Global Cement News

Germany: Schwenk Zement will utilise Germany-based Orcan Energy's organic Rankine cycle (ORC) technology at its Allmendingen cement plant in Baden-Württemberg. The installation of five ORC modules aims to harness residual heat from the clinker cooling process to generate electricity, saving 8.5GWh/yr. Orcan Energy expects operations to begin in the first quarter of 2025. The company has previously worked with Dyckerhoff and Cemex.

Azerbaijan: Shahbulag Mining subsidiary AzCement has launched a new cement plant project in Askeran village, Khojali district, according to ABC Azerbaijan news.

Economy minister Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov posted on X that "The AzCement cement plant with a production capacity of 60,000t/yr will provide jobs for 70 people. The enterprise will contribute to strengthening the infrastructure and industrial potential of the liberated territories, as well as economic growth of the region."

Vietnam: Major cement producers Vicem Bỉm Sơn, Bút Sơn, The Vissai, Thành Thắng Group and Xuân Thành Cement will increase prices from 20 October 2024 due to rising production costs from electricity, coal and packaging, according to Viet Nam News. A representative from Thành Thắng Group said that the company has recently faced a 4.8% rise in electricity prices, impacting production costs despite measures to improve efficiency and cut costs, like utilising waste heat recovery systems. The decision to increase electricity prices by Vietnam Electricity reportedly came into effect on 11 October 2024, with ongoing global geopolitical conflicts also contributing to rising costs for coal and oil.

The Vietnam National Cement Association said that price increases were ‘inevitable’, as cement has reportedly been sold below cost ‘for years’ and companies would likely not survive if prices were not increased to cover the additional costs. The list of cement producers raising prices is reportedly expected to increase in the coming weeks.

India: Adani Group subsidiary Ambuja Cements has entered talks for the acquisition of Orient Cement (OCL) at a value of US$451m. Ambuja Cements will acquire 47% of OCL's shares from its current promoters and certain public shareholders, fully funded through internal accruals. Orient Cement has two cement plants in the south and one in western India, according to Reuters.

Director of Ambuja Cements, Karan Adani, said "This timed acquisition marks another significant step forward in Ambuja Cements' accelerated growth journey, increasing cement capacity by 30Mt/yr within two years of Ambuja's acquisition. By acquiring OCL, Ambuja is poised to reach 100Mt/yr cement capacity in the financial year 2025. The acquisition will help to expand Adani Cement's presence in core markets and improve its pan-India market share by 2%. OCL's assets are highly efficient, equipped with railway sidings and well supported by captive power plants, renewable energy, waste heat recovery systems, and alternative fuel and raw material facilities. OCL's strategic locations, high-quality limestone reserves and requisite statutory approvals present an opportunity to increase cement capacity in the near term to 16.6Mt/yr."

India: Jindal Panther Cement (JPC), part of the Jindal Group, has commissioned its first cement grinding unit with a capacity of 1.5Mt/yr at Angul, Odisha. The unit will use about 1Mt/yr of blast furnace slag from Jindal subsidiary Jindal Steel & Power’s (JSPL) nearby integrated steel plant, operating with the industry's lowest clinker factor as part of its decarbonisation strategy. The Angul grinding unit will produce low-carbon Portland slag and composite cement for central and eastern India, repurposing waste from JSPL's operations and aligning with the group's decarbonisation goals. In the future, JPC plans to increase production capacity at both of its facilities, Angul and Raigarh, to 7Mt/yr, with an investment of US$257m.

CEO of JPC, Rohit Vohra, said "The commissioning of our Angul grinding unit marks a significant step in our journey towards a sustainable future. Our low-carbon cement and innovative distribution model position us uniquely to support eastern India's infrastructure growth while contributing to a greener planet."