Global Cement News

Peru: Domestic cement sales were 500,000t in June 2020, down by 59% year-on-year from 984,000t in June 2019. La República newspaper has reported that sales were nonetheless at their highest since the start of the coronavirus lockdown, up by 45% month-on-month from 343,000t in May 2020 and by 4100% from 12,000t in April 2020. Phase two of post-lockdown economic reactivation began in 2020, with the start of works related to public investment and public-private partnerships.

France: UK-based Carbon8 Systems has announced plans for the commercial implementation of its carbon capture and use (CCU) system at Vicat’s Montalieu integrated cement plant in France. It follows successful demonstration projects at cement plants in the UK and Canada.

The company’s CO₂ntainer product will be deployed directly onsite at the plant and integrated into Vicat's existing industrial processes. It will capture CO₂ directly from the plant's flue gas emissions and use this as part of its Accelerated Carbonisation Technology (ACT) process. This accelerates the carbonation of cement bypass dust into lightweight aggregates. In its first phase of operation it will process and convert up to 12,000t of cement bypass dust.

Colombia: Cementos Argos says that 70% of its total cement orders between 1 January 2020 and 9 July 2020 were placed online via its Argos One automated booking, order management and delivery monitoring platform. The platform handled 81% of orders of cement in the Dominican Republic, 39% in the US, 34% in Honduras and 19% in Panama. The company said, “Argos One has become even more relevant in the current context and will continue to evolve in function to continue its purpose of providing extraordinary solutions to clients.”

Mexico: Two workers died after falling in a crane basket from a height of 35m at Cooperativa La Cruz Azul’s integrated Oaxaca cement plant in El Barrio de Soledad Municipality. Noticias Financieras newspaper has reported that the victims died on impact and that the causes are under investigation.

China: Henan Province has announced a planned rise in water and energy tariffs for cement producers that fail to meet current emissions standards and clean transportation requirements. Reuters News has reported that companies subject to the measures will pay US$0.07 – US$0.14/m3 more for water and up to US$0.01/kWh more for electricity. Henan enacted ‘ultra-low’ emissions limits of 10Mg/Nm³ of dust, 50Mg/Nm3 of NO_x and 100Mg/Nm³ of SO₂ in 2018. Cement plants in the province produce 105Mt/yr of cement.