Global Cement News

Denmark: FLSmidth has predicted a 55% year-on-year decline in earnings before interest, taxation and amortisation (EBITA) in the first half of 2020 to Euro48.2m from Euro107m. Sales are Euro1.12bn, down by 15% from Euro1.33bn, and order intake was Euro1.33bn, down by 7% from1.42bn. Net debt is expected to have declined by 15% to Euro309m from Euro363m.

The company said, “Across all regions, the mining industry and especially the cement industry have been negatively affected by the pandemic. Even in the regions with easing of lockdowns and mobility restrictions, it is yet unclear how our customers’ spending patterns will advance. Visibility remains low and our guidance remains suspended.”

Philippines: Eagle Cement has shared plans for the installation of a fifth mill at its 7.1Mt/yr integrated cement plant in San Ildefonso, Bulacan Province at a cost of US$30m. Business World News has reported that the upgrade will raise the plant’s capacity to 8.6Mt/yr. President and chief executive officer John Paul Ang said, “Our strong financial position will allow us to weather this health crisis battering the economy without giving up major components of our expansion plans.”

Eagle Cement said that it “ramped up production” following the national coronavirus lockdown in June 2020 in order “to support the government’s push for accomplishing critical infrastructure projects.” It is currently working towards the launch of an online customer portal for placing and tracking cement orders.

Qatar: Qatar National Cement Company recorded a profit of US$27.5m in the first six months of 2020, down by 32% year-on-year from US$18.8m over the corresponding period of 2019. Sales were US$79.8m, down by 23% from US$104m. The company attributed the decrease to a decline in demand due to the coronavirus outbreak.

US: Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim has announced the start of sales via its local subsidiaries of its ECOPact range of 30 - 100% reduced CO₂ concretes. Chief executive officer (CEO) Jan Jenisch said, “I am proud to introduce ECOPact, the industry’s broadest range of green concrete for high-performing, sustainable and circular construction.”

The company says that, where regulatory conditions allow, ECOPact products integrate upcycled construction and demolition materials, further closing the resource loop. ECOPact concretes will enter the Canadian, Latin American and UK markets in mid-late 2020. “With the roll-out of this Green Concrete, we are accelerating the transition to more sustainable building materials for greener construction,” added Jenisch.

Mexico: Cement has announced the launch of a range of carbon neutral concretes called Vertua. By offsetting, Cemex has eliminated Vertua’s remaining carbon footprint following a 70% reduction in embodied emissions compared to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) through use of a geopolymer cement mixture. The concretes will become available on different markets globally in 2020 and 2021.