Global Cement News

Vietnam: Local residents have blocked entrances to Van Ninh cement plant in Quang Binh’s Quang Ninh district in protest against alleged pollution violations. Van Ninh Cement previously incurred a US$3100 fine for dust emissions following a similar protest in 2017. The residents have put up tents in which to sleep in front of the plant in order to prevent the blockade’s removal.

Japan: Rigaku Corporation has launched its new MiniFlex XpC high-throughput rapid x-ray diffractometer (XRD) for analysis of cement samples. The supplier says that the product is able to quickly identify variations in cement’s composition. It uses an EasyX interface and can be automated using a sample-loading robot or conveyor belt.

President and chief executive officer Toshiyuki Ikeda said “The MiniFlex XpC is a manufacturing-optimised powder diffractometer for fast and accurate quality control measurements. Using the latest developments and lessons learned from class-leading products like the Rigaku SmartLab, this compact XRD offers unrivalled performance and ease-of-use.”

Nigeria: Mangal Industries has signed a contract with China-based Sinoma International Engineering for the delivery of a 3Mt/yr new integrated cement plant in the northern state of Kogi. The Daily Independent newspaper has reported that the plant will cost US$600m and generate ‘thousands’ of jobs when commissioned in early 2024. Sinoma International Engineering will also build a dedicated 50MW power plant for the plant.

Mangal Industries’ chair Alhaji Dahiru Mangal said “This investment is part of an ambitious investment programme under implementation by Mangal Industries. The factory will rely on the best available technology for cement production in line with highest environmental standards.” He added “Mangal is investing strategically in the Nigerian cement industry, to bridge the huge infrastructure and housing deficit in the largest economy of the region. This investment reinforces Mangal’s commitment to Nigeria’s infrastructural and economic development, and reflects its confidence in the favourable outlook of the economy in the country and the region.”

World: Three cement producers - Cemex, Dalmia Cement and Holcim – are founding members of COP26’s First Movers Coalition public-private partnership. The partnership plans to use its global purchasing power to create markets for emerging CO₂ emissions reduction technologies, in order to accelerate and scale collective impact towards the global realisation of emissions reduction targets.

The coalition expects technologies currently on the market to account for 82% of CO₂ emissions reduction before 2030 and 50% before 2050, while it expects future technologies to account for 15% before 2030 and 46% before 2050.

Ukraine: The Ukrainian cement association Ukrcement has forecast a 17% year-on-year rise in domestic cement consumption in 2021 from 9Mt in 2020. Business World Magazine has reported that demand previously exceeded 10Mt in 2014.

Association head Pavlo Kachur said that the Ukrainian cement industry operated at 66% capacity utilisation in the first nine months of 2021. He added “Therefore, we have room to grow.”