Global Cement News

UK: Cemex UK has agreed to trial a new cyclist warning system produced by road safety specialist FHOSS. The supplier says that the system alerts truck drivers to cyclists in their left-hand side blind spot. For the trial, Cemex UK will install the system in a Rugby-based cement tanker, a London-based rigid tipper and six London-based mixers.

UK and France Supply Chain Director David Hart said, “This new safety technology from FHOSS supports our road safety strategy, which is all about helping save lives.” He added, “Operating large cement tanker and aggregate tipper fleets means we are always looking at innovative technology that will aid the driver and protect vulnerable road users.”

Pakistan: Bestway Cement has provided details of its upcoming 7200t/day-capacity Paikhel cement plant in Mianwali district, Punjab province. China-based Sinoma International Engineering Company will supply engineering, procurement and construction for the plant. The plant will have a 9MW waste heat recovery (WHR) plant.

Pakistan: Descon Engineering says it has been awarded the construction contract for Maple Leaf Cement’s new 7000t/day production line at its integrated Iskanderabad plant. Line 4 is scheduled to be commissioned in mid-2022. China-based Chengdu Design & Research Institute of Building Materials Industry was awarded the equipment and engineering contact for the project in April 2021. Descon Engineering previously contributed towards the work on Line 3 at the unit in conjunction with Denmark-based FLSmidth in 2019. No value for the order has been disclosed.

Cuba: Cementos Cienfuegos’ Carlos Marx cement plant in Guabairo resumed production in late May 2021. Production had been suspended since 14 January 2021 due to a lack of petcoke, according to the Sierra Maestra newspaper. Fuel suppliers had been affected by a fuel shortage created by US trade sanctions. Despite the enforced shutdown the plant intends to meet its production target for 2021.

Spain: Turkey-based Çimsa Çimento intends to complete its acquisition of Cemex’s Buñol white cement plant in June 2021. Local government says that the purchase agreement has been in place since 2019 but has delayed by the international nature of the deal and competition concerns, according to Agencia EFE. Çimsa Çimento agreed to buy Cemex’s white cement business in Spain, including its Buñol plant, for around US$180m in March 2019. It was originally scheduled for completion in the second half of 2019.