India: JSW Cement has launched its first commercial ready-mix concrete plant at Chembur in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The plant has a capacity of 120m3/hr across two production lines. It will serve construction in south and central Mumbai. The technology for the plant was supplied by Germany-based Schwing Stetter. The company plans to establish three further batching plants in Mumbai, covering Navi Mumbai, Thane and western Mumbai.

“JSW Concrete was successfully piloted at our captive plants at Dolvi and Vijaynagar and used in the expansion projects of JSW Steel. The experience gained from these projects gave us enough confidence to offer this unique concrete product to our large project customers,” said TN Viswanathan, Vice President of JSW Cement.

Argentina: Loma Negra has ignited its new 2.7Mt/yr kiln line at the L’Amalí cement plant in Olavarría. The Clarín newspaper has reported that the new second line expands the plant’s capacity by 40%. The cost of its construction was US$350m.

Chief executive officer Sergio Faifman called the project’s completion a ‘milestone’ in the company’s history. He said, “I would like to thank everyone who was working on the site: Loma Negra employees, Sinoma and contracting companies. We have had and gone through economic and social difficulties and it is thanks to the efforts of all that we are here today. With effort and commitment, dedication and teamwork, you can go a long way.”

Poland: Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim subsidiary Lafarge Polska has launched Aggneo, a recycled aggregate recycled from demolition-sourced concrete. The producer says that Aggneo offers high consistency and a lower density than mined aggregates, resulting in material savings. Besides reducing waste, the product also lowers the carbon footprint of delivery by 66%, according to the company. The building materials producer aims to manufacture 1Mt/yr of recycled aggregated by 2030.

Argentina: The Ministry of Internal Trade has secured an agreement from national building materials producers, including Loma Negra and Cemento Avellaneda, to restrict the price of building products such as cement. The Clarín newspaper has reported that average building materials prices rose by 85% year-on-year in May 2021, nearly double the inflation rate. The primary cause is a rise in domestic construction. Currency effects have further increased the cost of building due to the dollarization of materials such as steel.

The ministry previously negotiated concerted price reductions in September 2020 and December 2020. Minister for Internal Trade Paula Español urged building materials producers to maximise their capacity utilisation to meet demand and protect the domestic market.