Cement News tagged: International

Spanish cement demand falls 1.5% in February

18 March 2024, Published under Cement News

Cement consumption in Spain fell 1.5 per cent in February, compared to the same month in the previous year. According to Oficemen, demand in February stood at 1,157,811t, marking a 17,769t contraction versus February 2023. This marks the ninth month in a row that cement demand in Spain has declined.  The cumulative figure for the year to date sees consumption down 2.4 per cent YoY, or 53,...

Fremantle Port inflates new clinker dome

15 March 2024, Published under Cement News

Fremantle Ports has inflated a 40m-high cement clinker dome at its Kwinana Bulk Terminal in the Outer Harbour, marking the first time such a structure has been installed in Western Australia. Taking 24 hours to inflate, the giant white dome is the second of its type in Australia and is integral to Fremantle Ports’ new import circuit facility which will streamline the importation of clinker. ...

Holcim Mexico appoints Jorge Gonzalez as CFO

15 March 2024, Published under Cement News

Jorge Gonzalez has been named as the new CFO of Holcim Mexico , the Mexican division of one of the largest global producers of building materials. This move, by the company, is reportedly aimed at strengthening their position as an industry leader in sustainable construction materials.  The new CFO says, “I am excited to take on this new challenge at a key moment for Holcim Mexico, in whic...

CEMEX Croatia awarded contracts for three solar power plant projects

14 March 2024, Published under Cement News

CEMEX Croatia has been awarded EUR5m (US$5.5m) in contracts for the construction of three solar power plants, co-funded by The Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund and the EU Modernisation Fund. The project will see solar energy production facilities built at Juraj cement plant in Kaštel Sućurac, Kajo cement plant in Solin and the Podsused facility in Zagreb. Approximately...

Cement sales in Brazil up 4% in February

Cement sales in Brazil up 4% in February

15 March 2024, Published under Cement News

The Brazilian cement market expanded by 4.2 per cent YoY to 4.615Mt in February 2024 from 4.429Mt in February 2023, reports the country’s cement association, SNIC. Looking at sales per working day – the number of days worked has a strong influence on cement consumption – sales slipped 0.9 per cent YoY in February to 0.22Mt from 0.222Mt a year earlier. The key drivers to the uptick in sal...

Turkey's cement industry requires US$30bn to meet net-zero targets

15 March 2024, Published under Cement News

Representatives for the sector are highlighting that the Turkish cement industry will need at least US$30bn in investments to reach the ambitious goal of net-zero carbon by 2053. According to Fatih Yücelik, the board chair of the Turkish Cement Manufacturers’ Association (TÜRKÇİMENTO), the industry will need to make a further investment of US$2bn. This additional investment is to ensure comp...

CCSA calls on UK government for CCS commitment

CCSA calls on UK government for CCS commitment

13 March 2024, Published under Cement News

The UK government announced plans yesterday to build new gas power stations to ensure a safe and reliable energy source while the country transitions to net zero. This shoring up of the UK’s energy supply is aimed at days when the weather forecast does not power up renewables, as well as reducing the UK’s reliance on power from countries such as Russia.  Commenting on the decision, UK Prime...

Pakistan cement prices down in March

12 March 2024, Published under Cement News

Cement prices in Pakistan have fallen in the opening week of March, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. The average retail price of a bag of cement in the northern regions of Pakistan came in at PKR1248 (US$4.47) in the first week of March, down 0.29 per cent from the average of PKR1251 seen in the previous week. Elsewhere in the country, average cement retail prices were report...

Argentine cement market contracts 24% in February

11 March 2024, Published under Cement News

Cement consumption in Argentina fell 23.5 per cent YoY to 684,960t in February 2024 from 895,938t in February 2023, according to the country’s cement association, AFCP. When compared with the previous month, demand dropped 10.7 per cent from 767,263t. Output from domestic cement plants was down 23.4 per cent YoY to 689,425t in February 2024 from 900,151t. When compared with January 2024, pro...

A quarterly review of the Pakistan cement industry

11 March 2024, Published under Cement News

Due to many competing factors, Pakistan's cement industry will likely see lukewarm sales in 3QFY23-24 (January-March 2024). The holy month of Ramadan will begin on 11 or 12 March and may exhibit weak cement demand for about 30 days. According to AKD Research, industry sales in the current quarter (3QFY23-24) are expected to remain subdued owing to election activity, Ramadan, Eid festivities...

Essential women in an essential industry, marking International Women's Day 2024

08 March 2024, Published under Cement News

To mark International Women’s Day 2024, the GCCA invited women working in its member companies around the world on their perspectives on working in global heavy industry, the importance of gender diversity, and for any career advice they can offer to other women keen to work in the cement and concrete industry. Eva Sebastià, corporate engineer of Cementos Molins, said: “After working in this ...

Disappointing trend continues in Japan

08 March 2024, Published under Cement News

Japan cement sales shrank 5.5 per cent YoY in the first month of 2024, marking a continuing trend. Sales were 2.389Mt in January, down from 2.527Mt a year earlier, according to the Japan Cement Association (JCA). Since the mid-2010s sales have been in steady decline and contracted a further 5.6 per cent in 2023 to 35.377Mt from 37.488 in 2022. Lacklustre public sector and civil engineering wor...

Zimbabwe ends cement import licences

08 March 2024, Published under Cement News

The Zimbabwean government has ended the issuance of cement imports. The licences were first introduced in October 2023 to help curb the artificial shortage of cement as prices spiralled out of control, reports The Chronicle. With the price of a 50kg bag of cement jumping from US$9 to US$20, the country’s largest infrastructure projects were in danger of significant delays. To address th...

Strong start to 2024 for Senegal cement

08 March 2024, Published under Cement News

Domestic cement sales in Senegal grew 3.3 per cent YoY in January 2024, coming in at 0.666Mt compared to 0.645Mt in January 2023, according to the country’s national statistics office, DPEE. For 2023 as whole, cement sales rose nine per cent YoY to 7.044Mt, up from 6.46Mt in 2022. Strong population growth, which averaged 2.7 per cent YoY in the decade to 2023 (versus just 0.6 per cent in the ...

Scotland's MPA calls for mineral forum

07 March 2024, Published under Cement News

Scotland’s economic development and drive for decarbonisation depend on domestically available mineral products, according to a new document from the Mineral Products Association Scotland (MPAS) that sets out a series of policy recommendations for the Scottish government. The document, ‘Priorities for Scotland’, highlights the role played by Scotland’s mineral production sector, which manufac...

Italian cement slips in 2023 with moderate 2024 forecast

06 March 2024, Published under Cement News

Italian cement output expanded eight per cent YoY in December 2023, according to the Italian concrete association, Federbeton. This was largely driven by robust demand from local public sector works, which totaled EUR18.1bn in the year to December. However, cement output contracted two per cent for 2023 as a whole, weighed down by sluggish activity in the construction sector. Data from the ...