September 2024
Nepalese cement producers import clinker via Narayanpur 30 January 2018
Nepal: Cement producers in the Parsa-Bara industrial corridor have started importing clinker from the Narayanpur railway station in Bihar. The change in the supply chain has followed disruption in clinker imports via the Raxaul- Birgunj border crossing on environmental grounds, according to the Kathmandu Post newspaper. The longer route has raised production costs due to higher transport fees.
Dalmia Bharat set to buy Kalyanpur Cement 30 January 2018
India: Dalmia Bharat is the frontrunner to buy Kalyanpur Cement following an auction for the Bihar-based cement producer. The bidding process follows a debt resolution plan for Kalyanpur Cement, according to the Economic Times. Dalmia Bharat’s winning bid has been submitted by the creditors to the Kolkata bench of the National Company Law Tribunal for approval.
Kalyanpur Cement owes more than US$94m to its creditors and its was declared bankrupt in May 2017. It operates a 1Mt/yr cement plant at Banjari.
Worker killed at Ambuja Cement’s Maratha plant 30 January 2018
India: A contract worker has been killed in an accident at Ambuja Cement’s Maratha plant in Maharashtra. An apparent electrical problem in a wagon loading machine caused the incident that crushed the 32 year old worker, according to the IndustriAll union. The union says that mechanical problems had been reported previously in the plant’s packing unit. LafargeHolcim, the owner of Ambuja Cement, reported 86 fatalities at its sites in 2016.
Brazil: InterCement is considering listing its European and African operations on a stock market according to sources quoted by Reuters. The move has been discussed with investment banks and could take place in the second half of 2018. InterCement has refused to comment on the story. InterCement’s owner Camargo Corrêa was reported by local media to be looking for buyers for its cement business in 2017 to reduce its debts. Cement sales in Brazil dropped by 6.6% year-on-year to 53.8Mt in 2017.
Ghacem opens new terminal at Sefwi Dwenase 30 January 2018
Ghana: Ghacem has opened a 3000t cement terminal at Sefwi Dwenase in the Sefwi-Wiawso Municipality. The unit is the cement producer’s sixth terminal in the country, according to the Daily Guide newspaper. The subsidiary of Germany’s HeidelbergCement has also purchased new trucks to support the site.
US: Refractory manufacturer HarbisonWalker International has decided to close its plants at Oak Hill, Ohio and Sproul, Pennsylvania as it opens a new US$30m refractory plant at South Point, Ohio in early 2018. The closures will affect around 88 employees. Previously in 2016 the company negotiated an end to eleven months of industrial action at the Oak Hill site.
Biskria Cement ignites second kiln 29 January 2018
Algeria: Biskria Cement has started the kiln on its second new production line at its plant in Biskra. The 6000t/day line was supplied by China’s Sinoma. The Chinese plant builder announced the US$267m order in 2015. It included two production lines from raw materials to despatch. The cement producer operates three cement production lines at its plant with a production capacity of 4Mt/yr.
Lucky Cement’s profit drops as fuel costs rise 29 January 2018
Pakistan: Lucky Cement’s profit after tax fell by 2% year-on-year to US$77.6m in the half year to 31 December 2017 from US$79m in the same period in 2016. The cement producer said that its cost of sales had increased by 21% due to rising coal and other fuels prices. Its sales revenue grew by 5.2% to US$297m from US$283m. Its cement production rose by 5.4% to 3.68Mt from 3.49Mt.
The company completed a new 1.25Mt/yr production line at its Karachi cement plant in December 2017. It is currently seeking government approval to build a new 2.3Mt/yr plant in Punjab Province. However due to the delay it is considering expanding its Pezu plant by 2.3Mt/yr instead. The cement producer also expanded its grinding plant in Iraq by 0.87Mt/yr to 1.74Mt/yr.
Punjab government confirms ban on new cement plants 29 January 2018
Pakistan: The Industries, Commerce and Investment department of the Government of Punjab has confirmed that it is banning the construction of new cement plants and the enlargement of existing plants. The decision follows approval by chief minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to the Nation newspaper. It is in response to a number of environmental issues allegedly caused by cement production in the province including damage to water tables and increased air pollution. Final confirmation of the ban came in response to the Supreme Court enforcing a similar ban near the Katas Raj Temples in the state.
UNACEM drives profit in 2017 on higher cement prices 29 January 2018
Peru: UNACEM’s profit in 2017 rose due to a higher selling price of cement. Its net profit rose by 47% year-on-year to US$143m in 2017 from US$971.1m in 2016. Its income increased by 2.5% to US$595m from US$580m but its cement production fell slightly to 5.01Mt from 5.14Mt. Clinker production and cement despatches also fell. The cement producer blamed poor weather in the first half of 2017 that affected shipping at its Condorcocha plant as well as a general slowdown in the construction sector. It also reported that clinker exports more than doubled in 2017 to 0.55Mt from 0.21Mt.