Global Cement News

El Salvador: Holcim El Salvador plans to invest up to US$50m over the next three years to help it generate 70% of the energy it uses. It plans to build a 17MW solar plant and a wind farm to enable this, according to La Prensa Gráfica newspaper. The investment will also help the subsidiary of Switzerland-based Holcim to progress towards its net-zero sustainability goals. The solar project has a budget of US$19m and will be built in agreement with AES Corporation. It will be located at Holcim’s integrated El Ronco cement plant. It will supply 21% of the energy used at both the El Ronco and Maya cement plants.

The investment has also included the installation of a solid waste shredder earlier in 2022. Its official inauguration is planned for mid-November 2022. Holcim El Salvador reached a 30% alternative fuels substitution rate in October 2022.

Ivory Coast: The local cement sector is preparing to reach a production capacity of 20Mt/yr by the end of 2022. Albert Kouatelay, director of deputy cabinet of the Ivorian Minister of Trade, Industry and Promotion of SMEs, made the comment at the launch event for LafargeHolcim Côte d'Ivoire's new white cement product, according to the Agence de Presse Africaine. The country has 13 cement plants and the latest boost is expected once a new cement unit starts operation. Domestic production capacity was reportedly 2.4Mt/yr in 2011, 12.5Mt/yr in 2019 and 17Mt/yr in 2022.

Libya: Zliten Cement Company, part of the Gulf Cement Group, started production at its Zliten plant in late September 2022. The Libya Herald reports that the company will market its cement products under the trademark ‘Zliten Cement Company’ according to Libyan Standard Specifications No. 340/2009 and Portland cement CEM 42.5N.

Tanzania: The Fair Competition Tribunal (FCT) has blocked an attempt by Heidelberg Materials to buy a 68% stake in Tanga Cement for around US$59m saying it was contrary to the law. The Germany-based building materials producer announced in October 2021 that it had agreed to buy Tanga Cement from South Africa-based AfriSam via various subsidiaries, according to the Citizen newspaper. The Fair Competition Commission (FCC) provisionally approved the transaction but required the buyer to keep the operations of Tanga Cement running, to continue producing and promoting the Simba Cement (Tanga Cement) brand and to keep employing the existing staff at Tanga Cement. However, Chalinze Cement Limited and the Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society opposed the decision due to a potential reduction in market competition and successfully made an appeal to the FCT.

In a statement Tanga Cement said that Heidelberg Materials and AfriSam were, “considering how to proceed, but the FCT ruling has placed the acquisition at great risk of not being implemented.” It added that the parties were waiting for a formal ruling from the FCT and would then seek further advice on how to proceed.

Egypt: The government has raised the price of gas to cement producers by 109% from US$5.75/one million British thermal units (BTU) to US$12/MBTU. South Valley Cement, Misr Cement Qena, Misr Beni Suef Cement, and Sinai Cement all said that the higher gas prices would not affect the cost of production because they have switched to using coal, according to the Daily news Egypt newspaper.