Global Cement News

China: China Resources Cement’s turnover was US$1.69bn during the first half of 2023, down by 27% from US$2.23bn during the first half of 2022. Reuters has reported that China Resources Cement recorded a net profit of US$86m, down by 66% year-on-year from US$250m.

China: China Tianrui Group recorded sales of US$554m during the first half of 2023, down by 25% year-on-year from US$737m in the first half of 2022. Reuters has reported that the producer’s net profit dropped by 67%, to US$20.9m from US$63.2m.

New Zealand: Fletcher Building says that its subsidiary Golden Bay cement is waiting to embark on a US$119 – 178m course of capital expenditure (CAPEX) investment. However, the group said that it will first require ‘clarity from the government’ on any upcoming changes to industrial CO2 emissions allocations or border adjustments.

CEO Ross Taylor said “Until we get certainty there, we really can’t pull the cord.” He added “There’s a good pipeline of existing stuff which will really start maturing in two or three years, but there’s another really sizeable pipeline beyond that.”

Fletcher Building invested a total of US$182m across its businesses during the 2023 financial year, which ended in June 2023. The Bay of Plenty Times newspaper has reported that the investments are part of the group’s growth strategy for the four-year period up to the end of the 2027 financial year. Planned areas for investments include adding value to the group’s wood products by developing its alternative fuel (AF) capacity. The growth strategy has a budget of US$474m.

Pakistan: Pakistani cement producers have achieved 100% coverage of their cement despatches under the country’s track and trace scheme. Pakistan Today News has reported that the scheme collects despatch data for automatic submission to the Federal Board of Revenue. It uses licensed technology from US-based Authentix.

US: Block-Lite plans to install a system to cure concrete blocks using direct air capture (DAC)-sourced CO₂ at its Flagstaff, Arizona, concrete block plant. The upgrade will implement CarbonBuilt’s low-CO₂ concrete production technology and AirCapture’s modular DAC technology, across five or six capture units. Direct air capture will thus remove 500 – 600t/yr of CO₂ from the atmosphere, while process changes will reduce CO₂ emissions from the Flagstaff plant by over 2000t/yr. The project has attracted fundraising from the 4 Corners Carbon Coalition (4CCC), with a goal of US$50,000. The Arizon Daily Sun newspaper has reported that Block-Lite plans to supply its first shipment of low-CO₂ blocks to a 50-home development by Habitat for Humanity in Flagstaff.