16 January 2017
Buzzi Unicem plants receive Energy Star certification 16 January 2017
US: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded its Energy Star certification to four of Buzzi Unicem’s cement plants. Plants at Chattanooga in Tennessee, Festus in Missouri, Maryneal in Texas and San Antonio in Texas have all received the certification. It is awarded to cement plants that score 75 or above on the Energy Performance Indicator (EPI), used by the EPA to measure energy efficiency. In addition, the plant must have a three-year history of environmental compliance. The Chattanooga, Festus, and Maryneal plants have received the certification eight consecutive years in a row.
Redcliff cement plant to open in February 2017 16 January 2017
Zimbabwe: Production at the Redcliff cement plant is set to start in February 2017. China’s Mortal Investments Manufacturing has built the plant for a cost of US$20m, according to the Zimbabwe Daily. The plant will operate as Livetouch Cement and it will have a production capacity of 0.4Mt/yr. The project is currently waiting for clearance from the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) from Environmental Management Agency. Once operational the plant will produce 22.5 grade cement using locally sourced slag.
Government to sell shuttered Cement Corporation of India first 16 January 2017
India: The Ministry of Heavy Industries is planning to sell seven non-operational plants of the Cement Corporation of India (CCI) as part of the first phase of a scheme to sell the state-owned cement producer. However, due to on-going legal issues at some of the units the ministry wants to sell them in a piecemeal fashion or even individually, according to the Press Trust of India. The CCI operates 10 units of which seven are non-operational. The federal cabinet of India granted gave in-principle approval for the sale of certain state-owned companies in October 2016.
JSW Cement increases capacity of Bellary grinding plant 16 January 2017
India: JSW Cement has increased the capacity of its Bellary cement grinding plant in Vijay Nagar to 3.4Mt/yr from 1Mt/yr. The cement producer said that the additional capacity would help it strengthen its distribution network throughout south of the country. The chairman and managing director of JSW Group, Shri Sajjan Jindal, and other dignitaries inaugurated the new unit.
Raysut Cement’s revenue falls by 2% to US$240m in 2016 16 January 2017
Oman: Raysut Cement’s revenue has fallen by 2% year-on-year to US$240m in 2016 from US$246m in 2015. Its profit after tax rose by 1% to US$55m from US$54m. Previously the cement producer reported that it had faced ‘severe’ price competition and volatility in the export market.