India: Anjani Portland Cement has completed its acquisition of an 83% stake in Bhavya Cements. The transaction’s value was US$83.2m

Czech Republic: Mexico-based Cemex plans to install a 2MW waste heat recovery (WHR) plant using supercritical CO₂ (sCO₂) at its Prachovice cement plant. The unit is intended to provide up to 8% of the plant’s electricity requirements.

The producer is part of a consortium studying new sCO₂ WHR systems. The EU Horizon 2020 Industrial Heat to Power fund awarded Euro14m in financial backing to the consortium. The project is intended to demonstrate a cheaper and more flexible method of waste heat valorisation compared to the steam or organic rankine cycle approaches conventionally used in WHR.

Plant director Karol Czubara said, “The new sCO₂ technology has a smaller footprint and higher operational flexibility than conventional power plant cycles, which produce power from turbines using water or steam.”

Brazil: Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN) has entered talks to acquire Cimento Elizabeth. The Valor Econômico newspaper has reported the potential value of any future deal as up to US$250m. An agreement is reportedly expected in June 2021.

Farallon Capital acquired Cimento Elizabeth and Elizabeth Mineração from the Crispin family for US$185m in 2020. It operates the 1.2Mt/yr Cimento Elizabeth cement plant in Paraíba. CSN currently does not have a presence in the region.

France/Syria: The Court of Cassation, a court of last resort, is considering whether a charge of crimes against humanity should be upheld against Lafarge. However, charges of financing terrorism, endangering life and violating an embargo seem set to stay. The legal case is investigating the company’s conduct in Syria between 2011 and 2014. It has been accused of financing terrorism through indirect payments to extremist groups to keep its Jalabiya cement plant operational after the outbreak of war in Syria. The Court of Cassation is expected to deliver its verdict on 15 July 2021.