Global Cement News

Tanzania: Prime Cement has received a 50,000t shipment of Saudi clinker via the Port of Tanga. The Daily News newspaper has reported that the clinker will continue its journey by road to Rwanda.

Prime Cement’s business operations manager Mvayo Fabrice said "I call upon Tanzania Ports Authority to continue marketing the Port of Tanga so that we can receive more cargo and boost the regional economy and people's welfare."

France: Vicat has reiterated its CO₂ emissions reduction target of 55% between 1990 and 2030 and reaffirmed its 2050 carbon neutrality commitment. The company says that its will invest Euro800m in transitioning to lower-CO₂ cement production between 2021 and 2030 in order to meet the 2030 target. It said that eight US and European cement plants with ‘limited decarbonisation standards’ currently generate 67% of its earnings before interest, taxation depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA).

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement and the University of Tokyo have patented a carbon capture system based on a new carbon fixation method. The method passes CO₂-bearing gas over 40mm granules of a hardened cementitious material at 75 - 100°C. The granules then fix the CO₂ from the stream to themselves, for utilisation or storage.

Pakistan: The government plans to raise the rate of federal excise duty for cement plants operating at less than 100% capacity utilisation. The Dawn newspaper has reported that the measure aims to reduce cement prices in the country. Taxes are currently US$8.55/t of cement produced. In the 2021 financial year, capacity utilisation was at 84% of the available 69.3Mt/yr total capacity. Since the 2017 financial year, it has dropped below 75% in some years. Over the five-year period, the national cement capacity has increased at an average of 8.6% annually.

Ministry of Finance spokesperson Muzzammil Aslam said “Who should we protect: consumers or cement makers? Is it not harmful for the country that they have joined hands and set a higher market price?”

Paraguay: State-owned Industria Nacional del Cemento (INC) says that its Vallemi plant has suffered a grinding mill breakdown due to an ‘engine failure.’ The producer reassured customers that the issue will not affect the plant’s regular dispatches of cement.