Global Cement News

China: Italy-based Bedeschi has appointed Michele Gatto as the managing director of its new Hong Kong-based subsidiary Bedeschi Far East. The company is intended to assist local customers and to support the Far East market both commercially and technically.

Gatto was previously the Sales Director East Asia and Asia Pacific for Aumund from 2019 to 2022. Prior to this he worked for Bedeschi in area manager and sales roles with a focus on Asia. He has also worked for Danieli, Brevnini Power Transmission and Carraro.

India: Ambuja Cements' sales were US$495m in the first quarter of its 2023 financial year, up by 18% year-on-year from first-quarter 2022 financial year levels. Its net profit rose by 45% to US$131m from US$90.4m.The company said that it experienced rising fuel prices and related inflationary impacts during the quarter. It mitigated their impacts through the improved efficiencies delivered under its I Can operating strategy. Meanwhile, its master supply agreement with ACC also helped to restrict growth in transport costs.

Holcim India chief executive officer (CEO) and Ambuja Cements managing director and CEO Neeraj Akhoury said "Ambuja has recorded robust volume growth of 15% and top line growth of 18%. Ambuja Kawach, our green cement, demonstrated a sales growth of 22% year on year."

El Salvador: Holcim El Salvador has officially inaugurated an upgrade to its Maya cement plant. The company has invested US$11.6m towards increasing clinker production capacity by 0.45Mt/yr at the unit. Total cement production capacity of the plant has increased to 1.9Mt/yr from 1.2Mt/yr previously. The Maya cement plant previously reduced production levels significantly in 2008 in response to the global financial crisis at the same time. Oliver Osswald, Region Head of Holcim LATAM, attended the inauguration. The event was also used to launch Holcim’s new corporate branding in the region.

US: Lehigh Hanson’s Lehigh Cement plant in Union Bridge, Maryland plans to fully switch from Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) to Portland limestone cement (PLC) production by January 2023. It will manufacture its EcoCemPLC product. The company says that the Union Bridge plant is currently the company’s largest cement plant in North America.

The decision to move to PLC follows similar changes at the company’s Mason City plant in Iowa and three cement plants in Indiana. Lehigh Hanson produced over 2Mt of PLC in 2021 and it says it is set to double this figure in 2022.

US: Dome Technology has commissioned a 169,000t dome at Lehigh Cement's Mitchell cement plant in Indiana. The dome is equipped with three reclaim tunnels, enabling 83% live reclaim.

Dome Technology sales manager Lane Robertssaid “It’s a colossal project. It’s one of our bigger domes as far as storage capacity goes."