Global Cement News

Italy: The President of the Italian cement association Federbeton, Stefano Gallini, has highlighted the disadvantages of cement and clinker production relocating to non-EU countries with lower costs, according to Milan Finance.

New data from from the Federation of Italian Cement Producers reports that imports of non-European cement into Italy rose by 22.6% year-on-year in 2023 to 3.6Mt. From 2018 to 2023, the import of intercontinental cement has increased by 572%, compared to a 6.5% increase in European purchases.

Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos will invest US$36.7m to double the production capacity of its Edealina plant in Goiás from 1Mt/yr to 2Mt/yr. The new cement grinding line is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2025. This expansion is a key component of Votorantim's US$919m investment program over the next five years. The program includes significant investments in increasing cement production capacity, alternative fuel usage and decarbonisation efforts, with US$312m already being implemented.

UK: Loesche has won a contract from Aggregate Industries UK, part of the Holcim Group, to design, manufacture and deliver a grinding plant for a new production and distribution facility at the Port of Tilbury, set to open in 2025. The new plant will feature a Loesche vertical roller mill of the LM 30.2 CS type, complete with a dynamic classifier, process and nuisance filters, a hot gas generator and mill fan. This facility will allow Aggregate Industries UK to supply its customers with a range of conventional, low carbon and circular cementitious materials 24 hours a day from five loading heads.

US: Vineyard Offshore has agreed to buy 2000t of cement from Sublime Systems, a Massachusetts startup planning a US$150m ‘carbon-free’ cement plant in the city. The cement will be used for turbine platforms and onshore civil works within the Vineyard Wind 2 project, aiming to reduce its carbon footprint. This agreement is contingent on the project's selection in upcoming solicitations.

Brazil: Despite experiencing a 1.2% year-on-year increase in cement sales in the first half of 2024 to 30.6Mt, the Brazilian cement industry is adjusting to mixed economic signals, according to the National Union of the Cement Industry (SNIC). While June sales rose by 2.1% year-on-year to 5.4Mt, overall growth projections have been downgraded from 2.4% to 1.4% for 2024 due to macroeconomic turbulence and extreme weather conditions.