India: UltraTech Cement has received approval from the environment ministry for a US$360m project in Andhra Pradesh, in which it will set up a 6Mt/yr integrated cement plant at Petnikote village in Kurnool district. The plant will have a 60MW captive power plant and a 15MW waste heat recovery-based power unit.

The company has already acquired 432 hectares of land for the project, which UltraTech says will generate employment for 900 people. The company still has to get 'consent to establish and operate' from the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board.

Puerto Rico: Total cement sales in Puerto Rico fell by 11.1% year-on-year in May 2019, to stand at 1.21 million 42.5kg bags (51,425t). Cement sales have been contracting since February 2019, after 13 consecutive increases. Meanwhile, domestic cement production plunged by 33.1% year-on-year, to stand at 1 million bags, representing the fourth consecutive fall.

Dominica: Argos, Grupo Argos’ subsidiary in Dominica, has opened a new packing plant to allow a more reliable and timely supply of cement. The plant's packer has three nozzles and a capacity of more than 1000bags/hr. The scope of the project includes structural and ergonomic improvements and the replacement of the system's dust collector, which will allow for cleaner and more environmentally-friendly processes.

Brazil: According to data from SNIC, the Brazilian national cement industry union, 4.6Mt of cement was sold in Brazil during May 2019. The figure is 27.6% higher compared to May 2018, with the large percentage increase due to the low base resulting from a truck drivers’ strike in May 2018. The first five months of 2019 recorded sales of 21.6Mt, a 5.6% year-on-year rise.