25 June 2018

Philippines: Republic Cement has signed an agreement with its parent company Aboitiz Group to provide structural and mechanical upgrades to its plants at Bulacan and Cebu. The projects are scheduled to be completed by mid-2019, according to the Philippine Star newspaper. The cement producer is also considering increasing the clinker and cement production capacity at its plants at Teresa and Batangas, and increasing cement production at Iligan. The company is a joint venture run by Ireland’s CRH and local partner Aboitiz Group.

Nepal: Huaxin Cement has signed a project investment agreement with the Investment Board Nepal (IBN) to build a US$140m plant. Xu Gang, vice-president of Huaxin Cement signed the deal with Maha Prasad Adhikari, the chief executive (CEO) of IBN, during a visit by Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to Beijing, according to the Kathmandu Post. The unit will have a production capacity of 3000t/day. The local subsidiary, Huaxin Cement Narayani, has already acquired a limestone mine at Panikharkha in Dhading. The IBN will also support the project by assisting the government to build a transmission line to supply 18MW of electricity to the unit.

KP Sharma Oli also signed an agreement with the Chinese government to build a cross-border railway between Kathmandu and Kerung in Tibet.

Colombia: The Council of State has confirmed a US$0.31m fine to Holcim Colombia imposed by the Superintendent of Industry and Commerce (SIC) for fixing the price of cement. The ruling follows a similar confirmation of a fine to Cemex. The court found that an agreement between Cemex Colombia, Holcim Colombia and Cementos Argos distorted the price, supply and sales of Ordinary Portland Cement in the second half of 2005.