Global Cement News

China: Asia Cement (China) reported a 7% year-on-year drop in its first-half sales to US$732m in 2022. Its first-half profit was US$46.1m, down by 70% year-on-year from US$156m. The producer sold 13.4Mt of cement during the half. It plans to achieve full-year cement sales of 29.4Mt.

Asia Cement (China) believes that cement demand in China is now on a ‘downward trend.’ It nonetheless remains ‘cautiously optimistic’ about its full-year 2022 results, foreseeing a degree of demand recovery arising from planned government infrastructure investment in the second half of the year.

The Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle (CCEC) in Sichuan province and Chongqing municipality represents a growing market for Asia Cement (China). Of a total of 160 planned key projects in the CCEC in 2022, 152 commenced construction during the first half of the year.

China: China Shanshui Cement’s first-half sales fell by 2.5% year-on-year to US$1.5bn. The producer’s net profit for the half was US$70.6m, down by 60% from US$178m.

India: Birla Corporation recorded US$279m in consolidated sales in the first quarter of its 2023 financial year, which began on 1 April 2022. The figure corresponds to a 25% year-on-year increase from the producer’s first-quarter 2022 financial year sales figure. The Times of India newspaper has reported that Birla Corporation more than doubled its cement production capacity utilisation. The producer’s net profit dropped by 56% year-on-year to US$7.78m from US$17.8m in the first quarter of the 2022 financial year.

US: A team from Washington State University (WSU) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has successfully used waste crustacean shells in the production of concrete. ZME Science News has reported that the materials consist of calcium carbonate and 20 – 30% chitin, a nanoparticle biopolymer. When used as an additive in concrete production, the shells increase the set product’s compressive strength by 12% and its flexural strength by 40%. The team is now developing a methodology for the industrial-scale production of shell-based additives.

WSU researcher Professor Michael Wolcott said “Those are very significant numbers. If you can reduce the amount that you use and get the same mechanical function or structural function and double its lifetime, then you’re able to significantly reduce the carbon emissions of the built environment.”

India: Dalmia Bharat sold 6.2Mt of cement in the first quarter of its 2023 financial year, up by 27% year-on-year from 4.9Mt in the first quarter of its 2022 financial year. Its sales revenues also rose by 27%, to US$417m from US$327m. The growth failed to translate into increased profitability, however, with the company recording a profit after tax of US$25.9m, down by 27% from US$35.3m.

Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Managing Director and CEO Mahendra Singhi said “I am pleased with our performance this quarter. Our sustained efforts on operational efficiencies and cost rationalisation have enabled us to mitigate the adverse impact of inflation and deliver our lowest total cost of production. Our capacity expansion projects are on track, and we have added 2Mt/yr of clinker capacity and 1.1Mt/yr of cement capacity, which takes our cement capacity to 37Mt/yr. We remain firm on our Carbon Negative Roadmap, and during the quarter have installed 41.4MW of renewable energy infrastructure.”