US: Lhoist North America has received permit approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to build a new lime kiln at its Marble Falls plant. The new vertical kiln, which is expected to be operational in 2021, is primarily driven by growing demand for Lhoist's dolomitic lime products for the steel industry. The upgrade is also expected to create new jobs at the site.

"This project at Marble Falls aligns with our company's commitment to environmentally sustainable growth," said Ron Thompson, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Lhoist North America. The building materials company added that, despite the impacts of coronavirus on the economy, it is investing to create jobs and meet critical supply chain demands, like steel production, which support future infrastructure growth in North America.

US: Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua’s (GCC) Rapid City plant in South Dakota is working with Black Hills Energy to use wind power for around 50% of its electricity requirements. GCC has joined Black Hills Energy’s Renewable Ready Program, which will supply energy for 15 years.

Black Hills Energy will build a wind-power generating facility in 2020 to supply the plant located near Cheyenne in Wyoming. The Corriedale Wind Energy Project is anticipated to produce energy by the first quarter of 2021 that will be shared with subscribers in South Dakota and Wyoming. The program was designed for large commercial and industrial customers and governmental agencies in the company’s electric service territories in South Dakota and Wyoming.

“By choosing low-cost renewable energy resources to power our business, we’re able to advance our business goals and sustainability objectives while also supporting the expansion of affordable, renewable energy development in the region,” said Ron Henley, US division president of GCC.

Argentina: Loma Negra’s sales of cement, masonry and lime fell by 26% year-on-year to 1.13Mt in first quarter of 2020. The decline was driven by the coronavirus lockdown in Argentina, where the subsidiary of Brazil’s InterCement has most of its sales. Concrete and aggregate sales volumes declined also. The company’s new revenue dropped by 29.6% to US$115m and its adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 17.9% to US$38.6m. However, the company’s accountant adjustment for use in so-called ‘hyperinflationary economies’ made a negative impact on these figures. With this adjustment removed both revenue and earnings reportedly rose in the first quarter.

“By the end of the first quarter the coronavirus broke out, bringing additional challenges to the already adverse background,” said Sergio Faifman, Loma Negra’s chief executive officer (CEO). He added that cement demand in Argentina nationally contracted by around 29% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2020.

The cement producer temporarily suspended its production facilities and its L´Amalí Expansion project in late March 2020 due to the government lockdown. Production and dispatches of cement were restarted in early April 2020 following the implementation of new sanitation protocols. The company has now resumed working on its upgrade project at L´Amalí.

Trinidad & Tobago: Trinidad Cement has been granted permission by the government to resume operations at its Claxton Bay integrated plant. It closed production in early April 2020 due to coronavirus-related government advice. General manager Guillermo Rojo said that the subsidiary of Cemex has implemented multiple protocols, including temperature testing at all access points and the activation of a local Rapid Response team.