Ireland: Kevin Lunny, chief operating officer of Quinn Industrial Holdings, has suffered ‘very severe but non-life-threatening injuries,’ including facial injuries and broken leg, following his abduction from outside his home at 18:40pm on 17 September 2019. The UK-based company, whose Fermanagh/Cavan cement plant spans the UK-Irish border, has called on police on either side of the border to bring an end to the violence against its employees. In February 2019, a masked man attacked two Quinn Industrial Holdings executives at a Ballyconnell service station. Police have opened an investigation into the attack against Lunny.

India: Barathi Cement has commissioned a 10MW solar power station at its 5.0Mt/yr integrated Barathi Cement Plant. The Hindu Times has reported that the facility, which spans 16.6 hectares, will partially replace combustion-derived electricity sources at the plant.

Ecuador: Sambito, the Ecuadorian environmental consultant, has endorsed the certification of two LafargeHolcim cement products as carbon neutral. Metro Ecuador has reported that both Agrovial and Base Vial, prepared at low heats for foundations and roads respectively, have 54% lower emissions than ‘traditional’ cement. Carbon neutrality was achieved by Holcim Ecuador’s ownership of the 6078 hectare Cerro Blanco Protected Forest, 2175 hectares of which suffices to offset the emissions from production of both products.

Oman: Oman Cement has engaged the services of a leading consulting company for construction of its 1.8Mt/yr integrated cement plant in Duqm. The company announced the appointment of the consultancy firm to its US$212m project, which has been ongoing since December 2018, on 12 September 2019.