05 April 2017
India: The India Ratings and Research has blamed demonetisation and elections for a poor fourth quarter for cement producers in the 2017 Indian financial year. Cement production volumes fell by 15.8% year-on-year in February 2017 and by 5% on a month-on-month basis. India Ratings also attributed the decline to a strong equivalent quarter in the 2016 financial year.
It reported that volumes for the major cement producers contracted by 5% year-on-year in the third quarter. On a regional basis it fell by 3% and 6% for producers in central and northern regions. However, volumes rose sharply, by 21%, in the south. Growth in the southern region has been supported by increases in government spending in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The agency also reported that changes announced by the Ministry of Railways, which requires long-term agreements and contracts for industries like cement, steel and fertilisers, could potentially drive demand for cement. The new policy will provide conditional discounts that could increase the transport of cement through the rail network and cement manufacturers will be able to control freight costs more effectively. However, the availability of wagons during peak periods might also constrain the policy.
Italy: Cementir is preparing to pay extra for its purchase of Belgian cement maker Compagnie des Ciments Belges (CCB) that took place in the autumn of 2016. In the draft financial statement it said that it would have to pay an estimated additional amount, according to Radiocor news agency. However, no specific amount has been declared. Cementir paid Euro337m to Germany’s HeidelbergCement for CCB in October 2016.
Rwanda: Prime Cement has signed a deal with Denmark’s FLSmidth to build a US$65m cement grinding plant in Musanze District, Northern Province. Gisele Bayigamba, the general manager of Milbridge Holding, a consortium that owns Prime Cement, said that construction of the unit will start in the third quarter of 2018, according to the New Times newspaper. The plant will have a cement production capacity of 0.7Mt/yr once operational. The project is also expected to create over 1500 jobs. A proposed second phase to the project will add an integrated clinker plant within the next five years.
FlSmidth added that the contract will become effective when FLSmidth receives a down payment from the customer, which is expected to happen later in 2017. The order includes a OK(TM) 27-4 vertical mill for cement grinding, filters, a control system and plant automation, a packing plant and weighing and metering systems. FLSmidth will also supply equipment from other FLSmidth brands, such as a planetary mill gear unit from FLSmidth MAAG Gear, filters from FLSmidth Airtech, a control system and plant automation from FLSmidth Automation, a packing plant from FLSmidth Ventomatic and weighing and metering systems from FLSmidth Pfister.