Global Cement News

US: GCC Pueblo has upgraded its OK™ 36-4 Cement mill with a new separator from FLSmidth, incorporating the addition of ECS/ProcessExpert's vertical mill application. This upgrades the plant's existing ROKS separator to the latest ROKSH technology.

Spain: Following more than two months of industrial action, unions at Cementos Rezola, part of the German conglomerate Heidelberg Materials, have agreed to conclude their strike. This decision comes after extensive negotiations regarding a redundancy plan introduced in June 2024, which initially proposed dismissing 56 out of 102 employees. The agreement includes provisions for no forced dismissals, leading the Basque nationalist union to call off the strike.

Under the terms of the settlement brokered by the other unions, several workers will enter early retirement and nine workers will be relocated to the company's Arrigorriaga plant. This plant transfer is part of a strategic move to concentrate clinker production at a facility that is better equipped to meet stringent environmental standards and deliver greater operational efficiency. The revised redundancy plan also converted four initially forced exits into voluntary or early retirements after further negotiations, with the remaining two being reintegrated into the company.

China: The sales revenue from CNBM’s cement manufacturing division fell by 31% year-on-year to US$5.70bn in the first half of 2024 from US$8.25bn in the same period in 2023. The group blamed the decline on falling sales volumes of cement and aggregates and decreasing prices of heavy building materials. Its Basic Building Materials segment reported an operating loss of US$261m from an operating profit of US$348m previously. The division sold 114Mt of cement and clinker, a fall of 20% from 142Mt.

In its interim report the group said that its Basic Building Materials segment had been “…affected by a combination of factors, such as the in-depth adjustment of the real estate and funding constraints for infrastructure projects.” Subsequently the cement industry had faced low demand and prices. It added that market overcapacity had not been resolved.

Overall the group’s revenue and gross profit fell by 19% to US$11.7bn and by 25% to US$1.86bn respectively. However, income from its Engineering Technology Services segment rose by 2% to US$2.89bn. This division includes cement plant and equipment supplier Sinoma International. The group noted that global engineering and construction demand remained stable in the first half of 2024.

Brazil: Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN) will invest approximately US$530m to build a cement plant and a limestone plant in Itaperuçu, Curitiba. Noticias Financieras News has reported that the project is set to begin construction in 2025 and will create 3000 jobs. The cement plant will receive about US$500m, covering 150 hectares with an additional 70 hectares for mining.

Currently, the company is obtaining environmental licences from the Water and Land Institute and will be supported by the government when construction starts in 2025. The initiative benefits from tax incentives under the Paraná Competitivo programme, which provides a tax reduction for companies and industries that want to invest in the state, aligning with efforts to boost local employment and economic growth.

Spain: Votorantim Cimentos will construct a solid recovered fuel (SRF) production plant at its subsidiary Cementos Cosmos’ plant in Oural, aiming to produce up to 0.15Mt/yr of alternative fuel, reports Digital Economia newspaper. The facility, spanning 5800m², will utilise non-recyclable industrial byproducts and various discarded materials from the local community such as plastic, paper and wood, to partially fuel the combustion in its cement kilns. The plant, currently in the public exhibition phase, will start production at 60% capacity, producing 85,000t/yr of alternative fuel. Plans include ramping up to full capacity to produce roughly 0.15Mt/yr. The new plant will create 15 jobs.

Votorantim Cimentos has not detailed the investment in the new facility, although the budget presented to the local council amounts to €12m.