) rose slightly to US$365m. It said that its cost of goods rose by 1.6% to US$1.14bn, driven by a 12% increase in fuel and energy costs. It added that its coal purchase price increased by 42% in the reporting period but that the company managed to secure its coal supply in the second and third quarter of 2022 at the local Domestic Market Obligation capped price.


Greece: Titan Group says that strong sales in the third quarter of 2022 has driven its performance so far in 2022. Its sales rose by 32% year-on-year to Euro1.66bn in the first nine months of 2022 from Euro1.26bn in the same period in 2021. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBIDTA) grew by 7% to Euro235m from Euro220m. It attributed its sales growth to higher sales volumes and higher prices more than sufficiently offsetting growing energy and transport costs. Strong performance was reported in the US and construction market was described as recovering in Greece. Elsewhere, high energy costs were said to be reducing demand in Southeast Europe, market problems in Turkey continued but the group raised its prices and increased exports, saes volumes increased in Egypt and a decline was noted in Brazil.


UK: Cookstown Cement has rebranded as Cemcor. The company formed in January 2022 following its acquisition of the 0.45Mt/yr Cookstown cement plant from Holcim in January 2022. It then announced investments of around Euro14m towards making environmental and process upgrades at the unit. The company also purchased a limestone quarry in Cookstown, a shale quarry in Dungannon and a terminal at Belfast Harbour.


Germany: The Catch4Climate project says it is ready to build an oxyfuel pilot unit at Schwenk Zement’s Mergelstetten plant following approval by the Stuttgart Regional Council. The project comprises Dyckerhoff, Heidelberg Materials, Schwenk Zement and Vicat, and It has set up a research company called CI4C to run it. Over Euro120m will be invested towards building a dedicated 450t/day production line to test the oxyfuel process. Jürgen Thormann, the Technical Managing Director of CI4C, said that this is the first time a so-called ‘pure’ oxyfuel process will be used for CO2 capture. At a later stage in the project the consortium plans to use the captured CO2 to produce so-called ‘reFuels’, climate-neutral synthetic fuels such as kerosene for aircraft, with the help of renewable electrical energy. Commissioning of the unit is scheduled for mid-2024.


Bangladesh: The Infrastructure Development Company (IDC) has agreed to loan Crown Cement US$25m to help it build a sixth plant. The new unit will use a vertical roller mill, according to the New Nation newspaper. The IDC is a government-owned non-banking financial organisation that finances projects in the infrastructure, renewable energy, and energy efficiency sectors.


Indonesia: Solusi Bangun Indonesia has ordered a Siwertell screw-type ship loader from Sweden-based Bruks Siwertell via contractor Hutama Karaya (Persero). The ship loader will be used at Solusi Bangun Indonesia’s Tuban terminal in Java. The HST 1000 1B-type ship loader has a continuous cement handling capacity of 1000t/hr and can load either open-hatched or conventional bulk carriers up to 50,000dwt. It will be assembled on site and is planned for delivery at the end of 2023.

Solusi Bangun Indonesia, a subsidiary of Semen Indonesia, has a cement production capacity of 15Mt/yr. It operates one cement plant on Sumatra and three on Java in Narogong, Cilacap and Tuban. The Tuban site is Solusi Bangun Indonesia’s first new terminal construction.