September 2024
Cembureau releases position paper on plastics strategy 17 January 2018
Belgium: Cembureau, the European cement association, has published a position paper outlining its stance European Commission’s plastics strategy. The association wants policymakers to ensure any plastic waste that has a calorific value that can be recovered as a fuel source is not landfilled. At present there are differences in waste management policies across the member states of the European Union.
Other points that Cemburea wants to highlight include: a ban on landfill of recoverable and recyclable waste; recognition that cement plants can treat different waste streams such as plastics and simultaneously recycle them as material in the manufacturing process of cement and recover them as energy; the specific relevance that co-processing offers the unique opportunity of a simultaneous energy and material recovery; and the potential to minimise investment costs in dedicated facilities.
In January 2018, the European Commission published a dedicated Plastics Strategy as part of the Circular Economy package. The strategy indicates that there is currently a low rate of recycling or reuse of plastics with most of it going to landfill or used in incinerators.
State minster inaugurates JSW Cement’s Salboni grinding plant 16 January 2018
India: Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, has inaugurated JSW Cement’s plant at Salboni. The US$125m grinding plant has a production capacity of 2.4Mt/yr, according to the Press Trust of India. It started commercial production at the site in July 2017 with plans to manufacture Portland Slag Cement. The cement producer is already preparing upgrades at the unit including a US$15.6m captive power plant with a capacity of 18MW and a US$47m production capacity increase of 1.2Mt/yr.
Damen shipyard upgrades cement carrier 16 January 2018
Netherlands: The Damen shipyard at Oranjewerf in Amsterdam has upgraded the cement carrying capacity of the Lelie C owned by Cebo Marine. Eight new cement silos, with a capacity of 40m3 each, have been installed on the vessel alongside general maintenance.
The silos were previously fitted on the VOS Symphony prior to it going for scrap. Damen Shiprepair Oranjewerf removed the tanks, refurbished them and then installed them on board the Lelie C. The shipyard also built a silo foundation and fitted it in the vessel’s hold. 80m of stiffeners were welded into place in the double bottom tanks to provide the necessary support. Alongside this, approximately 100m² of grating walkway was fabricated and fitted on the deck to give access to the manifolds on each of the new silos. The supply and discharge and air pipe system for the two existing silos was also refurbished to accommodate the new capacity.
“Two years ago we installed the original tanks from the Ritske, a vessel belonging to the same client, and now we have repeated the process again, this time on a much larger scale. The Lelie C began her life as a general cargo vessel, but now her transformation into a cement carrier is complete,” said Jeen van der Werf, Commercial Manager at Damen Shiprepair Oranjewerf.
Steppe Cement revenue rises by 20% to US$65.6m in 2017 15 January 2018
Kazakhstan: Steppe Cement’s revenue rose by 20% year-on-year to US$65.6m in 2017 from US$54.9m in 2016. Its sales volumes of cement rose by 4% to 1.63Mt from 1.57Mt. The cement producer says that its market share remained at 17% in the reporting period. Overall the country consumed 9Mt of cement in 2017. Steppe Cement’s exports doubled to 146,000t from 73,000t. Kazakhstan imported 0.7Mt of cement in 2017 compared to 0.5Mt in 2016. It exported 0.9Mt in 2017 compared to 0.4Mt in 2016.
JSW Cement to bid for Binani Cement 15 January 2018
India: JSW Cement plans to bid for Binani Cement. Managing director Parth Jindal said that the cement producer would partner with a private equity fund to make the offer, according to the Economic Times newspaper. He added that the company is looking for acquisitions in the cement sector. It has also made a bid for Kalyanpur Cement that has a cement production capacity of 1Mt/yr in Bihar. The company aims to reach a production capacity of 20Mt/yr by 2020.
Arabian Cement to increase exports 15 January 2018
Egypt: Arabian Cement plans to increase its exports to Africa and Asia. A senior official said the cement producer is considering international expansion amidst strong competition at home, according to Daily News Egypt. At present the company has exported cement to Libya, Yemen, Kenya, Madagascar and Somalia.
Arabian Cement is a joint venture between Spain’s Grupo Cementos La Unión, the majority shareholder, and a group of local investors. It operates a 5Mt/yr cement plant in Suez governorate.
Raysut Cement’s revenue falls by 22% to US$187m in 2017 15 January 2018
Oman: Raysut Cement’s revenue fell by 22% year-on-year to US$187m in 2017 from US$240m in 2016. Its profit after tax fell by 66.6% to US$18m from US$53.8m. In November 2017 the cement producer blamed its falling profit on lower sales due to competition locally and in export markets, disruption to its export market in Yemen resulting from the on-going civil war and increased energy prices.
Cement distributors concerned about production at INC 15 January 2018
Paraguay: The association of cement distributors in Vallemi has expressed its concern over low production levels at Industria Nacional del Cemento’s (INC) plant. The association says that the cement plant has been unable to guarantee clinker production or dispatches of cement, according to the ABC newspaper. Cement shortages are expected unless normal production is resumed.
The kiln at INC’s plant in Vallemi as reportedly stopped repeatedly since September 2017. It stopped operating on 27 December 2017 and has been waiting for engineers from ABB to carry out repairs. Parts were due to arrive in mid-January 2018. INC has denied reports that cement production and supply have been affected.
Shree Cement expands into UAE with purchase of Union Cement 12 January 2018
UAE: India’s Shree Cement has purchased Union Cement Company (UCC) based in the UAE for US$305m. Its board approved the acquisition of at least a 92.8% share in the company, according to the Press Trust of India. The transaction is expected to be completed by September 2018. Following the deal Shree Cement’s cement production capacity will rise to 33Mt/yr from 29.3Mt/yr. The acquisition is the company’s first outside of India.
UCC was established in 1972. It operates a cement plant Ras Al- Khaimah with a clinker production capacity of 3.3Mt/yr and a cement production capacity of 4Mt/yr.
Big Boss Cement to launch in the Philippines 12 January 2018
Philippines: SM Group heir Henry Sy Jr has launched Big Boss Cement with a group of investors. The new cement producer plans to start selling cement in March 2018, according to the Manila Bulletin newspaper. Its first product will be called ‘Big Boss Cement Type 1P.’
It has nearly completed a cement grinding plant that will have a production capacity of 1.5 million bags/yr at Porac in Pampanga. The company hopes to capture 3% of the estimated market demand for cement of 25Mt/yr. Big Boss Cement operates a laboratory in Metropolitan Manila.