Economy & Market

Cement firms operating on lower capacity

Published

13 years ago

October 8, 2013

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Owing to insufficient demand in the domestic market, cement companies are said to be operating at only 60-70 per cent of their capacity.

Speaking at an event organised by the a Cement Manufacturers’ Association, Planning Commission Member BK Chaturvedi said while economic growth and with it the demand for housing, road and infrastructure sectors, may raise demand for cement, the industry also needs to improve its competitiveness.

In the last two decades, India has grown well. However, last year and the current year, there had been some slowdown. Chaturvedi suggested that something more needs to be done in order to restore the competitiveness of the companies. There is a need to be cost competitive and be able to export.

At the event, DIPP Secretary Saurabh Chandra said the unutilised capacity must be used for exports. Currently, India exports two to three per cent of its production and that is mainly in the form of clinker, an input for cement making, to neighbouring countries. The country also imported around 50,000 tonne from Pakistan since 2008.

Around 10 million tonne of cement used to be exported from India per annum to countries like Indonesia, UAE, Nepal and Bangladesh. Now, some of these companies have set up their own grinding units. Nepal has increased customs duty, leaving Indian exports unviable.

Concrete

WCA Welcomes SiloConnect as associate corporate member

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

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The World Cement Association (WCA) has announced SiloConnect as its newest associate corporate member, expanding its network of technology providers supporting digitalisation in the cement industry. SiloConnect offers smart sensor technology that provides real-time visibility of cement inventory levels at customer silos, enabling producers to monitor stock remotely and plan deliveries more efficiently. The solution helps companies move from reactive to proactive logistics, improving delivery planning, operational efficiency and safety by reducing manual inspections. The technology is already used by major cement producers such as Holcim, Cemex and Heidelberg Materials and is deployed across more than 30 countries worldwide.

Concrete

TotalEnergies and Holcim Launch Floating Solar Plant in Belgium

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

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TotalEnergies and Holcim have commissioned a floating solar power plant in Obourg, Belgium, built on a rehabilitated former chalk quarry that has been converted into a lake. The project has a generation capacity of 31 MW and produces around 30 GWh of renewable electricity annually, which will be used to power Holcim’s nearby industrial operations. The project is currently the largest floating solar installation in Europe dedicated entirely to industrial self-consumption. To ensure minimal impact on the surrounding landscape, more than 700 metres of horizontal directional drilling were used to connect the solar installation to the electrical substation. The project reflects ongoing collaboration between the two companies to support industrial decarbonisation through renewable energy solutions and innovative infrastructure development.

Concrete

Cortec® Corporation applauded for its strong safety performance

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

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Cortec® Corporation has been recognised for its strong safety performance, receiving its sixth Governor’s Workplace Safety Award for its outstanding performance in 2025. As a Silver Achievement recipient, the company continues to maintain safety metrics well above national industry averages, an impressive accomplishment for a chemical manufacturing organisation. This achievement reflects Cortec’s proactive approach to workplace safety, focused on early hazard detection and employee involvement. The company will be formally recognised at the Minnesota Safety and Health Conference in May, highlighting how industrial companies are effectively strengthening workplace safety standards.