Global Cement News

US: The Portland Cement Association (PCA) has appointed Dave Nepereny as an honorary member. The role is awarded to those who, in the opinion of the PCA board of directors, have rendered outstanding service to the cement industry and the association. Nepereny was a former chief executive officer at Buzzi Unicem and as a member of the PCA board of directors, he served as a former chairman from 1994 - 1995. He also served as a board member to former PCA sister organisation, CTLGroup.

“Dave was actively involved with multiple aspects of PCA, setting an example as a former Chairman and chair for multiple committees, including the Membership Development, Market Development Council, and the Administrative council,” said PCA chairman and president of GCC of America, Ron Henley.

Portugal: Semapa subsidiary Secil is spending Euro86m on modernising its Outão cement plant in Setúbal. The Dinheiro Vivo has reported that the work will turn the facility into ‘the most sustainable cement plant in Europe,’ according to the company. It will reduce CO₂ emissions by 20%, end fossil fuel use and establish waste heat recovery to supply 30% of the plant’s electrical power needs. The government has granted the ‘Project of National Interest’ Euro14.5m in funding. The project will also expand the cement plant’s capacity by 30% to 1.3Mt from 1.0Mt.

Chief executive officer Carlos Abreu said "We have the ambition of reaching carbon neutrality in 2050 and this project is a step in that direction. Others will follow." He added "The Asian and American blocs are not always facing that direction, but the path is made by walking... and we will get there." Regarding the timing of the project, Abreu said "Secil was a very brave company here. The project was decided in 2019 before the pandemic broke out... We kept it, despite the fact that knowing that the pandemic was going to be, and is being, very difficult, but we believe that we had no other alternative."

Spain: Cement consumption grew by 17% year-on-year to 7.31Mt of cement in the first half of 2021 from 6.23Mt in the same period in 2020. Oficemen, the Spanish cement association, said that the figure for 2021 remained 1.4% below the same period in 2019 though. However, the consumption in June 2021 was looking promising compared to both the same month in 2020 and 2019. Exports increased by 36% to 3.8Mt in the reporting period. The association celebrated this figure but warned that high electricity and CO2 taxes could potentially have a negative effect on future exports by the sector.

Russia: Rosneft subsidiary Vostsibneftegaz contracted SLK Cement to supply over 8000t of oil well cement to its Yurubcheno-Tokhomsk oilfield in Krasnoyark region in late 2020. The subsidiary of Italy-based Buzzi Unicem provided PZT I-G-CC-1 type oil well cement and shipped it by rail and road. It says that the oilfield is among its target markets in Ural district, alongside the Tyumensk, Khanty-Mansiysk and Yamal-Nenets oilfields.

Azerbaijan: Holcim Azerbaijan has exported its first of planned regular weekly shipments of cement to Gerogia. The Azer News newspaper has reported that transport partner ADY Express, a subsidiary of Azerbaijan Railways, will carry out the orders. It has allocated 50 train cars to make the trip four times monthly, resulting in total shipments of 15,000t/month.