September 2024
Hima to supply big Chinese projects in Uganda 14 July 2017
Uganda: Lafarge’s subsidiary in Uganda, Hima Cement, will provide raw materials for the ongoing infrastructure projects being undertaken by China Communications Construction Company Limited in the country under a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Allan Ssemakula, the commercial director at Hima Cement said the firm will supply 30,000t of cement to the Entebbe Airport expansion project for a period of five years, 60,000t for the Mubende-Kakumiro-Kagadi road and 30,000t for the Soroti-Moroto road project for a period of three years.
“Hima Cement’s clients benefit from the technical expertise and product innovation that are the hallmark of LafargeHolcim Group. This Memorandum of Understanding is testament to our diverse product offerings and also avails solutions that fit the unique needs of our clients,” said Ssemakula.
Spain: The Spanish cement makers association Oficemen says that cement consumption grew by 11% year-on-year to 4.9Mt in the first five months of 2017. It attributed the rise to increased residential housing construction. The association forecasts that, if the growth continues, the consumption may reach 12.3Mt in 2017, the strongest figure since 2012.
However, exports have fallen by 7.6% to 3.76Mt. Oficemen said that this decline has reduced the benefit of improvements in the domestic market and kept production capacity levels of 50% at cement plants. It also raised recent increases in electricity costs as cutting the competiveness of the industry’s exports.
Kenya: Bamburi Cement is set to start a US$39m upgrade to its Athi River grinding plant in August 2017. Preliminary work on the 18-month project started in January 2017 and construction is about to commence, according to the Business Daily newspaper. The upgrade will increase cement production by 0.9Mt/yr at the unit when it is completed in mid-2018. Following the project the cement producer’s total national cement production capacity, including its integrated plant in Mombasa, will reach 3.2Mt/yr.
Liberia: The government is considering a 17-year tax reduction deal worth US$200m to encourage the Liberia Steel and Cement Mining (LICEMCO) to build a cement and steel plant. The so-called Investment Incentive Agreement is between the government, the TIDFORE Investment Company and LICEMCO, according to the Liberian Observer newspaper. A government Committee on Investment and Lands, Mines and Energy will investigate and report on the proposal by the end of July 2017.
US: Cemex USA says it invested over US$50m in 2016 on projects and improvements in cement plant operations and other facilities to help reduce environmental impact and conserve nearby wildlife. Four cement plants - Brooksville, Miami, Clinchfield and Victorville - achieved the Energy Star Certification from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for 2017. In 2016 all active Cemex cement plants in the US achieved the Wildlife Habitat Council's Conservation Certification, and several sites in California are currently working to attain that goal.
In May 2017 the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department awarded Cemex the 2017 Lone Star Land Steward Award for the Trans Pecos Ecoregion for its on-going commitment to sustainability and land stewardship at the El Carmen Nature Reserve. The company also received the Wildlife Habitat Council's Gold Tier Program of the Year for work at El Carmen in 2016. Other environmental initiatives by the company also include wildlife conservation efforts at various quarries in California.
Brazil: Bag producers Cocelpa Companhia de Celulose e Papel do Paraná (Cocelpa) and Arpeco Artefatos de Papéis have both filed for bankruptcy protection. They cited rising production costs, the country’s economic crisis and an unsuccessful sale plan, according to the Valor Economico newspaper. The companies operate plants at Curitiba and Araucária and they mainly produce bags for the cement industry. Despite being market rivals the two companies have filed for protection together due to structural links between them.
Bakhtiyor Bakhronbekovich Bobokulov appointed deputy chairman for production at Uzqurilishmateriallari 12 July 2017
Uzbekistan: Bakhtiyor Bakhronbekovich Bobokulov has been appointed as the deputy chairman of the board for the production and implementation of modern technologies at Uzqurilishmateriallari, the Uzbek Construction Materials company. Previously, Bobokulov held the post of general director at the subsidiary Samarkandmramor.
Brazil: SNIC, the Brazilian National Union of Cement Industry, reports that total cement sales have fallen by 9% year-on-year to 26Mt in the first half of 2017 from 28.6Mt in the first half of 2016. SNIC president Paulo Camillo Penna said that the figures were in line with the organisation’s forecasts and that they show a deceleration in the decline of cement consumption. Consumption is expected to pick up in the second half of the year and SNIC predicts that it will fall by 5 – 9% for the year as a whole.
Bangladesh: FLSmidth has confirmed that is to supply a cement grinding production line for Meghna Cement Mills. The Danish equipment manufacturer has signed a contract with Meghna Cement Mills for engineering, procurement and supply of equipment for a 415t/hr Portland composite cement at 3800 Blaine grinding unit at it plant in Mongla in the Bagerhat District. No value for the deal has been disclosed.
The scope of the order includes an FLSmidth OKTM 54-6 mill, planetary gear unit from FLSmidth MAAG Gear, fabric filters from FLSmidth Airtech, weigh feeders from FLSmidth Pfister and a plant control system from FLSmidth Automation. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2018.
Holcim Romania opens cement terminal at Roman 12 July 2017
Romania: Holcim Romania has opened a Euro0.5m cement terminal in the town of Roman in Neamț County. The new unit will mainly supply cement to customers in the Moldovan region of the country. The 13,120m2 terminal has a railway connection and loading equipment for both bulk and bagged cement.