Global Cement News

India: Sanghi Industries suspended operations at it Sanghipuram cement plant in Gujarat from 13 June 2023, ahead of the landfall of Cyclone Biparjoy on 15 June 2023. EB News has reported that Sanghi Industries has established refuges for its workers and host community, and has prepared food and first aid deliveries, emergency transport and monitoring. The company said that it will restart operations when normal conditions resume and in compliance with the advice of the government.

Times Now News has reported that Cyclone Biparjoy killed two people and injured 22 on the coast of Gujarat. Extremely heavy rain is forecast for 17 June 2023 in Kachchh District, where the Sanghipuram cement plant is located.

Europe: The European cement industry association, Cembureau, has welcomed the enactment of the Nature Restoration Law, which aims to restore ecosystems through binding targets in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy. The European Commission says that the law provides a framework to 'secure the things nature does for free, like cleaning our water and air, pollinating crops and protecting us from floods,' as well as to help limit climate change to +1.5°C.

In a joint statement with other extractive industry bodies, Cembureau told the EU that member states' national restoration plans should take into account industry efforts to plan and implement nature restoration, that member states should protect pioneer species in line with the Nature Directives Species Protection Guidelines' definition of temporary nature and that restoration efforts outside of designated Natura 2000 areas should be addressed on a case-by-case basis in recognition of sectoral specificities.

Europe/India: Finland-based Betolar has secured EU-wide and Indian patents for a new waste-based alternative concrete produced without cement and capable of storing energy. Betolar said that the material, which is already patented in Finland, is especially suited for use in renewable energy infrastructure, where it can provide a storage solution for dealing with short-term peaks. Chief commercial officer Ville Voipio said that the company will now seek to establish a partnership for commercialisation of its new alternative building material.

Betolar produces and markets the Geoprime additive used to produce cement-free concrete from supplementary cementitious materials, including ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), in regions that include India and the EU.

Chile: Cemento Polpaico plans to invest US$67m in expanding its operations, with a focus on its Cerro Blanco cement plant in Santiago. Work will include the construction of a solar power plant and the expansion of the plant's limestone quarry. Meanwhile, Cemento Polpaico will upgrade the plant's kiln to increase its alternative fuel (AF) substitution rate to 75% from 13%. The upgrade will increase the production line's clinker capacity by 13% and reduce its CO₂ emissions by 20,000t/yr. Additionally, the producer will build a new 3000t cement silo.

Peru: Unacem and Grupo Calidra have received clearance from the National Institute for the Defense of Competition and Protection of Intellectual Property (Indecopi) to launch a joint venture in the lime sector. Carretera News has reported that the new company will establish a 600t/day lime plant, at an investment cost of US$40m. The partners expect to commission the plant in early-mid 2025. Unacem, which holds a 51% stake in the venture, has reported that it and Grupo Calidra will fund the growth from a combination of their own finances and bank loans.