Cement News tagged under: South America

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Start-up of Fancesa project postponed to 1Q21

10 June 2020, Published under Cement News

The coronavirus pandemic has seen a readjustment of the work schedule of the new plant being built in Sucre, Bolivia, by Fancesa as COVID-19 forced a 70-day quarantine upon the project. Start-up of the cement plant is now expected in the first quarter of 2021. While the project currently stands at 91 per cent completion, the remaining share of the work is the “most complicated”, according to Armin Cortez, chairman of the Board. "It should be remembered that we have had setbacks not only d...

Brazil's cement demand rises 3% in May

09 June 2020, Published under Cement News

The Brazilian cement market expanded by three per cent YoY to 4.761Mt in May 2020, according to the country’s cement association, SNIC. Between January-May, dispatches slipped 0.3 per cent YoY to 21,683Mt. The volume of sales per working day was 211,600t, up 9.7 per cent when compared with May 2019 and by 13.7 per cent when compared with April 2019. In the 5M20, sales per working day edged up 0.9 per cent YoY. While building material stores fell sharply in March, they have since recovere...

Colombian cement market contracts 76% in April

02 June 2020, Published under Cement News

Dispatches of grey cement in Colombia declined 75.6 per cent to 241,900t in April 2020 from 991,100t in April 2019, according to the national statistics office, DANE. Consumption in some of the country’s key cement markets were particularly hit. Sales in Antioquia were down 13.3 per cent, followed by Bogotá (-9.8 per cent), Cundinamarca (-6.8 per cent) and Valle del Cauca (-6.5 per cent) Deliveries to the retail sector fell by 64.5 per cent, while ready-mix concrete companies reduced thei...

Peruvian cement consumption plummets in April

19 May 2020, Published under Cement News

Peru’s cement market sharply contracted to 5700t in April 2020, down from 883,000t in April 2019 and from 488,000t in March 2020, according to Asocem, the country’s cement association. Cement production fell 98.7 per cent YoY to 10,000t in April 2020 from 811,000t in April 2019 and 97.5 per cent MoM from 419,000t in March 2020. There was no clinker output from Peru’s cement producer in April 2020. In April 2019 clinker production stood at 796,000t while in the previous month 352,000t of ...

Paraguay sees unexpected uptick in demand

19 May 2020, Published under Cement News

Paraguay-based Industria Nacional del Cemento (INC) saw an unexpected surge in demand between 4-8 May 2020 with average sales of 79,755 bags/day as distribution companies collected a backlog of deliveries and bought extra volumes as they anticipated the easing of lockdown measures. INC had to buy 40,000t of imported clinker recently, according to Esmerk Latin American News. In April 2020 sales plummeted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Colombia: market in transition

18 May 2020, Published under Cement News

Following a poor performance in recent years, the Colombian cement sector seems to be on the cusp of a new era. Although the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is yet to be understood, a steady pipeline of construction projects over the next few years should support rising cement prices and a positive cement demand forecast, argues Bancolombia. By Jairo Julian Aquedelo Restrepo, Bancolombia, Colombia. Ecocementos is Colombia’s newest cement market entrant having started operations in ...

Chilean cement demand drops 7% in 1Q20

15 May 2020, Published under Cement News

After remaining largely stable at 332,905t  in February 2020 when compared with February 2019, Chile’s cement market contracted by 13.6 per cent YoY in March to 344,098t from 398,132t in March 2019, according to the Chilean Chamber of Construction and Cement (CChC). In the first quarter of 2020, dispatches were down 6.7 per cent YoY to 1,007,786t from 1,080,074t in the 1Q19.

Brazil cement consumption declines 7% in April

14 May 2020, Published under Cement News

While Brazilian cement sales in April fell 6.9 per cent YoY to 4.1Mt, sales per business day saw a drop of only 2.5 per cent to 185,500t, according to Brazil’s cement association, SNIC. “After a slightly negative quarter of sales (-0.3 per cent 1Q20 x1Q19), caused mainly by the damming of cement purchases in January and February due to heavy rains, which hit several parts of the country, and the beginning of social isolation and demobilisation of sectors of the economy, which started in Ma...

Argentina’s market contracts 55% in April

13 May 2020, Published under Cement News

Cement consumption in Argentina dropped 55.2 per cent YoY and 19.7 per cent MoM in April 2020 to 403,652t from 900,938t in April 2019, according to the latest data by the country’s cement association, AFCP. Production in domestic cement plants fell by 55.1 per cent to 407,645t in February 2020 from 908,737t in the equivalent period of the previous year. When compared with March 2020, the decline was 19.8 per cent. There were no imports in April. Exports saw a 48.8 per cent YoY decrease t...

Automation at Caracolito

12 May 2020, Published under Cement News

Integrating collective knowledge and suggestions for improvements by end users form the basis of CEMEX’s drive to advance operational excellence at its plant in Caracolito, Colombia. The plant’s Line 2 was the focus for the design and implementation of a new control platform that could be fully adapted to user needs as well as allow for greater efficiency and productivity. By CEMEX, Colombia. Cemex Colombia has improved its efficiency and productivity at Line 2 of its Caracolito plant...