Global Cement News

Russia: The Commission for Entrepreneurs’ Rights has asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade to change Council for Standardisation, Metrology and Certification (GOST) conformity assessment and cement certification rules requiring production and packaging of cement to be carried out by a single legal entity. The commission says that the restriction, introduced in September 2019, unfairly restrains smaller-scale producers, according to the Kommersant newspaper.

In an open letter to Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, Commissioner Boris Titov said, “This preferential treatment of full-scale enterprises negatively affects the formation of a competitive environment. The purpose of cement certification is to confirm quality and safety, which clearly do not depend on production and packaging being carried out by a single legal entity.”

Colombia: Cementos Argos Colombia says that it has delivered facemasks and biosafety kits containing thermometers, floor charts and a digital health-monitoring app to 23,000 of its customers across Colombia. The company said that the initiative was undertaken, “In the hope of strengthening the commitment to the continuation of the sector operations in biosafety conditions, and the revitalization of the economy.”

Regional vice president Tomás Restrepo said, “At Argos, we have the firm intention of being the best allies to our customers. In this context it becomes more relevant than ever to work hand-in-hand for the health and wellbeing of our strategic allies and to contribute directly to the safe continuity of the construction, the recovery of the industry and the health of the economy.”

India: Emami Group has completed its divestment of Emami Cement, which is now 100% held by Nuvoco Vistas. Emami Group, which continues activities in the beauty and traditional medicine sectors, received US$731m for the sale of its sole cement industry subsidiary.

China: Anhui Conch and its subsidiaries have responded to increased rainfall and raised water levels in the Yangtze River in Jiangnan Province since June 2020 by building a “solid line of defence against floods.” The Group says that with the help of the Central Committee of the Communist Part of China it has planned and implemented flood monitoring, strategic precautions and local flood control using earth and sandbags. Anhui Conch subsidiary Chizhou Conch mines limestone for cement production in the area. It said, “Chizhou Conch will continue to pay close attention to all the work of flood prevention and flood preparation, ensure the safety of the flood season, and help the company achieve its annual production and operation goals and tasks smoothly.”

China: The Tibet Autonomous Region Department of Economics and Information has awarded Huaxin Cement subsidiary Huaxin Tibet’s Shigatse Company Tibet Company cement plants with regional Green Factory status. The plants are among eight businesses across the autonomous region selected for their dedication to green development. The company says that it attaches “great importance to the protection of plateau ecology, the scientific development of mineral resources and the promotion of mine reclamation and greening.”

The Tibet Company circulates used cooling water from cement production into irrigation systems for mine reclamation. The Shigatse Company “strengthened the greening of mines and plant areas according to local conditions, and insisted on special environmental protection training for front-line employees and middle-level leaders,” improving environmental awareness across its operations, according to Huaxin Tibet.