Displaying items by tag: Holcim Indonesia

Holcim Indonesia was forced to refuse to comment on rumours this week that it might be selling up. Local business press in the country was running stories that parent company LafargeHolcim was in the early stages of a possible divestment. Although the stories seemed pretty spurious, Holcim Indonesia’s share price rose on the news.

The situation is reminiscent of an anecdote attributed to the former US president Lyndon Johnson by Hunter S Thompson about making a political opponent deny a ridiculous rumour. If they don’t respond then it looks like they have something to hide and if they do engage with a denial then they look silly anyway. In Holcim Indonesia’s case, as soon as the cement producer actually refused to comment the story gained more credence.

Part of the reason why the Holcim Indonesia story has legs is because LafargeHolcim has said it plans to make divestments of Euro1.7bn in 2019. There is rampant production overcapacity in Indonesia. The territory is exactly the kind of place you might expect LafargeHolcim to consider leaving. As recently as early in 2017 Semen Indonesia, the main producer, was showing the gaping production capacity – consumption gap in its investor presentations with no catch-up until at least 2020. Romauli Panggabean, an analyst for Bank Mandiri, was even more blunt in a forecast for the Jakarta Post in mid-2016. She ran a model predicting that if production capacity doubled to 150Mt/yr by 2017 then it would take the market until 2032 to catch up with an assumed 7% construction growth rate. Panggabean’s simulation seems to massively overstate capacity growth in the country as Global Cement Directory 2018 data places integrated (clinker) plant capacity at 79.3Mt/yr. By comparison the Indonesia Cement Association (ASI) placed cement production capacity at 108Mt/yr in 2017. Both of these figures are far below 150Mt/yr.

Graph 1: Domestic and export sales in Indonesia, 2013 – 2017. Source: Indonesia Cement Association.

The graph above sets the scene for the capacity wobble worries in 2016 and 2017 as sales growth faltered. It picked up in 2017 with domestic sales rising by 7.6% year-on-year to 66.4Mt. Sales so far in 2018 support this trend, with domestic sales growing by 6.4% to 21.06Mt for January to April 2018. The other trend to note here has been the explosion in exports in recent years with a near doubling to 2.93Mt in 2017 and an accelerated continuation of this trend so far in 2018.

Holcim Indonesia operates four integrated cement plants at Narogong in West Java, Cilacap in Central Java, Tuban in East Java and Lhoknga in Aceh with a production capacity of 15Mt/yr. In addition it runs two cement grinding plants at Ciwandan in West Java and Kuala Indah in North Sumatra respectively, although this last unit is currently mothballed. It also owns cement terminals in Lampung and a new one in Palembang in Sumatra.

LafargeHolcim owns an 80% share of Holcim Indonesia, its main subsidiary in the country. In 2017 Holcim Indonesia described the local situation as one of ‘hyper competition’ due to market overcapacity. Production capacity was over 100Mt/yr but consumption was only 70Mt/yr. Its overall cement sales volumes including exports rose by 7.8% year-on-year to 11.1Mt in 2017 from 9.6Mt in 2016. But despite this its net sales fell slightly to US$953m due to falling prices as new competitors entered the market. Its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) also fell. The positioning of its production units is relevant in Indonesia given the concentration of sales in Java but the faster growth in sales rates and higher competition in other regions.

Both of the other market leaders, Semen Indonesia and Indocement, reported similar problems in 2017 but they don’t appear to be looking to make cuts. Put it all together in LafargeHolcim’s case and you have a group-level desire to sell off parts of the business, overcapacity locally with no end in sight in the short to medium term, falling earnings and profits and some hope that consumption is heading back to its normal brisk rate. All of this seems to suggest that now would be the perfect time for it to exit Indonesia if it decided to. So, if LafargeHolcim isn’t already soliciting offers then maybe it should be. The tough call would be deciding whether to leave the country altogether or to just sell a share of the business. Leaving totally would significantly reduce the group’s presence in South-East Asia and reduce its profile as a truly global player. However pride and money-making are not the same thing. In the meantime though, the only people making a fortune will be the speculators.

Indonesia: Holcim Indonesia has refused to comment on local media stories that its parent company, LafargeHolcim, is planning to sell it. Both Kontan and CNBC Indonesia have reported that LafargeHolcim is looking for buyers for its subsidiary as part of its global divestment scheme. LafargeHolcim owns an 80% share in Holcim Indonesia.

Holcim Indonesia inaugurated a new cement terminal in Lampung last week. Unfortunately, the spectre of industry overcapacity haunts the country at present and the subsidiary of LafargeHolcim may be late to the party. The Indonesian Cement Association (ASI) has been publicly warning the government of overcapacity since the end of the summer. Its first line of action has been to lobby for restrictions on producer permits to slow the growth of new plants.

ASI figures show that cement sales in September 2016 fell by 3.3% to 5.64Mt compared to August 2016 due to lower residential sector demand. Domestic cement sales rose by 2.95% year-on-year to 44.7Mt in the first nine months of 2016 and the ASI expects sales growth of 3 – 4% for 2016 overall. Yet, the risk of overcapacity is stark. Cement production capacity has nearly doubled from 59.3Mt/yr in 2012 to 92.7Mt/yr in 2016 but demand is projected to only reach 65Mt in 2016, leaving a production oversupply of 27.7Mt. Regional consumption has fallen in Jakarta, Banten and West Java, particularly in the first two. Elsewhere, it has grown, particularly in Central Java, as well as Yogyakarta and East Java to a lesser extent.

Initial Global Cement Directory 2017 research places active production capacity at 66.3Mt/yr suggesting that the ASI may be exaggerating the risk of overcapacity. The additional c30Mt/yr capacity arises from plants that have been proposed, that are actually under construction or that have been mothballed. However, the ASI data should be more accurate as it represents the local producers. Either way, capacity is growing faster than consumption as can be seen in graph 1.

Graph 1: Cement consumption and production capacity in Indonesia, 2012 – 2016. Source: Indonesian Cement Association, Global Cement Directory 2012 – 2017.

Semen Indonesia, the country’s largest producer, reported that its revenue fell very slightly to US$1.4bn in the first nine months of 2016 and its net profit fell by 8.4% to US$215m. It blamed this on a fall in sales volumes and prices due to rising competition. The other large producers have said similar in the past. Indocement, the country’s second largest producer after Semen Indonesia, saw its revenue fall by 11.9% to US$837m in the first nine months of 2016 and its profit fell by 2.2% to US$231m. LafargeHolcim described the market as affected by overcapacity and ‘a difficult competitive environment.’

Back in May 2016 a feature on the predicament facing the Indonesian cement industry in the Jakarta Post suggested that producers were building new capacity despite the risks of overcapacity to win market share. Cement producers are about to find out whether this will work or not. Meanwhile it seems unlikely that the measures the ASI is suggesting will do much to alleviate the looming crisis. Still, on the positive side, it’s looking like a good time to buy cement as a consumer.

For more information about the cement industry in Indonesia view the first part of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) feature in the October 2016 issue of Global Cement Magazine

Indonesia: Holcim Indonesia has officially inaugurated its new 1Mt/yr cement terminal in South Lampung. The event was attended by the Vice Regent of South Lampung Regency, Nanang Hermanto, the representatives of the Ministry of Industry and the Board of Directors of Holcim Indonesia. The US$26m project was started in 2014 and it will process bagged and bulk cement. It is intended to serve markets in Sumatera Island, especially in Lampung.

“We want to get closer to our customers and ensure secure supply to meet local demand in Lampung. This terminal applies the latest technology and environmental-friendly equipment and a jetty to support the operation,” said Gary Schutz, President Director of Holcim Indonesia.

Schutz also addressed the country’s economic slowdown and decreasing demand for cement by calling for the government to invest in delayed infrastructure projects. He said that numerous additions to the national cement production capacity has led to a ‘drastically’ over-supplied market outpacing demand by far for the next six to 10 years.

Indonesia: Holcim Indonesia has built a cement terminal in Lampung at a cost of US$30.6m. The 4.7 hectare facility will be able to process up to 1Mt/yr of cement. Holcim Indonesia’s Finance Director Mark Schmidt said that the company plans to operate the terminal in near time, according to the Jakarta Globe. The cement producer wants to use the terminal to strengthen cement sales and distribution in Lampung and South Sumatra.

Indonesia: Holcim Indonesia plans to focus its exports of cement towards Australia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in 2016 amidst unstable demand at home. Holcim Indonesia’s chief financial officer Mark Schmidt emphasised the company’s increasing desire to export more whilst not mentioning any specific export sales targets in comments that were reported by the Jakarta Post.

Gary Schutz, the president-director of Holcim Indonesia, reinforced the importance of government spending plants towards meeting the country’s cement demand in a press release published after the company’s May 2016 annual general meeting. “We are concerned that government spending plans – especially those for infrastructure – should be realised on time and in full this year. Infrastructure alongside housing development are both vital catalysts in achieving planned growth rates for the economy. It is equally important in order that Indonesia stays competitive with in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Community.”

The Indonesian subsidiary of LafargeHolcim increased its cement production capacity to 15Mt/yr from 11Mt/yr after acquiring Lafarge Cement Indonesia and starting operations at the Tuban II plant in East Java.

Malaysia: Lafarge Malaysia plans to buy Holcim Malaysia, for US$77.3m according to a regulatory filing. The acquisition of the subsidiary of Holcim Indonesia, is expected to be completed the fourth quarter of 2015. It will be paid for using internal funds and borrowing. Holcim Indonesia originally bought the unit for US$37m in 2009.

"The acquisition is also expected to deliver synergies through operational efficiencies, including the increase in economies of scale and bargaining power and reduction or elimination of duplicative functions," said a Lafarge Malaysia spokesperson. The acquisition of Holcim Malaysia will increase the cement production capacity of Lafarge Malaysia from 12.95Mt/yr to 14.14Mt/yr.

Indonesia: PT Holcim Indonesia Tbk has launched its new US$800m, 3.4Mt/yr cement plant in Tuban, East Java.

Having started the construction five years ago, the plant is Holcim's first greenfield project in Indonesia. The plant will serve the East Java market and supply Sumatra and Kalimantan. With the new plant, Holcim Indonesia's cement production capacity has grown by 40% to 12.5Mt/yr.

"Currently, Holcim Indonesia is operating in an oversupply market and market slowdown. However, we believe that it is temporary as construction markets in developing countries are cyclical. The overall long-term macroeconomic fundamentals in Indonesia remain strong and the domestic economy will recover with the realisation of delayed infrastructure projects and housing," said Gary Schutz, CEO of Holcim Indonesia. "The new Tuban Plant completes our presence in Java as it will serves our markets better, ensures supplies and secures our position among the three biggest cement players in Indonesia."

Indonesia: LafargeHolcim has completed its Tuban project in Indonesia with the official opening of the second kiln line at the cement plant. The new plant, part of LafargeHolcim's subsidiary Holcim Indonesia, will allow the group to tap into key developing markets in Indonesia's East Java Province. LafargeHolcim says that the plant's coastal location and jetty provides it with the flexibility to ship products to other important inter-island markets including Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi.

With the completion of the project, the construction of which was launched in 2011, LafargeHolcim says that it will be able to 'leverage its new footprint and asset base in Indonesia and in future thrive in a low investment environment.'

LafargeHolcim states that the Tuban facility is a state-of-the-art plant, which allows for the highly-efficient production of cement and better distribution. The plant has an annual cement capacity of 3.4Mt/yr and is located in Eastern Java around 200km from the city of Surabaya. The cement mill of the first line was put into commercial operation in December 2013 and the kiln followed in September 2014.

Indonesia: Holcim Indonesia and Lafarge Cement Indonesia have sped up their merger process, slated to finish by the end of 2015, in a bid to increase the companies' market shares. The companies have remained under different management and targeted separate market segments despite the merger of their parent companies.

"We hope to finish the merger process by the end of 2015. As Holcim is listed on the bourse, we are still waiting for the permit from Bapepam (Capital Market Supervisory Agency) and KPPU (Business Competition Supervisory Commission)," said Holcim vice president of sales Juhans Suryantan.

The speedy merger process is part of Holcim's efforts to expand its share of the Indonesian cement market, which stood at 15% before the merger, after Semen Indonesia with 43.7% and PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa with 30%. Meanwhile, Lafarge Indonesia had a 3% market share, placing it in fifth place.

Juhans added that both product brands would stay separate after the merger. "We have not decided on the brands. We might still use our own brands for the next one or two years," he said. The brands are deemed not to overlap due to the different target markets of both companies, as Holcim has a stronger grip on Java and southern Sumatra, while Lafarge Indonesia was stronger in Aceh and northern Sumatra.