26 June 2018

UK: Global Cement Magazine is exhibiting at the Hillhead 2018 quarrying exhibition from 26 – 28 June 2018 taking place in Derbyshire. Held in a limestone quarry, the organisers say that it is the largest exhibition of its kind anywhere in the world. Global Cement Magazine has exhibition stand PC45 in the main pavillion.

India: LafargeHolcim’s subsidiary ACC is in talks to buy Jaiprakash Associates’ remaining cement business. It plans to buy the production capacity of 5.5Mt/yr for US$763m by mid-2018, according to sources quoted by the Economic Times newspaper. Jaiprakash Associates is selling the last parts of its former cement assets to reduce its debts.

The proposed deal includes plants in central India with clinker production capacity of 4.4Mt/yr and a cement grinding capacity of about 3.3Mt/yr, the company's 74% stake in Bhilai Jaypee Cement, a joint venture with Steel Authority of India, and the Nigrie grinding plant.

Jaiprakash Associates previously agreed to sell three cement plants to Orient Cement in mid-2017 but this deal was cancelled after a delay of one year. Prior to this the company sold six integrated cement plants and five grinding plants to UltraTech Cement for US$2.5bn in 2017. Following the sale of its remaining cement assets, the company will primarily an engineering, procurement and construction contractor in road and hydroelectric power.

Philippines: Japan’s Taiheiyo Cement plans to expand its San Fernando plant in Cebu. The cement producer has allocated US$65m for a new unit and equipment for the site, according to the Manila Bulletin newspaper. Cement production will be increased to 16,350t/day from 7350t/day at present. In addition, another US$68m has been assigned to upgrade the plant’s dust collectors to filters. The plant could also import cement from Japan and South Korea. The upgrade has been organised to meet the government’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ infrastructure development program.

Pakistan: Power Cement plans to take out a Euro30m loan from Germany’s Deutsche Investitions to finance building a 7700t/day new clinker production line. In mid-2017 the cement producer ordered a production line from Denmark’s FLSmidth for a third line at its plant at Nooriabad.

Turkey: Switzerland’s ABB says that Batısöke Çimento is one of the first companies in the world to install its ABB Ability MNS Digital product, a scalable, modular low-voltage (LV) smart switchgear solution to optimise operations at its cement plant near Aydin.

MNS Digital incorporates ‘intelligent’ devices with a data interface to enable remote operation, monitoring and condition-based maintenance. It gives the operator access to real-time data. MNS Digital can connect to the ABB Ability cloud platform, a local SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) or ECMS (electrical control and monitoring system), to extended Automation System 800xA or other types of distributed process control systems (DCSs). ABB is also supplying a medium-voltage switchgear product, UniGear Digital, to the plant.

Germany: IKN has revealed that first clinker was created on schedule at HeidelbergCement’s Burglengenfeld cement plant in April 2018 following an upgrade to one its kiln lines.

IKN was awarded a contract for engineering, supply and installation to upgrade the pyro-processing line to 4000t/day, from raw meal feeding to clinker discharge. The contract included integration engineering, supply and installation of add-on components for the raw meal grinding plant. The new production line comprises a two-string, five-stage preheater tower with inline calciner and Fire Bed Combustor for coarse refuse-derived fuel (RDF). IKN says that its most modern preheater and calciner design ensures minimum pressure drop at maximum performance and high efficiency. The kiln line has been designed for maximum use of a broad range of alternative fuels.

China: Austria’s RHI Magnesita plans to invest Euro20m in its dolomite plant in China. It is intended to address global pressures in the supply of raw materials to the refractory industry and ‘rapidly’ provide additional volumes to its customers worldwide. In the medium term more than 250 jobs will be created at the brick plant and raw material mine in Chizhou.

The Chizhou site includes an ‘extensive’ dolomite mine and raw material production as well as facilities for the production of high-quality dolomite-based finished products. Successful trials are already underway in the brick plant in Chizhou where it is planned to start production by the beginning of 2019. The raw dolomite mine is planned to resume operation by the end of 2019. This overall investment will eventually lead to the creation of up to 250 jobs.

“After the completion of the investment, RHI Magnesita will be able to offer a fully integrated dolomite source in each of the big regions of the world to our customers and simultaneously offer dual sourcing options,” said Stefan Borgas, the chief executive officer (CEO) of RHI Magnesita. He added that the investment will allow the company to offer its customers in Asia shorter lead times and provide additional capacity to customers in North America, Europe and Asia from local sources.

Borgas went on to say that stricter environmental regulations in China have led to local plant closures, resulting in shortages of both magnesite and dolomite, ‘dramatic’ increases in raw material cost and supply security issues. These developments have accelerated the shift from magnesia- to dolomite based products. High stainless steel production has further fuelled demand for refractory products and compounded the pressure on raw material supplies.

Italy: Wamgroup has inaugurated its new technology centre in Cavezzo. The centre will be used for research, training and as a showroom, according to local media. The enginering company specialises in screw conveyors as well we manufacturing equipment for bulk solids handling and processing, dust filtration, waste water treatment and renewable energy generation. It celebrates its 50th year of business in 2018 following its founding in late 1968.

UK: Micromeritics Instrument Corporation, a US-headquarted manufacturer of products for advanced material characterisation, has purchaed Freeman Technology. Freeman Technology specialises in providing instruments for the measurement of powder flow properties and other behavioural properties of powders. It manufactures instruments that deliver data to assist its customers in maximising process and product understanding, accelerating research and development toward formulation and commercialisation as well as supporting the optimisation of powder processes.

Germany: RKW has joined CEFLEX, a European consortium of companies promoting the recyclability of flexible packaging and the increased use of recycled plastic. It intends to become active in enhancing the sustainability of packaging and developing new industry standards.

CEFLEX is the collaborative initiative of a European consortium of companies that promotes the recycling of flexible packaging. The CEFLEX consortium includes more than 70 member companies that cover the entire value chain of flexible packaging, from raw material producers and flexible packaging manufacturers, to fast moving consumer goods manufacturers and recycling companies. CEFLEX aims to increase the contribution of flexible packaging to the circular economy by refining suitable system design solutions.

The RKW Group is a family-owned company headquartered in Frankenthal, Germany and a manufacturer of film solutions for hygiene, agricultural and beverage sectors. It also produces packaging for powdery goods. In addition, the company makes films and nonwovens for medical applications, for the chemical and converting industries as well as for the construction sector.