Global Cement News

US: Lehigh Hanson has announced the upcoming permanent closure of its Glens Falls cement plant in northeastern New York. Times Union News has reported that the producer has extended an offer of financial and job-hunting support to the plant's 85 employees. A phased closure will commence in 2023. The company said that 'changes to the competitive landscape within the context of a global cement industry' partly informed its decision, in addition to the 'small, aging and inefficient' condition of operations at the plant. Lehigh Hanson's Mitchell, Indiana, cement plant will cover the plant's market in future.

Lehigh Hanson Northeast regional president Alex Car said "We are committed to continuing to supply our customers in the New England region. We have the available capacity to meet the current and future needs of our customers, even after the Glens Falls plant halts production." Car added "We are thankful for the dedication and efforts of our Glens Falls workforce over the years and we will work to minimise the impacts to our employees and the community as much as possible."

Colombia: Grupo Argos announced its purchase of US$2.49m-worth of shares in Cementos Argos. The purchase accounts for 0.3% of the subsidiary's share capital. At the start of 2022, Grupo Argos held a 59% majority stake in the cement producer. The next biggest single shareholders were investment services company AFP y Cesantías Protección, with 8%, and pension fund management company SAFP Porvenir, with 6.3%.

India: Aditya Birla subsidiary UltraTech Cement has commissioned a new 400,000t/yr putty plant in Rajasthan. The facility will produce the company's WallCare white cement-based putty. Reuters News has reported the cost of its construction as US$22.9m.

Indonesia: Thyssenkrupp Polysius Indonesia has inaugurated its new offices in Jakarta's Tempo Scan Tower. The supplier said that the new headquarters will bring a stronger business focus to its decades-long presence in Indonesia by providing a broader scope of local service-driven solutions. Thyssenkrupp Polysius Indonesia country manager Ridwan Setiawan will head the new office.

Asia Pacific Regional head of cement Lukas Schoeneck said “With this new office, we are celebrating the return of the name and brand Polysius in one of the most important and energetic markets in the Asia Pacific region. We look forward to reshaping our focus in the cement industry and on building a sustainable future together with our clients, especially in transforming the cement industry with our #grey2green initiative."

Sweden: Germany-based KIMA Process Control has secured a contract for the supply of a kiln shell cooling system for Cementa's Slite cement plant in Gotland. 88 water jets will deliver centimetre-precision cooling for the 55m-long kiln, while IR pyrometers measure temperatures over areas of 10cm². According to KIMA Process Control, the equipment can avoid unnecessary cooling of the kiln shell, conserving the heat energy supplied by the main burner.

The new cooling system will eliminate the use of energy intensive electric fans, slashing 1700t/yr in CO₂ emissions, according to the supplier. It said that noise emissions will also 'drastically' decline as a result of the upgrade. The system's operating costs are reportedly 98% less than those of the plant's existing fan system.

The supplier said that the new equipment will 'bring the cement plant in Slite an economic benefit in the shortest possible time.' It said "For the cement industry, this project represents a new milestone in terms of best available technology in the operation of rotary kilns."