Global Cement News

Oman: Raysut Cement subsidiary Duqm Cement Factory has signed a deal with Ahlibank for a US$21m loan for the construction of its Duqm grinding plant in Al Wusta Governotate. The grinding plant will produce ordinary Portland cement (OPC), Portland limestone cement (PLC) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), according to the Times of Oman newspaper. Construction of the plant started in November 2020.

Raysut Cement chief executive officer (CEO) Joey Ghose said, “We would like to extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation to Ahlibank for financing the Construction of Duqm Cement Factory’s new grinding plant in Duqm Industrial Estate. Through strategic partnerships with the public and private sectors, the bank has ensured the all-round development of Oman’s diverse sectors. The new cement plant will spur economic activities in around the Duqm Industrial Estate and thereby bring more and more businesses to the region.”

US: Mexico-based Cemex has launched the Vertua range of low and net-zero CO₂ concrete products in the US following introductions in Mexico and Europe. The range consists of Vertua Classic, Vertua Plus and Vertua Ultra. The company has begun by selling Vertua Classic – which it says offers a 20–30% reduction in CO₂ emissions – in Bay Area, Central Valley, Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Diego, California. Vertua Plus and Vertua Ultra products will be introduced in 2021.

California regional president Francisco Rivera said, “Since many customers are motivated to reduce the carbon footprint of their projects, we are delighted to offer Vertua Classic, which is suitable for a wide range of commercial and residential applications. Our Vertua products are uniquely designed to balance limited carbon specifications with our customers’ needs for high-quality performance and resilience.”

Denmark: FLSmidth has launched an online condition monitoring kiln service. It says it will give plant managers the live insights they need to optimise performance and be proactive with regards to kiln maintenance. The new ‘Online condition monitoring services for kilns’ enables producers to use existing and additional sensors to gather data from equipment on a continuous basis. This data is sent to FLSmidth’s Global Remote Service Centre where it is analysed for early signs of failure. Recommendations and reports covering maintenance issues that need addressing are sent to the customer. The service agreement is available in two packages, based on the customer’s monitoring requirements.

“Digitalisation enables us to help customers develop a data-led proactive maintenance approach, guided by our network of experts,” said Mireia Fontarnau Vilaró, Head of Service Commercial, FLSmidth. “With this service agreement, we are able to collect and analyse data that would not be normally available, giving our customers the opportunity to really get on top of maintenance, improve the life of kiln components and improve their overall reliability.” The equipment supplier says that its service monitors the kiln crank, kiln shell ovality and axial balance, helping customers avoid unplanned downtime through root cause analysis.

Norway: The Norwegian Parliament has voted in favour of the government’s proposed grant of funding for industrial scale implementation of full-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) at HeidelbergCement subsidiary Norcem’s Brevik cement plant. Work on the project is expected to start immediately, with the goal of starting CO₂ separation from the cement production process by 2024. The end result will be a 50% cut of emissions from the cement produced at the plant. The group said that the installation will contribute to its CO2 emissions reduction target of 30% between 1990 and 2025.

Norcem chair and HeidelbergCement Northern Europe regional general manager Giv Brantenberg said, “HeidelbergCement highly appreciates the successful cooperation with the Norwegian authorities. The Brevik CCS project clearly shows the importance of industry and public sector to find common solutions in the fight against climate change.”

HeidelbergCement chair Dominik von Achten said, “We are delighted about the final approval of the Norwegian parliament for our breakthrough CCS project in Norway.” He added, “To meet national and international climate targets, CO₂ separation is an important cornerstone. Our CCS project in Brevik will pave the way for our industry and other sectors.”

Brazil: Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN) plans to launch an initial public offering (IPO) for shares in its cement division in early 2021. The Valor Econômico newspaper reported that the company will reorganise its shareholding when it creates a publically-traded subsidiary for the business. In October 2020 the group filed an IPO with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Brazil for the sale of its mining division by mid-February 2021.

Chief financial Officer Marcelo Ribeiro said, “The opportunity to expand the unit is materialising more and more, but the truth is the decision to expand will be made once the market firms up, which is expected to happen.”