India: Aditya Birla subsidiary UltraTech Cement’s net sales rose by 6% year-on-year to US$6.04bn in its 2021 financial year from US$5.70bn in the same period in 2020. Its cement sales volumes increased by 5% to 80.2Mt. The company’s profit before interest, depreciation and tax grew by 24% to US$1.68bn from US$1.35bn. It attributed the result to ‘prudent’ working capital management and control on cash flows aided by its overheads control programme.

The producer forecast an increase in cement consumption from pent-up urban construction demand in the 2022 financial year.

Lithuania: Germany-based Schwenk Zement has sought to increase its stake in 50% subsidiary Akmenes Cement to 97%. The company is also seeking the acquisition of a 75% stake in limestone supplier Kalcitas. The producer took over Mexico-based Cemex’s stake in Akmenes Cement in 2019.

Pakistan: The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) says that the country’s installed cement production capacity will reach 99Mt/yr within the next few years, with most of the planned work to be completed by mid-2023. The Dawn newspaper has reported that producers are launching new cement plant projects and expanding existing plants with a total new capacity of 18Mt/yr. Upon completion, the current projects will increase domestic cement production capacity by 43% to 99Mt/yr from 69Mt/yr. 94Mt/yr of the new capacity is situated in Northern Pakistan and 5.0Mt/yr in Southern Pakistan.

APCMA says that the reason behind the new expansion cycle is estimated annual sales growth of 10 – 15% from 2021.

Italy: Buzzi Unicem’s first-quarter consolidated net sales fell by 1% year-on-year to Euro683m in the first quarter of 2021 from Euro689m in the first quarter of 2020. Cement sales volumes were 6.2Mt, up by 3% from 6.0Mt. Adverse weather caused slight sales declines in Europe and North America. The company called full-year growth prospects for 2021 ‘encouraging.’