Displaying items by tag: GCW156
UK: The bulk handling company Flexicon has announced a new Ultra-Heavy-Duty Bulk Bag Filling System, which palletises and fills bulk bags with filter cake, aggregates, metal powders, abrasive minerals, dry chemical additives and other difficult-to-handle bulk materials like cement and gypsum.
The system integrates a Swing-Down® Bulk Bag Filler with a Flexicon Pallet Dispenser and Powered Chain Conveyor, allowing safe, high-capacity filling of bulk bags of all popular sizes, including bags with wide-diameter spouts for the passage of irregular materials. The system is offered with Flexicon's steel-tube flexible screw conveyor integrated with the user's upstream process equipment or other material source.
China: China's state auditor said that it has found irregularities in the operations of China Resources, including the misuse of funds, the use of an improper bidding procedure and failure to seek government approval for a merger. The audit results came after the government started investigating the activities of several former executives of the group.
An audit of China Resources' 2012 financial statements showed that China Resources Power Holdings Co didn't conduct public bidding for 586 projects it awarded that were valued at US$1.9bn. Instead, it had invited specific bidders to decide on contractors and service providers, according to the National Audit Office. Moreover, five power-generating facilities of China Resources Power were allegedly constructed or put into operation in 2012 without government approval. The facilities had power sales of US$45.4m in 2012.
Similarly, a US$28.1m merger involving China Resources Cement Holdings was made in 2012 without government assessment or approval. The audit also found that US$209m raised by two trust products that was intended to boost liquidity at the trust company was instead invested in property development by the borrowers. In 2012, the group and its affiliated units allegedly spent US$338,863 playing golf.
Boral to axe 28 jobs from Maldon cement works
23 June 2014Australia: Boral will cease clinker production at its Maldon cement plant in New South Wales on 31 December 2014, axing up to 28 jobs in the process. Boral Cement's executive general manager, Ross Harper, said that a decline in demand for off-white clinker, which forms the basis of a range of specialty cement products, was behind the decision.
"Unfortunately, demand has declined sharply as consumers switch to products made from imported white clinker," said Harper. "This decline has coincided with a downturn in demand, rising costs of production, the availability of cheap imported clinker and the slow recovery of the building and construction industry." He said that the combination of these factors, plus the Maldon kiln's high cost and sub-scale output, rendered off-white clinker production unsustainable at Maldon. Harper added that Boral would maintain its Maldon grinding mill, packaging and associated logistics on site.
Vietnam: The Asean Federation of Cement Manufacturers (AFCM) will hold its 24th Technical Symposium & Exhibition in Hanoi, Vietnam in 21-24 April 2015. The Vietnam National Cement Association (VNCA) will be event the host and organiser. The theme for the symposium is 'Upgrading technology for a sustainable development.'
Cemex Energy will be launched shortly
20 June 2014Colombia: Cemex, via its Colombian subsidiary Cemex Colombia, will launch a new business division called Cemex Energy. The initial objective is to reach energy self-sufficiency and it will also sell any excess energy generated to the national electricity system.
At present, Cemex generates 41MW of energy that covers 65% of its needs, via hydropower (12MW) and thermal and natural gas plants (29MW). Cemex's announcement follows the approval of renewable energy legislation in the country, which allows companies to participate in this area. Cemex added that energy self-sufficiency signifies major savings in relation to market tariffs. It plans to focus on biogas and wind power schemes, potentially requiring investments of US$50m during the next five years.
Cemex to invest US$22.8m in the Dominican Republic
20 June 2014Dominican Republic: Cemex is carrying out investments of US$22.8m in the Dominican Republic. They include US$18.4m of improvements to its San Pedro de Macoris cement plant and US$4.35m for various activities to strengthen the business. Among the investments will be a waste heat recovery (WHR) system to generate 7MW of electricity, improvements in the calcination system to cut Cemex's carbon footprint, purchases of equipment to increase bagging efficiency by 30% and more trucks to make its concrete mixer fleet the largest of its Caribbean operations at 110 units. Cemex is also involved in housing projects to ease the country's shortage.
Fire breaks out at Essroc plant in Lower Nazareth
20 June 2014US: Fire-fighters were dispatched to the Essroc Cement plant in Lower Nazareth Township, Pennsylvania on 18 June 2014 after Essroc personnel reported an uncontrolled fire, according to local media. No injuries were reported.
CCI imposes US$66.2m penalty on Shree Cement
19 June 2014India: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed the penalty on Shree Cement while issuing the final order in a case against cement manufacturers and their trade body, the Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA).
"The Commission has imposed a penalty on Shree Cement Ltd at the rate of half of its profits for the years 2009 - 2010 and 2010 – 2011, aggregating to US$66.2m," said the CCI. The CCI added that it had, "Found 11 cement manufacturers, including Shree Cement and the CMA, in contravention of the provisions of the Competition Act 2002, which deal with anti-competitive agreements, including cartels." It asked Shree Cement to refrain from such anti-competitive activities in the future.
With regard to the other companies, the CCI said that as they were fined earlier, it was not imposing any penalty on them again for the same period of contravention. In June 2012 the CCI imposed a US$1.05bn fine on 11 leading cement makers, including ACC, Ambuja Cements, UltraTech, India Cements, Binani Cement, JK Cement, Madras Cement, Lafarge and Jaypee Cement. The industry body CMA was also fined US$121,717.