16 September 2019
Steppe Cement’s first-half profit booms 16 September 2019
Kazakhstan: Steppe Cement’s consolidated revenue in the six months to 30 June 2019 grew by 34% year-on-year to US$36.5m from US$27.3m. Its operating profit before working capital changes was US$7.9m compared to US$5.3m in the corresponding period of 2018, an increase of 49%. Negative currency exchange effects reduced the cement producer’s net profit, despite a boost from the local economy and the company’s reduction of its administrative expenses.
Steppe Cement’s consolidated revenue in the six months to 30 June 2019 grew by 34% year-on-year to US$36.5m from US$27.3m. Its operating profit before working capital changes was US$7.9m compared to US$5.3m in the corresponding period of 2018, an increase of 49%. Negative currency exchange effects reduced the cement producer’s net profit, despite a boost from the local economy and the company’s reduction of its administrative expenses.
KAR contracts Arab Swiss Engineering Company at Erbil cement plant 16 September 2019
Iraq: Arab Swiss Engineering Company (ASEC) will cover operation and maintenance of KAR Group’s 1.9Mt/yr integrated Qarachogh cement plant in Erbil. In a press release, ASEC stated that it has already overseen recruitment and planning and implementation of personnel development programs. ASEC's chairman and managing director Khaled El-Sebaie said he was ‘thrilled’ at the completion of the plant's hand-over.
US court rules in favour of Cementos Argos in pricing dispute 16 September 2019
US: Cementos Argos has won its case before the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Spartan Construction accused it of unlawfully selling cement at a lower price to a competing buyer in the US Virgin Islands. Mondaq reports that Argos traded with both Spartan and Heavy Materials on St. Thomas between 2010 and 2013, when Spartan withdrew its ready-mix concrete business from the island. Only the latter received a 10% volume discount. The court found Argos not in violation of competition law due to lack of proof of harm attributable to discriminatory prices.
Siberian Cement transports cement by sea 16 September 2019
Russia: After two years of transporting its product by land only, Siberian Cement has reported a busy summer shipping window in 2019. In the two months to the end of August 2019, it shipped 15,500t of cement to Novy Port on the Gulf of Ob, Arctic Ocean. The company has announced its intent to move 17,000t in 2020 and 13,000t in 2021 by means of it 1000t-capacity barges.
Cemex buys into GoFor logistics 16 September 2019
North America: Cemex’s venture capital division has invested an undisclosed sum in the construction materials delivery and logistics brand GoFor. Gonzalo Galindo, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Cemex, has stated the importance of improving efficient on-site delivery as ‘a critical point in the construction value chain’ of its North American divisions.
Sugarcane bagasse and bamboo leaf ash enhance hydration and concrete strength in cement study 16 September 2019
Brazil: A research team at the University of São Paolo (USP) has concluded a study of cement hydration and pozzolanic activity when using 10% sugarcane bagasse (SB) and bamboo leaf ash (BLA) mixture. A paper released by the team has stated that the additive lowered the calcium hydroxide and heat required for hydration, saving on costs and emissions in cement production. Both binary and ternary concretes had higher compressive strengths with than without the mineral-rich additive. The study was supported by public and private funding.