19 January 2017
Brazilian cement body says 2017 may be worst year ever 19 January 2017
Brazil: The National Union of Cement Industry (SNIC) has said that 2017 may be the worst year on record for the local cement industry. Domestic sales of cement fell by 11.7% year-on-year to 57.2Mt in 2016. SNIC’s new president Paulo Camillo Penna described the situation as the worst in the industry’s history. He added that following capacity utilisation rates of 70% in 2015 and 57% in 2016 that he expects the rate to fall below 50% in 2017. SNIC forecasts that sales of cement will contract by 5 – 7% in 2017.
Hima Cement to launch US$40m grinding plant in Tororo 19 January 2017
Uganda: Hima Cement is set to launch its new grinding plant in Tororo. The 1Mt/yr plant at Nyakesi, Rubongi cost US$40m, according to the Ugandan Observer newspaper. The new unit is planned to meet demand for local infrastructure projects and for regional markets.
Funding released for PPC to build new line at Slurry plant 19 January 2017
South Africa: PPC has completed the components of its 2008 broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) transaction, releasing US$74m in funding in mid-December 2016. Strategic black partners and community service groups subscribed for 15.6 million shares as part of earlier agreements. The funding will be used to reduce company debts and pay for a new production line at its Slurry cement plant in Lichtenburg.
More details on EcoCementos plant in Colombia revealed 19 January 2017
Colombia: A new cement plant to be built at Rio Claro in the Sonsón municipality of Antioquia for Empresa Colombiana de Cementos (EcoCementos) will have a production capacity of 1.35Mt/yr. The company is a joint-venture between Spain’s Cementos Molins and Grupo Corona. Cementos Molins and Grupo Corona originally started working together in September 2015 when they formed an alliance to develop their cement businesses in the country, according to the El Tiempo newspaper. The plant is expected to be completed in mid-2019 whereupon it is hoped that it will capture 7% of the market. Once operational the plant will create 450 direct and indirect jobs.
Arif Habib Group to expand production at Power Cement plant 19 January 2017
Pakistan: Arif Habib Group plans to spend US$235m on upgrading its Power Cement plant in Nooriabad to 3.37Mt/yr from 0.9Mt/yr. The upgrade will be completed by the end of 2019, according to the Express Tribune newspaper. Company chairman Nasim Beg said that he was hoping to take advantage of growing cement demand in the country as the effects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor heighten.
Power Cement has also completed a US$3.4m upgrade to its filter bag house equipment by installing new equipment to reduce dust emissions. Company officials say the plant is now capable of reducing dust emissions to just 17mg/m3. This is below the 300mg/m3 level set by the Environment Quality Standards in Pakistan and the World Bank’s limit of 100mg/m3 for old cement plants.