23 January 2020
ASK Cement plans integrated plant in Sverdlovsk 23 January 2020
Russia: ASK Cement is set to begin development of a new integrated cement plant on a greenfield site near Yekaterinburg in Sverdlovsk Oblast. Germany-based Aumund has announced that it will supply KZB and KZB-Q pan conveyors, BZB bucket apron conveyors, SDG clinker silo discharge gates, BWZ chain bucket elevators and BWG-L belt bucker elevators to the project in early 2020. Aumund designed the line in collaboration with ASK Cement and its engineering partner Sibniiproject Cement Design Institute.
Cemex may reopen Wampum plant 23 January 2020
US: Residents of Shenango, Pennsylvania attended a public hearing regarding Cemex USA’s plan to begin limestone mining at a 593 acre site in the township. New Castle News has reported that the proposal is part of a planned reopening of the company’s 0.9Mt/yr integrated Wampum plant, decommissioned in 2010 after 136 years’ operation, located nearby in Lawrence County. Cemex USA director of cement resources Mark Davies said that Cemex has plans that would generate ‘as much as US$109m’ for Lawrence County and Pennsylvania. Cemex’s legal staff advised residents that 100 new jobs and at least US$100m was at stake.
India: The Economic Times has reported a forecasted profit growth for UltraTech Cement of 122% to US$119m over the three months to 31 December 2019 from US$53.6m in the corresponding period of 2018. It explained the boom in terms of increased sales, which may have risen by 7% year-on-year to US$1.50bn from US$1.40bn, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) per tonne – up by 45% to US$15.8/t from US$10.9/t. It predicted volumes growth of 3% year-on-year, dragged down by UltraTech subsidiary Century Cement’s falling production.
CMA to investigate Breedon’s Cemex acquisitions 23 January 2020
UK: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued Initial Enforcement Orders (IEOs) to Breedon Group and Cemex over the former’s acquisition of a minority of UK ready-mix and aggregates operations, as well as a cement terminal, belonging to the Mexican cement giant for Euro211m. Breedon Group said that the IEO was expected and would govern, among other things, the ‘form and scope of the information that can be shared between Breedon and Cemex’ in defence of customers’ interests, according to The Construction Index website.