Global Cement News

US: ASGCO has launched its Grizzly Screw-Splice, a conveyor belt splicing and fastening system. The splice is available in various rubber compounds with a tensile strength of up to 1650PIW. The supplier says that the product is stronger, wears less and has a lower-profile silhouette than traditional metal fasteners for conveyor belts. It features self-tapping and self-drilling screws that uphold the toughness of the conveyor belt by passing through the belt carcass instead of creating holes.

India: Dalmia Cement plans to invest US$75.2m in a 2.6Mt/yr expansion to its Bokaro grinding plant in Jharkhand. The company says that the work will increase the plant’s capacity by 70% to 6.3Mt/yr from 3.7Mt/yr. US$33.2m will go towards the installation of new solar power plant. The company will also set up a waste management facility at the site, using US$1.06m of the investment.

Managing director Puneet Dalmia said “As we are further investing in the Eastern India market to participate in its economic growth story, we are also taking our corporate responsibility seriously by placing the utmost importance on environmental protection and social impact. We are confident that the employment generated through our investments and the skill enhancement in our social initiatives will help create a progressive ecosystem where we help people become independent and self-sufficient. We are excited and look forward to partnering with the state to achieve our business, social and sustainability goals.”

Philippines: The Philippines Department of Trade and Industry has enacted a temporary duty on some imports of cement from Vietnam. The Manila Times newspaper has reported that the measure will be in force until April 2022 and only apply to ‘dumped’ cement. Importers will pay a duty of between US$1.02/t and US$10.50/t on ordinary Portland cement and between US$1.16/t and US$12.80/t on blended cement.

The measure follows a probe carried out on the basis of a petition by domestic cement producers APO Cement, Holcim Philippines, Republic Cement and Solid Cement. The probe found that the domestic cement industry had suffered a loss of market share and declining domestic sales between July 2019 and December 2020.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said "We do not anticipate that these duties will result in an increase in the retail price of cement, because its effect on landed cost is minimal.” He added “Any price increases in imported cement will be discouraged by competition from domestic cement producers. The provisional anti-dumping duties will be imposed only on specific Vietnamese exporters found to be dumping cement to the Philippines. Vietnamese exporters who are not dumping can continue to export cement without having to post the provisional anti-dumping cash bond.”

India: Udaipur Cement Works has increased its solar power generation capacity by 43% through the installation of a new 4.35MW solar power plant at its Udaipur cement plant in Rajasthan. The 1.4Mt/yr cement plant now has a total solar power capacity of 14.5MW. Udaipur Cement Works says that solar power generated at the plant will reduce it operations’ CO₂ footprint by 14,000t/yr.

India: The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) has certified the sustainability claims of Dalmia Cement’s portfolio of blended cements. The portfolio consists of composite cement, Portland pozzolan cement and Portland slag cement. The council employed a full-cycle assessment of the cements’ impacts.

Head of sales, marketing and logstics Sanjay Wali said “We see GreenPro’s accreditation as a milestone in our journey to becoming carbon-negative by 2040. This also reaffirms our blended cement products’ green supremacy, which is accelerating the global transition from a grey to green reality.”