Thailand: Siam Cement Group (SCG) recorded first-quarter sales of US$4.43bn in 2022, up by 25% year-on-year from first-quarter 2021 levels. The company’s net profit was US$257m, down by 40%.
South Korean government seeks to increase coal imports from Australia
South Korea: Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki has announced plans for a further increase to his country’s coal imports from Australia in order to enable cement production to continue and prevent a shortage. The Yonhap News Agency News has reported that the government plans to accelerate customs clearance processes around the fossil fuel. Hong added that the government will ‘sternly deal with any illegal hoarding or price fixing’ of cement.
Xinjiang Tianshan Cement to establish 40Mt/yr limestone mine in Guichi District
China: Xinjiang Tianshan Cement, a subsidiary of Chizhou CNBM New Materials, has acquired mining rights for the Hengshan mining area and peripheral mines in Chizhou City’s Guichi District in Anhui province for US$376m. Reuters has reported that the company plans to make a total investment of US$1.38bn in establishing its mining operations there. The mines have limestone reserves of 513Mt and will be operational until 2043.
ACC launches Houses of Tomorrow in India
India: ACC has launched Holcim’s Houses of Tomorrow sustainable homebuilding initiative with the construction of a low CO2 home in Puducherry called Gratitude Villa. Projects Today News has reported that architect Trupti Doshi selected building materials to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% by comparison to conventional materials such as ordinary Portland cement (OPC). She opted for ACC’s Suraksha brand cement, fly ash bricks and ECOPact green concrete.
