Global Cement News

Spain: Cement consumption grew by 17% year-on-year to 7.31Mt of cement in the first half of 2021 from 6.23Mt in the same period in 2020. Oficemen, the Spanish cement association, said that the figure for 2021 remained 1.4% below the same period in 2019 though. However, the consumption in June 2021 was looking promising compared to both the same month in 2020 and 2019. Exports increased by 36% to 3.8Mt in the reporting period. The association celebrated this figure but warned that high electricity and CO2 taxes could potentially have a negative effect on future exports by the sector.

Russia: Rosneft subsidiary Vostsibneftegaz contracted SLK Cement to supply over 8000t of oil well cement to its Yurubcheno-Tokhomsk oilfield in Krasnoyark region in late 2020. The subsidiary of Italy-based Buzzi Unicem provided PZT I-G-CC-1 type oil well cement and shipped it by rail and road. It says that the oilfield is among its target markets in Ural district, alongside the Tyumensk, Khanty-Mansiysk and Yamal-Nenets oilfields.

Azerbaijan: Holcim Azerbaijan has exported its first of planned regular weekly shipments of cement to Gerogia. The Azer News newspaper has reported that transport partner ADY Express, a subsidiary of Azerbaijan Railways, will carry out the orders. It has allocated 50 train cars to make the trip four times monthly, resulting in total shipments of 15,000t/month.

Egypt: Redecam says it has successfully started up a project one line two at Lafarge Egypt’s Ain Al-Sokhna cement plant. The upgrade consisted of: converting the main kiln’s electrostatic precipitator (ESP) into a bag filter; enhanced the cooling system for the clinker cooler, including a partial ESP retrofit; and revamping the bypass the gas conditioning tower and dust transport system. The Italy-based engineering company previously carried out a similar project on line three at the plant in 2020.

US: Sweden-based Bruks Siwertell has commissioned a 1500t/hr rail-mounted Siwertell ST 640-M screw-type ship unloader for an undisclosed cement customer at Houston, Texas. The unloader will serve ocean-going vessels on the Buffalo Bayou watercourse. The producer is transitioning from bagged to bulk dispatch. Contract manager Per Wahlström said that the company was also looking to expand its US operations.

The supplier says that the new unloader offers continuous dust-free cement handling with a peak capacity of 1650t/hr, discharging vessels up to 80,000dwt with zero spillage. Bruks Siwertell also supplied192m-long jetty conveyors with a belt width of 1.6m. Wahlström said “The Siwertell unloader was an ideal choice for this terminal. It was light enough to minimise costs, yet deliver the through-ship capacity required.”