17 March 2017
Enersize signs deal with BBMG 17 March 2017
China: Finland’s Enersize has signed a deal to provide its system for measurements and efficiency analysis of energy usage in industrial compressed air systems to the BBMG Liulihe Cement Plant. Installation of the system will start in the second quarter of 2017 and potential savings will follow after measurement data has been collected.
“BBMG fits this profile perfectly with many plants all over China and we are happy that we now have secured a first project with them,“ said Sami Mykkänen, the chief executive officer of Enersize.
Sweden: The UK’s Vortex Global has started a partnership with LM Bulk & Materialhantering (LMB) to promote its sales in Sweden. The solids and bulk handling components company plans to increase its market by targeting the growing demand for powders and granulates among Swedish manufacturers.
Vortex provides slide gates, diverters, iris valves and loading spouts designed specifically for handling dry bulk solids in gravity, vacuum, dilute or dense phase applications. LMB designs complete hardware facilities for transport, mixing and storage of powders and granules, focusing its practice in the food, chemical, plastics, cement and energy industries.
Intercem replaces transformer at Cimfaso Cement 17 March 2017
Burkina Faso: Intercem has reported that it replaced the main transformer at the Cimfaso Cement plant in 10 days in February 2017 from the initial order to the resumption of production at the unit. Following a problem with the local power grid the transformer was damaged and production stopped. Intercem dismantled and flew the transformer from Germany to Burkina Faso and then supervised its reassembly, connection and commissioning including customs and visa clearance.
Seven Refractories opens plant in Kazakhstan 17 March 2017
Kazakhstan: Seven Refractories has opened a plant in Karaganda with a production capacity of 40,000t/yr. The first production run was completed in mid-February 2017. The unit is the Slovenian company’s most easterly production site.
Magnesita grows industrial refractory sales in 2016 17 March 2017
Brazil: Magnesita’s revenue from its Industrial Refractory Solutions division rose by 3.3% year-on-year to US$144m in 2016 from US$140m in 2015. Its sales volumes grew by 10.2% to 147,000t from 133,000t. It attributed the gains to good performance in the Middle East, Africa and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region despite a declining cement industry in Brazil. Despite its success in its Industrial Refractory Solutions division the group reported falling overall refractory volumes and revenue in 2016 caused by decreases in steel production in South America and Europe. The company remains committed to merge with RHI by the end of 2017.
India: Calderys India and Magnesita have entered into a strategic alliance to work together in India and to increase their product portfolios for the cement industry. Calderys India will be the lead contact for the sales, marketing and after sales for Magnesita in the region as well as continuing to sell its own refractory product line. Alongside this Magnesita will supply technical support to Calderys India to support the shared market.
Fijian fish exporter sues cement producers 17 March 2017
Fiji: The Fiji Fish Marketing Group, a fish exporter, is taking legal action against two cement producers for transporting and offloading clinker. Pacific Cement and Tengy Cement Fiji with RPA Group Fiji, a transport company, have been accused of causing damage to the Fiji Fish Marketing Group’s property and its personnel, according to the Fiji times newspaper. Tengy Cement Fiji operates a cement plant in Lami near to the island capital Suva.
Tabuk Cement acquires export license 17 March 2017
Saudi Arabia: Tabuk Cement says it has obtained an export license from the Ministry of Commerce and Investment. The licence will be valid for one year, according to Mubasher. Sales volumes of cement fell by 25% year-on-year to 4Mt in February 2017.
Zimbabwe: President Robert Mugabe has opened PPC’s US$85m cement grinding plant at Msasa in Harare. China’s Sinoma built the 0.7Mt/yr unit that includes a palletiser and cover-wrapping machine, according to the Xinhua News Agency. The plant, PPC’s third production site in the country, was commissioned in late 2016.
Government reveals more detail on plan to sell non-operational units of Cement Corporation of India 17 March 2017
India: Babul Supriyo, the Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, has revealed that the government is planning to sell five plants in the first phase of its divestment of non-operational units of the Cement Corporation of India (CCI). In a letter to the Indian parliament he said that plants at Mandhar, Kurkunta, Bhatinda, Nayagaon and Charkhi Dadri would be sold first, according to the Press Trust of India. However, legal issues at Delhi Grinding Unit (DGU), Adilabad and Akaltaraneed need to be resolved before these plants can be sold. No value for the sale has been set yet as the plants have not been valued.