Peru: Cement and clinker production fell by 14% year-on-year to 9.14Mt and 39% year-on-year to 5.54Mt respectively in 2020. Data from the Association of Cement Producers (ASOCEM) shows that production fell significantly during March to May 2020 at the same time as a coronavirus-related lockdown. However, ASOCEM reports that cement sales from August to December 2020 were higher than the historical monthly averages. Exports of cement and clinker fell by 28% to 0.14Mt and 56% to 0.31Mt. Imports of cement decreased by 7% to 0.72Mt but clinker imports grew by 7% to 0.67Mt.

China: Sinoma (CNBM) International Engineering’s value of new projects grew by 9% year-on-year to US$5.3bn in 2020. Most of these projects came from growth in its construction business segment. However, new project value from its equipment manufacturing business fell by 5% to US$629m. By region, domestic new project value decreased by 3% to US$2.1bn but overseas new project value rose by 19% to US$3.2bn. The engineering company and member of CNBM group also reported that its US$480m project to build a 5000t/day clinker production line in Zambia for Central African Cement remains in the financing stage. The project was originally announced in late 2018.

China: Seven of Huaxin Cement’s plants have been selected on a national energy efficiency list released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State Administration of Market Regulation. The list contains energy efficiency ‘leaders’ from energy intensive industries in 2020. It includes 28 cement companies. Huaxin Cement’s plants were selected in Xinyang, Yangxin, Zhaotong, Zhuzhou, Xigaze, Wuxue and Tibet factory. Of these the Xinyang plant had the lowest energy intensity of clinker production of all the cement producers on the list.

Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement become partner of WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) GREEN, an online database and network that organisations in the sustainable technology innovation value chain network with each other. The cement producer says it developing a high-performance product business that will supply sustainable cementitious products to help society build infrastructure. It is doing this by increasing co-processing rates, using more industrial by-products and developing new technologies to support a carbon neutral society.