Global Cement News

New Zealand: Fletcher Building recorded sales of US$5.07bn during the 2023 financial year, down slightly year-on-year from US$5.08bn in the 2022 financial year. Its earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) fell by 29% to US$296m from US$419m. The drop in earnings was mainly attributed to additional costs allocated to the New Zealand International Convention Centre and Hobson Street Hotel project. Adjusted for significant items, the group’s EBIT rose by 6% to US$477m from US$452m.

Throughout the year, Fletcher Building’s cement subsidiary Golden Bay Cement co-processed 100,000t of waste as alternative fuel (AF). The producer awarded a bottom ash supply contract to Huntly Power Station. It also launched EcoZero carbon neutral cement, which is its EcoSure reduced-CO₂ cement with the remaining emissions offset.

Chief executive officer Ross Taylor said “Looking forward to the 2024 financial year, we expect some further tightening in our overall volumes and so our focus remains on strong customer performance, cost control and pricing disciplines across our businesses. We have shown we are well equipped to continue performing solidly through the cycle.”

Nigeria: BUA Cement says that it expects to inaugurate its upcoming Okpella and Sokoto cement plants in early 2024. The Punch newspaper has reported that chief financial officer Jacques Piekarski said the plants will have a combined capacity of 6Mt/yr, and will raise BUA Cement’s Nigerian cement capacity by 54% to 17Mt/yr from 2024.

Vietnam: The government has launched a public consultation over a proposed environmental protection fee. The Vietnam Investment Review newspaper has reported that the proposed policy would require emitters of dust, NO_x, sulphur oxides and carbon monoxide, including cement plants, to pay a basic fee of US$127/yr. Additional variable rates of US$0.02 – 0.03/t would apply to emissions of each of the pollutants. If it enters into force, the regulation will require cement plants to submit quarterly fee declarations to the government. The government says that the policy aims to encourage investment in emissions mitigation technologies.

Taiwan: Asia Cement Corporation won one gold and two bronze awards at the Taiwan Sustainable Action Awards 2023. The company’s Lighting Up the Beauty of the Tribe with Warmth and Heart outreach initiative won gold, while its Coping with Climate Change through Public-Private Collaboration contraband co-processing initiative and Promoting Low-Carbon Cement for a Better Net-Zero Scenario initiative for the development and application of low-carbon cement both won bronze.

Executive Vice President Doris Wu said “Every sustainable goal has corresponding action plans. Only through persistent endeavour, focus and work from all different perspectives can impossible tasks be turned into concrete objectives.”

India: JK Cement’s sales were US$3.31bn during the first quarter of the 2024 financial year. This corresponds to year-on-year growth of 22%, from US$2.73m a year earlier. Nonetheless, its net profit dropped by 29%, to US$136m from US$193m.