China: China Tianrui Group has forecast its full-year profit and total comprehensive income as US$187m - 218m in 2021. This corresponds to a 30 - 40% year-on-year decline from its US$312m profit and comprehensive income in 2020. The company attributed the expected decrease to a year-on-year rise in coal prices and decline in cement prices, the latter due to flooding-related demand disruptions in Henan Province.

UK: Hercules Enterprises plans to establish an up to 0.5Mt/yr grinding plant at Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, according to Kent Online News. The plant would comprise two clinker grinding lines, a mobile ecohopper, a mechanical transport system for transfer of material into storage, a 47,000m³ clinker storage hall, six 3000m³ cement silos, three 3000m³ fly ash silos, two packing plants and a palletising hall.

UK: Breedon Group’s sales revenue grew by 33% to Euro1.48bn in 2021 from Euro1.11bn in 2020. Its statutory earnings before interest and taxation more than doubled to Euro153m from Euro74m. Cement and concrete sales volumes increased by 20% to 2.4Mt and 23% to 3.2Mm³ respectively. The group described 2021 as an ‘exceptional’ year for its cement business due to pent-up demand following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“2021 was a record year for Breedon. We navigated the second year of the pandemic successfully, supplied our customers with more materials than at any point in our history and fully integrated the Cemex assets,” said chief executive officer Rob Wood.

Egypt: Misr Cement Qena recorded a consolidated net profit of US$11.1m in 2021, more than seven times its 2020 net profit of US$1.46m. Its net sales were US$160m, up by 0.4% from slightly below US$160m.