Turkey: Germany-based Körfez Engineering’s Körfez foundry in Dilovasi, Kocaeli Province, has announced that it is now exporting its cast steel products, including cement kilns, preheaters, clinker coolers and mills, to 70 countries spanning five continents. Exports account for 85% of sales. Foundry general manager Çağdaş Alan said, “We are proud to export to different geographies and to increase the number of countries we export to during this difficult period the world is going through. We hope to overcome this difficult period with the least loss for our business and the country.” He added, “We continue to invest in information technologies, develop our facilities in line with industry 4.0, and create a dynamic business environment with innovative trainings for continuous development of our expert staff.”

Uzbekistan: Uzbekqurilishmateriallari deputy chair Ulugbek Abrayev has said that Uzbek cement production capacity will total 20.0Mt/yr before 1 January 2021, up by 60% year-on-year from 12.5Mt at the start of 2020. Abrayev added that, due to growing demand, Uzbekistan will produce 14.5Mt in 2021, corresponding to 73% utilisation of projected capacity. A total of ten cement plant projects across eight of the country’s 12 regions are due for completion in 2020 and 2021.

India: Aditya Birla subsidiary Grasim Industries recorded a loss of US$36.0m in the first-quarter of the 2021 financial year (1 April 2020 – 30 June 2020), compared to US$26.9m profit in the first quarter of the 2020 financial year. The company attributed this to a 61% year-on-year fall in sales to US$260m from US$668m due to ‘lower realisation and weak demand’ during coronavirus lockdown. Consolidated cement sales over the period were US$228m, down by 29% year-on-year from US$320m.

China: China Tianrui Group Cement says that it has secured a loan worth US$14.4m. Reuters has reported that a Chinese bank granted the loan, which will support capital expenditure projects in the current fiscal year.