19 December 2017
Indian cement producers hit by rise in import duty on petcoke 19 December 2017
India: The government has raised the import duty on petcoke to 10% from 2.5%. This follows the abolition of a ban on petcoke and furnace oil to the cement and power industries in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh by the Supreme Court, according to Reuters. The increase in import duty is expected to create a rise in coal imports as companies change their energy mix. Shree Cement, JK Cement, J K Lakshmi Cement, UltraTech Cement and Mangalam Cement are all expected to be particularly affected by the tariff change. India is the world’s biggest consumer of petcoke, with much of it imported from refineries in the US.
Penna Cement orders mill from Loesche 19 December 2017
India: Penna Cement has ordered a vertical roller mill from Loesche for its cement plant at Boyareddypalli in Andhra Pradesh. The mill will be equipped with four rollers to grind petcoke with a throughput capacity of 52t/hr, 3% R on 90μm. The delivery of the order to be managed by Loesche India and is scheduled to take place at the start of 2018. No value for the order has been disclosed. The mill upgrade will increase the plant’s cement production capacity to 4.6Mt/yr from 2Mt/yr.
Lucky Cement completes new production line at Karachi plant 19 December 2017
Pakistan: Lucky Cement has completed a new 1.3Mt/yr production line at its Karachi cement plant. Clinker production started on the new line on 12 December 2017. It has also implemented efficiency improvements at its Pezu plant that have increased its production capacity by 0.3Mt/yr. The cement producer now has a total cement production capacity of 9.35Mt/yr.
Dangote Cement comments on BUA limestone dispute 19 December 2017
Nigeria: Devakumar Edwin, the executive director of Dangote Cement, has accused BUA Group of illegally mining limestone at a site near Okene in the south of Kogi state. He made the comments at a press conference in response to public comments by Abdulsamad Rabiu, the chief executive officer (CEO) of BUA Group, that Dangote Cement had ‘sabotaged’ its operations, according to the This Day newspaper. The dispute between Dangote Cement, the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and BUA is currently pending before the Federal High Court.
According to Edwin, Dangote Group first acquired an interest in the mining lease in 2014 after a previous company obtained the rights in 2007. However, BUA claimed access to the lease when it later purchased Edo Cement, a company also operating in the area. BUA Group responded to Edwin’s claims by stating that it does not have any operations in Okene, Kogi State where the disputed lease is located.
Valencia Port Authority blocks request by Cemex 19 December 2017
Spain: The Valencia Port Authority (APV) has blocked a request by Cemex Spain to expand its operations at the Port of Grau in Valencia. The port authority denied the cement producer because the port is being used for passengers, according to the El Mercantil Valenciano newspaper. However, the port is hoping to find another site for Cemex to use.
Cemex has used the nearby Port of Sagunto for cement and clinker exports since 2014. Exports have since represented 40% of its sales. Production from the company’s Buñol cement plant is exported to countries in the Mediterranean, especially in North Africa.
Sweden: Cementa, a subsidiary of HeidlebergCement, has applied for an extension to its limestone mining lease at its Degerhamn cement plant. The current lease expires in 2022. The renewal covers 15Mt for an additional 30 years. The cement producer says it has conducted ‘extensive’ environmental impact studies at the site and the impact will be ‘marginal.’
LafargeHolcim spends Euro38m on upgrades to Polish cement plants 19 December 2017
Poland: LafargeHolcim has spent Euro36m on upgrades to alternative fuels handling at its Kujawy cement plant. The investment includes preparing the kiln for the use of alternative fuels, building a new terminal, setting up a new automated laboratory and building a hall for storing and processing alternative fuels. The project is intended to adjust the plant’s kiln for processing alternative fuels and securing new alternative fuel sources. The cement producer aims to control the alternative fuels supply chain for its plant from source to kiln.
The company has also spent Euro2m on upgrades to its Małogoszcz cement plant. These included process optimisation and environmental improvements such as modernising the inlet channel to the rotary kiln cooler, renovating the furnace outlet and installing a new drive system for the mill. The stacks for two kilns were also renovated.
Inversa launches offer to consolidate control of Cementos Bío Bío 19 December 2017
Chile: Invesa has launched a public offer to increase the shares its holds in Cementos Bío Bío. The move follows its acquisition of a 13.1% share in the cement producer from Brazil’s Votorantim for around US$46m in November 2017, according to the Diario Financiero newspaper. The latest acquisition bid could see Invesa hold a 79% share of Cementos Bío Bío, combining other shares owned by other business that the Invesa family owns.