Displaying items by tag: Refractory
Magnesita revenue rises by 18% to US$937m in 2015
11 March 2016Brazil: Magnesita’s revenue has risen by 18% year-on-year to US$937m in 2015 from US$796m in 2014. Its net loss decreased to US$294m in 2015 from US$27m in 2014. The company described 2015 as a year ‘marked by a challenging economic environment globally.’ It noted a drop in steel production in the US due to high imports, currency effects and the poor economy in Brazil.
The manufacturer’s production volumes of refractories fell by 6.9% to 958,000t in 2015 from 1.03Mt in 2014. However, its sales revenue from its refractories business rose by 15.6% to US$816m from US$706m. Although the majority of Magnesita’s refractory sales were to the steel industry, its sales volumes to other industries, including cement, fell faster in 2015 by 11.7% to 133,000t. This decrease was mainly attributed to the decline of the Brazilian cement industry and by lower demand for cement in Venezuela. Despite this, sales volume growth of 15% was reported in Middle East and Africa led by Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Brazil: Magnesita Refratários has announced an agreement with ACIS, a cement maintenance and operations service company based in China and Saudi Arabia, to extend its services offering Magnesita's refractory products supporting greenfield projects around the world. ACIS and Magnesita will target Chinese cement original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), which are building projects in countries primarily outside of China. The cooperation started on 1 July 2015 and shall continue for three years, with a possible extension.
"Partnering with ACIS which is recognised within the cement industry for its technical and service capability, is an important step for Magnesita's continued growth within the industrial market. This alliance with ACIS will help clients control costs utilising Magnesita's high-quality refractory products as new cement plants are commissioned," said Magnesita CEO, Octavio Lopes.
ACIS will create a commercial team in China tp focus on clients and the development of new projects while Magnesita's technical assistance team will work closely with ACIS to provide application and engineering support.
India: Kerneos India plans to complete the construction of its US$18.9m, greenfield 30,000t/yr calcium aluminate cement plant in Visakhapatnam within the next two years. The ground-breaking ceremony was held on 20 May 2015. The Vizag plant will be Kerneos' 12th manufacturing plant globally. Three of its plants are located in France, three are in China, one is in the UK and one is in the US.
Calcium aluminate cement is specialty cement used mostly by manufacturers of refractories. Demand for the specialty cement hinges directly on the growth of the steel industry. Segi P Idicula, managing director of Kerneos (India and Middle East), said that the Vizag plant's capacity would be taken up as the market grows. India currently consumes 50,000t/yr of calcium aluminate cement as refractory binder. Kerneos supplies about 10,000t/yr to Indian refractory makers from its French and Chinese plants.
Idicula said the Indian Government is aiming at a total steel production of 250Mt/yr by 2025. "At this rate, the Indian refractory industry will almost triple in size and there will be a corresponding rise in demand for calcium aluminate binders. We expect the refractory binder market to double from the current 50,000t/yr by 2020," said Idicula.
Currently in India, there are several small-scale merchant producers and several refractory producers manufacturing the binders for captive use. Kerneos, which has 30 customers in India, expects to double its market share in this segment in the next five years. Pierre Baillagou, Kerneos director (Industrial) said that the company plans to sell the entire production from its Vizag unit for the domestic refractory industry. "However, we do not rule out exports from this plant, as we have a strong market in South East Asia, the Middle East and Sri Lanka," he added.
Magnezit Group and Vamtec sign cooperation agreement
11 February 2015Russia/Brazil: Refractory materials producer Magnezit Group has signed a cooperation agreement with the Brazilian company Vamtec, a diversified manufacturer and trader of materials for metallurgical and cement plants. The agreement specifies distribution and promotion of Magnezit Group's products and services in Brazil. It also includes research collaboration in the metallurgical industry.
"During recent years we have carried out a number of changes in the company, including the construction of a plant for the production of magnesia clinker in Satka, Chelyabinsk region and the purchase of a new deposit in Krasnoyarsk Territory. Cooperation with Vamtec will let Magnezit Group find new possibilities for growth and continue efficient development of business in the South American market," said general director of Magnezit Group Sergei Odegov.
Vamtec SA was founded in the 1980s. It carries out development, production and promotion of materials and services for steel making industry, non-ferrous metallurgy, foundries and other industries.
RHI gets US$11.6m refractory order from Lafarge
28 January 2015Canada: Austria's Radex-Heraklith Industriebeteiligungs (RHI) has received a US$11.6m order from Lafarge in Canada. RHI will deliver materials for the expansion of Lafarge's cement plant in Exshaw, Alberta. The cement industry comprises 12% of RHI's sales.