September 2024
Calderys acquires NG Johnson Northern 20 March 2017
UK: Calderys has completed its acquisition of NG Johnson Northern, a refractory installation company based in Ellesmere Port. It aims to retain the brand and expand its Engineering, Design and Supervision activities in the UK market. NG Johnson Northern focuses on incineration, petrochemical and aluminium industries and its clients include Hanson, LafargeHolcim and Quinn Cement.
Islamic State sets Badoosh cement plant on fire 20 March 2017
Iraq: Islamic State militants have set the Badoosh cement plant in western Mosul on fire. Major Ali Mohsen, an officer of the Counter-Terrorism Service, said that the plant had been looted and then set on fire, according to the Iraq News newspaper. He added that security forces had killed 15 militants and wounded three others in local fighting. The clashes are part of the Islamic State group’s action against attempts by Iraqi government forces to retake the region.
Libya: The Libyan Army’s spokesman Colonel Ahmed Mismari says that the Libyan Cement Company hired contractors from the Russian security company RSB Group to clear mines at its Benghazi plant, according to Russian Sputnik news agency. The clarification came in response to reports by Reuters that regional leader Khalifa Haftar had hired the contractors directly. Libyan Air Force Brigadier General Mohammed Manfour confirmed to Sputnik that Libya had no contracts with Russian private military companies. He added that the Libyan cement company had an agreement with a British insurance company that required it to clear the plant from mines, explosives and other remnants of military operations.
PPC Zimbabwe boss blasts cement imports from Zambia 20 March 2017
Zimbabwe: PPC Zimbabwe’s managing director Kelibone Masiyane has said that duty on cement imports has done little to discourage the market. The government introduced a 25% duty on every 100t of imported cement in 2016, according to the NewsDay newspaper. He singled out imports from Zambia as well as those from South Africa, Mozambique and Botswana.
“In addition to liquidity challenges, we continued to face pressure from cheap imports. Government has tried to assist by introducing duty on imported cement, but the reality on the ground is that imports continue to pour in, particularly from Zambia,” said Masiyane. Despite this he added that PPC Zimbabwe was confident that the local economy would pick up in 2017 supported by infrastructure projects.
The Cement and Concrete Institute of Zimbabwe lobbied the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to ban imported cement in 2016. In a paper it suggested including a protection tariff to equate the landed price of imported cement to the cost of the local product, granting of import licences to local producers, cancelling or reviewing all issued permits that are circulating in the country and lowering duty on raw materials.
Lafarge Zambia pushes cement exports in 2016 20 March 2017
Zambia: Lafarge Zambia’s export volumes of cement and clinker rose by 53% year-on-year in 2016. Domestic sales volumes fell by 42%, its sales revenue fell by 43% to US$93,000 and its profit before tax dropped significantly to US$13,000. The cement producer added that power supply issues had adversely impacted production costs at its Chilanga and Ndola plants. The company is positive in its outlook for 2017 and it is supplying building materials to large infrastructure projects including the Kafue Gorge Lower and Kenneth Kaunda International Airport.
Nigerian Government commends Dangote Cement for role in self-sufficiency in cement industry 20 March 2017
Nigeria: Kayode Fayemi, the Minister for Solid Minerals Development, has commended Dangote Cement’s role in making Nigeria self-sufficient in cement. He said that it was a success story that the country had moved from importing 60% of its cement to meeting local demand with excess available for export. The Cement Manufacturing Association of Nigeria originally declared the country ‘self sufficient’ for cement in 2012.
“We need to collaborate and partner in these areas at this time that government is trying to reduce the dependence on oil. We need to turn around our mineral resources just as in the cement sector. When you look at our solid mineral industry, there is a wide gap between what we can produce and what is consumed. Imports in these sectors is huge,” said Fayemi. He added that the government wants to replicate the success of the cement industry in other non-oil sectors to diversify the economy. He made the comments as part of a tour to the Ibese plant in Ogun State.
Dangote Cement saw its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fall in 2016 as the Nigerian economy entered a recession. Despite this it grew its revenue and sales volumes with an emphasis on growth outside of its home country. The cement producer exported 0.4Mt of cement in 2016. However, the company has also faced allegations of dumping in Ghana.
Indonesia: State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno says that President Joko Widodo is expected to inaugurate Semen Indonesia’s Rembang cement plant in April 2017. Soemarno made the comments following a visit to the plant, according to the Jakarta Post. The inauguration of the plant is dependent on environmental clearance, which should be completed in April 2017. However, the plant has been the focus of intense protests by local farmers and both the Supreme Court and a local government ruled to shut down the plant.
Camargo Corrêa to sell InterCement for US$6.5bn 20 March 2017
Brazil: Camargo Corrêa is conducting talks to sell its cement business InterCement for US$6.5bn. Two bids, including one by Mexico’s Cemex, have already been made according to the O Globo newspaper. The Brazilian conglomerate was reportedly selling a minority stake in InterCement in mid-2015 and in late-2015 its chief executive officer Vitor Hallack said it was prepared to sell its assets to cut its debts.
InterCement is the second largest cement producer in Brazil with a production capacity of 15Mt/yr and 12 integrated cement plants. The country as a whole saw its domestic sales of cement fell by 11.7% year-on-year to 57.2Mt in 2016 according to data from the Brazilian National Union of Cement Industry.
Enersize signs deal with BBMG 17 March 2017
China: Finland’s Enersize has signed a deal to provide its system for measurements and efficiency analysis of energy usage in industrial compressed air systems to the BBMG Liulihe Cement Plant. Installation of the system will start in the second quarter of 2017 and potential savings will follow after measurement data has been collected.
“BBMG fits this profile perfectly with many plants all over China and we are happy that we now have secured a first project with them,“ said Sami Mykkänen, the chief executive officer of Enersize.
Sweden: The UK’s Vortex Global has started a partnership with LM Bulk & Materialhantering (LMB) to promote its sales in Sweden. The solids and bulk handling components company plans to increase its market by targeting the growing demand for powders and granulates among Swedish manufacturers.
Vortex provides slide gates, diverters, iris valves and loading spouts designed specifically for handling dry bulk solids in gravity, vacuum, dilute or dense phase applications. LMB designs complete hardware facilities for transport, mixing and storage of powders and granules, focusing its practice in the food, chemical, plastics, cement and energy industries.