Global Cement News

Uzbekistan: Uzbekistan produced 1.35Mt of cement in January and February 2024. This production volume shows a year-on-year increase of 50%. In February 2024, the country produced 724,700t of cement.

France: Heidelberg Materials has announced plans to close two of its plants in France - Beffes and Villiers-au-Bouin - by October 2025. This move is part of the company's restructuring efforts aimed at accelerating its decarbonisation efforts and focusing more on low-carbon products.

The decision comes amid a decline in cement sales in France, attributed to weak demand in the construction sector. 170 employees are affected by the impending closures of these plants, according to the company.

These closures align with Heidelberg Materials' commitment to focus on lower carbon alternatives, enhance energy efficiency, increase the use of alternative fuels, and reduce the clinker content in its cement products in France.

China:  The UK-based Carbon Disclosure Project Carbon Majors database has released its Carbon Majors Database. The database quantifies the historical CO₂ emissions of 122 of the world's major emitters, among them the Chinese cement sector.

Notably, China's cement industry has been a significant contributor to global emissions. In the period up to the end of 2022, China's cement sector has produced 23,161Mt of CO₂, accounting for 1.3% of the global emissions recorded during this period. From 2016 to 2022, the cement industry in China emitted 8.16Bnt of CO₂, accounting for 3.2% of global emissions.

Figures for the cement sector include process emissions from the calcination of limestone, but exclude emissions from fuel and electricity used in production.

Poland: The Association of Polish Cement Producers has expressed increasing concern over quadrupled year-on-year growth in cement imports from Ukraine, to 330,000t in 2023.

Zbigniew Pilch, the head of the association, highlighted the contrasting rise in imports and 12% fall in domestic production, to 16.6Mt. He said “The scale of imports from Ukraine is growing almost every month, reaching nearly 50% of total imports in January 2024. These volumes are deeply concerning.”

A primary issue raised by the association is the difference in environmental regulations faced by Ukrainian and Polish cement producers. The association argues that Ukrainian producers are not subjected to as rigorous climate policies as Polish producers, leading to an uneven playing field. Additionally, the localised nature of the cement market means eastern Polish producers are particularly affected by the ‘influx’ of Ukrainian cement.

US: Holcim US has announced an investment of US$20.5m in its Midwest operations. A key component of the investment is the new 35m-high cement storage dome in Fremont, Nebraska, which will increase its production capacity of ECOPlanet low-carbon cement. The dome has the capacity to store 50,000t of cement. Construction of the dome, which began in 2021, has contributed to local economic development and job creation at the terminal.

In line with the Nebraska Department of Transportation's blended cement requirement, the cement blended and distributed at the terminal incorporates natural pozzolan, a binding agent, to produce a lower carbon product compared to ordinary Portland cement.