Italy: An agreement between Italcementi and its unions has confirmed that its Bergamo research centre to stay in Italy. The agreement with the FenealUil, Filca-Cisl, Fillea-Cgil, Italcementi RSU unions is intended to preserve jobs at the company, maintain at least 15,000 hours/yr of research at the site and dedicate at least 1% of the company’s profits towards research and innovation. Parent company HeidelbergCement was reportedly considering a relocation of the centre to Heidelberg in Baden Württemberg, Germany in late 2020.

Separately, Italcementi’s grinding plant at Salerno has been approved to continue producing white cement. The decision follows staff cuts at the cement producer, according to the Il Mattino newspaper.

Ivory Coast: Société Ciment Côte d'Ivoire (SCCI) has inaugurated a 1.5Mt/yr grinding plant in the PK24 industrial zone of Akoupé-Zeudji near Abidjan. The subsidiary of Atlantic Financial Group spent US$110m on the project and it is expected to create 300 direct jobs, according to Koaci Media. Minister of Trade and Industry Souleymane Diarrassouba attended the event.

Burkina Faso: GCM Industries plans to establish a 0.64Mt/yr integrated cement plant, expandable to 1.2Mt/yr, in Kossodo, Ouagadougou. RTB News has reported the cost of the plant as US$135m. In its export phase, the producer says that the plant will provide 700 jobs. The cement plant will be Burkina Faso’s fifth. Commissioning is scheduled for early 2022.

China: The China Cement Association has asked that regional associations and producers respect competition laws. It follows the outcome of a State Market Supervision Administration investigation into the behaviour of certain provincial cement associations and six cement companies. The association has called for a thoroughgoing removal of collusive behaviours alongside continued cement overcapacity reduction.