September 2024
Renca develops fly ash and slag cement for 3D printing 22 March 2017
UAE: Renca, a technology start-up working with Dubai’s Future Accelerators programme, has developed a geopolymer cement from fly ash and ground granulated blast slag that can be used in 3D printing, according the National newspaper. The product’s advantage over Ordinary Portland Cement when used in additive manufacturing is that it can be used without additives making it cheaper.
The start-up is a joint venture between Andrey Dudnikov, a Russian businessmen, and Alex Reggiani, an Italian geologist and mineralogist. The company is working with the Dubai Municipality to develop its material for use in 3D printing projects in Dubai. The company is also looking to set up a plant for its product in the city.
Jura Cement granted permission to extend quarry 22 March 2017
Switzerland: Jura Cement’s Wildegg plant has been given permission to extend its limestone quarry at Auenstein and Veltheim. However the decision by the Grand Council is subject to adoption by the local communities, according to Swiss Radio and Television. Jura Cement, a subsidiary of Ireland’s CRH, will also need a building permit for the extension. The cement producer previously had expansion plans for its quarry cancelled in 2014.
Bamburi Cement appoints three women to board 22 March 2017
Kenya: Bamburi Cement has appointed three women to its board of directors. Alice Owuor, Rita Kavashe and Hellen Gichohi have been appointed to the board, according to the Business Daily newspaper. Two female directors Sheila M’Mbijjewe and Catherine Langreney, resigned from the board in 2016 leaving it with an all-male composition and no female representation.
Owuor was the former Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner for Domestic Taxes until she retired in 2016. Kavashe has been the chief executive of General Motors East Africa since 2011 and has worked for the motor vehicle dealer for more than two decades.
Gichohi is the managing director of the Equity Bank’s social arm, the Equity Group Foundation. She joined the Equity Group Foundation in 2012 from the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) where she served for 11 years from 2001, as the President from 2007, Vice President from 2002 and Director of the Conservation Program from 2001 when she joined AWF. She holds a PhD in Ecology from the University of Leicester in the UK, a Master of Science degree in Biology of Conservation, and a BSc in Zoology from the University of Nairobi and Kenyatta University respectively.
South Africa: AfriSam is preparing to replace its chief executive officer (CEO) to aid its merger discussions with PPC. Rob Wessels, a former chief investment officer at AfriSam’s black empowerment partner Phembani Group, is set to replace current Stephan Olivier on a short-term contract, according to sources quoted by Boomberg. The personnel manoeuvring would also potentially place PPC’s current CEO Darryll Castle in a strong position to become the merged company’s new leader. PPC and AfriSam announced that they had resumed merger talks in February 2017 after a previous attempt stalled in 2015.
Redecam Group and Isgec Heavy Engineering start air pollution control joint venture in India 21 March 2017
India: Redecam Group and Isgec Heavy Engineering have started a joint venture called Isgec Redecam Enviro Solutions in Noida, Delhi. The new company will provide for flue gas treatment systems for the cement, power and metals industries.
“Air pollution is one of the major environmental issues India and the rest of Asia face today and it is a serious problem with the major sources being industrial emission and biomass burning, vehicle emissions and traffic congestion. In the effort to reduce the country’s air pollution, Redecam and Isgec aim to build a strong business in Asia, drawing upon Redecam’s global expertise combined with the skills and knowledge of Isgec, a strong partner headquartered in India,” said Barry Downing, chief executive officer of Redecam Group.
Italy’s Redecam Group is an engineering company that serves the air pollution control industry around the world. India’s Isgec Heavy Engineering is a general engineering company with references in the cement, chemical, textile, power, oil, gas and sugar industries.
Four workers die at Zhongda cement plant 21 March 2017
China: Four workers have died when the roof of a shed collapsed at the Zhongda cement plant in Zhangzhou, Fujian Province. Three workers died at the scene and another died in hospital, according to the Xinhua News Agency. An investigation is currently underway.
Ethiopian regional government demands that foreign cement producers offer jobs to unemployed 21 March 2017
Ethiopia: Regional officials are demanding that foreign cement producers, including Dangote Cement and Derba Midroc Cement (DMC), should let cooperatives of unemployed young adults run part of their mining businesses. A draft contract drawn up by Oromia state’s East Shewa Zone administration wants the young adults to operate pumice mines for the cement producers, according to Bloomberg. The initiative follows attempts by the national government to alleviate social pressures, following violent protests in the state in late 2016 in response to over alleged land dispossession, political marginalisation and state repression. The local administration reportedly stopped production at the Dangote and DMC plants in early March 2017 while it discussed its proposals with the producers, according to local press.
Arkan closes Emirates Cement plant 21 March 2017
UAE: Arkan has closed its Emirates Cement plant in Al Ain blaming increasing gas and electricity costs. The building materials company temporarily closed the plant in late 2016 but this has now become permanent, according to the National newspaper. Production will move to its newer Al Ain Cement plant that is now running at almost full production capacity. The decision to close the older plant is expected save the company US$12m/yr. The Emirates Cement plant was one of the oldest cement plants in the country with operation since the 1970s.
Haver & Boecker promotes Roto-Packer RVT 20 March 2017
Germany: Haver & Boecker is promoting its Roto-Packer RVT, a new model in its Roto-Packer series that was launched in mid-2016. The machine is designed for packing fine and ultra-fine cement at up to 6000 bags/hr. Key features and options include a Roto-Lock dosing unit, a MEC weighing system, Seal technology, LED lighting for a simplified user experience and Haver Quattro technology.
“Our team spent lots of time analysing the customer needs, brainstorming ideas and finding best solutions, which led us, beside other issues, to redesign the dosing system and inventing the Roto-Lock,” said Wolfgang Bednarz, manager of the Cement Business Unit at Haver & Boecker.
Following customer feedback the dosing system was redesigned in the series and the Roto-Lock replaced the slide gate dosing and shut-off valves (slide plates) to allow clean filling without spillage. Many older models can also be refurbished with the new system. The MEC weighing system serves as a scale and a configurable control system for the entire packing system providing ideal bag weight and helping to eliminate product waste.
Biskria Ciment orders five mills from Loesche 20 March 2017
Algeria: Biskria Ciment has ordered five vertical rollers mills from Loesche. The contract includes two raw cement mills and three clinker mills for the plant at Biskra. With these mills raw cement meal can be ground to a fineness of 12% sieving residue with 90μm at a processing capacity of 500t/hr and the cement clinker to a fineness of 3,400 Blaine. The three new cement clinker mills have already been delivered and commissioning is planned for autumn 2017. The Chinese company CBMI Construction will act as contractor in this enterprise. No value for the order has been disclosed.