Global Cement News

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement's sales were US$1.35bn in the first quarter of the 2024 financial year, up by 9.6% year-on-year. Meanwhile, its profit before tax rose by 36% to US$20.8m.

Nikkei Financial Summary News has reported that Taiheiyo Cement has maintained its forecast of sales of US$6.43bn and profit before tax of US$392m for the full 2024 financial year, which ends on 31 March 2024.

Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement says that it expects sales to rise by 14% year-on-year to US$761m during the first half of the 2024 financial year. Nikkei Financial Summary News has reported that the producer expects a drop in its cement volumes, offset by price hikes. Currency effects will also impact its result. Meanwhile, coal prices remained lower than expected. The company expects to record a net profit of US$26.6m, compared to a loss of US$20.4m in the first half of the 2023 financial year. It previously forecast a US$13.3m loss.

Sumitomo Osaka Cement recorded US$52.8m in sales in the first quarter of the 2024 financial year (1 April - 30 June 2023). This corresponds to year-on-year growth of 16%. Nonetheless, it made a net loss of US$7.6m.

Throughout the first quarter of the 2024 financial year, Japanese cement despatches fell by 15% to 10.1Mt. Exports declined most sharply, by 43%, to 1.51Mt.

India: Germany-based Gebr. Pfeiffer says that it has received orders for two MVR 3750 C-4 vertical roller mills from Dalmia Cement (Bharat). The producer plans to install one mill at its Ariyalur grinding plant in Tamil Nadu and the other at its Kadapa grinding plant in Andhra Pradesh. Gebr. Pfeiffer says that the mills will be employed in grinding clinker and pond ash. Each will produce 160t/hr of cement or fly ash cement. The supplier said that the mills' vertical design will help them to dry pond ash, as well as grinding and classifying it.

Sweden: CemVision has reported the successful conclusion of a large-scale production pilot of its ultra low carbon alternative clinker. CemVision produces the clinker using up to 100% recycled industrial secondary materials from the steel and mining sectors. CemVision says that its production process heats the raw materials using renewable electricity, and without the use of fossil fuels. The alternative clinker offers CO₂ reductions of up to 100% compared with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) clinker. CemVision has opened an invitation to possible collaborators to help scale up production, with a target of hundreds of thousands of tonnes per year.

Chief technical officer Claes Kollberg said "We are a climate-first company, making high performance cement. With our competence and experience, it is our duty to produce the most environmentally friendly cement for each application."

Austria: Alpacem's Austrian subsidiary W&P Zement has announced its rebranding to Alpacem Zement Austria. Alpacem said that the rebrand in Austria will be the first step of a roll-out of the Alpacem brand across its local subsidiaries.

Alpacem has subsidiaries in Austria, Italy and Slovenia.