September 2024
Thailand: SCG’s cement business’ earnings have risen due to higher local prices and cost savings in the first quarter of 2018. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBTIDA) rose by 7% year-on-year to US$201m in the first quarter of 2018 from US$195m in the same period in 2017. The company said that local demand for cement remained flat in the reporting period as increased demand from the government sector balanced out declines elsewhere. Local exports rose by 20% to 1.2Mt.
Uzbekistan: President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a resolution that fixes the price of cement to support housing and infrastructure projects. The new legislation will force approved suppliers to sell 2Mt of cement for a fixed price to contractors, according to Uzbekistan Daily. Tax levels for cement producers have also been increased.
Pakistan: Cement producers have proposed finding an alternative water source in a case about the Katas Raj Temples being adjudicated by the Supreme Court. They have also agreed to pay the Punjab government for any water they use until then, according to the Statesman newspaper. The court was investigating allegations that the pond at the Hindu heritage site was drying out due to water consumption by nearby cement plants.
Bestway Cement and DG Khan Cement proposed that they would submit up to US$17m and US$4m respectively as security deposits until they find alternative water sources. They have also proposed building a small dam in the area, the outflow of which will be maintained in a way that the pond at Katas Raj is not adversely affected. Local cement plants of the two companies are currently using water from nearby river and underground sources.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Austria’s Asamer Baustoffe has made a bid for the remaining share of Fabrika Cementa Lukavac. At present it owns 99% of the cement producer. Fabrika Cementa Lukavac operates 0.8Mt/yr integrated plant at Lukavac.
Mineração Belocal buys L-Imerys 09 May 2018
Brazil: Mineração Belocal, a subsidiary of Belgium’s Lhoist, has purchased L-Imerys, a lime producer that operates a plant at Doresópolis in Minas Gerais. L-Imerys is a subsidiary of France’s Imerys, according to the Diário do Comércio newspaper. The 0.4Mt/yr lime plant was inaugurated in 2013. The sales is depending on approval by the relevant competition bodies. No value for the acquisition has been disclosed.
Finland: Cargotec has signed an agreement with JCE Invest to establish a joint venture, Bruks Siwertell Group, specialised in dry bulk handling. The new joint venture will own Siwertell and Bruks Holding. Cargotec will own 48% of the shares in Bruks Siwertell Group and JCE Invest will own the remaining share.
"This joint venture supports Cargotec's strategy to focus on container ports, heavy industrial segment and logistics. Siwertell's business is outside these core focus areas, with different customers, customer locations and limited synergies with the rest of our businesses. By joining forces with JCE Group, we are able to create a company that will be a significant player in the bulk material handling with a globally competitive and specialised product portfolio," said Antti Kaunonen, president of Kalmar, part of the Cargotec group.
Siwertell is a supplier of ship unloaders, road-mobile unloaders, port-mobile unloaders, ship loaders, mechanical and pneumatic conveying systems, and bulk terminal solutions. Bruks specialises in mechanical-engineering and equipment supply for the bulk materials handling industries.
Switzerland: LafargeHolcim has blamed falling earnings in the first quarter of 2018 on poor weather in North America and Europe. Its recurring earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 7.7% on a like-for-like basis year-on-year to Euro587m from Euro678m in the same period in 2017. Its net sales rose by 3.1% to Euro4.89bn and its cement sales volumes rose by 3.2% to 47.7Mt on a like-for-like basis.
By region cement sales volumes fell on a like-for-like basis in Europe, Middle East Africa and North America. LafargeHolcim said that cement volumes were down slightly in its Middle East Africa region due to a mixed outlook in the region with ‘challenging’ conditions in key markets. In Asia Pacific it said that China and India drove its growth in sales and profits but that there was continued pressure in South East Asia.
“Though the quarter was affected by several headwinds, we expect the strength of our portfolio and the benefits of our new strategy to become increasingly visible over the full year. That makes us confident we will deliver on our 2018 targets,” said Jan Jenisch, Group Chief Executive Officer of LafargeHolcim. He added that the group was conducting its Strategy 2022 reorganisation plan.
India: Sanghi Industries has received environment clearance for an upgrade to its cement plant at Sanghipuram, Kutch district in Gujarat. The unit’s clinker production capacity is being raised to 7.5Mt/yr from 3.5Mt/yr, according to the Times of India newspaper. Its cement production capacity is being increased to 8.6Mt/yr from 4Mt/yr. The US$194m project also involves building a cement grinding plant at Surat. The project is expected to be completed in 2020.
Fake cement bagging operation raided in Odisha 08 May 2018
India: Police have raided a factory near Cuttack, Odisha that has allegedly been selling repackaged cement. The unit purchased the franchise of a well-known cement brand and then used cement from damaged bags of the consignment to prepare unapproved mixtures, according to Odisha TV. The cement was then repackaged and supplied along with the original cement packets.
Up to 7500 fake cement bags, 300 bags of different cement brands and machinery was seized during the raid. The owner of the factory, Lalit Kumar Jain, was also arrested. He has disputed the allegations.
Bahrain: The United Cement Company (UCC) has resumed importing cement from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain. UCC chief executive Faisal Shehab said that since the Saudi government lifted cement tariffs in February 2018 it had imported up to 60,000t of cement, according to the Gulf Daily news newspaper. Shehab estimated that his company supplies 70% of the construction market in Bahrain.
Imports from Saudi Arabia were disrupted when the Saudi government allowed cement to be exported to other countries in March 2017. However, new tariffs were introduced at the same time. Following the opening of exports the price rose and Bahrain was forced to source cement from other countries including the UAE. Previously, Bahrain had exclusive access to imports of cement from Saudi Arabia.