September 2024
FLSmidth awarded project by El Sewedy Cement 07 March 2017
Egypt: FLSmidth has been awarded an order from El Sewedy Cement Company to build a cement production line at Ain Soukhna in Suez Governorate. The order is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2018.
The full scope of the order includes an OK 39-4 vertical mill for raw grinding, EV 250x300 Hammer Impact Crusher, stacker and reclaimer systems for storage, QCX quality control system, ECS/ControlCenter control system, Rotax-2 rotary kiln with low NOx ILC calciner, Jetflex burner and a FLSmidth Cross-Bar cooler. The OK mill and Rotax-2 kiln will be the first of these models to be installed in Egypt. Additional equipment in the order includes planetary gear units from FLSmidth MAAG Gear, electrostatic precipitators and fabric filters from FLSmidth Airtech, a control system and plant automation from FLSmidth Automation and weighing and metering systems from FLSmidth Pfister.
"This order reflects the strong relations we have had with one of the biggest industry groups in Egypt for almost a decade. Working closely with El Sewedy Cement Company, we assist them in improving productivity and operational excellence," said Group Executive Vice President, Cement Division, Per Mejnert Kristensen.
Brunei modifies cement import process 07 March 2017
Brunei: The Energy and Industry Department at the Prime Minister’s Office (EIDPMO) has released information on its new policy for importing cement and the connected application process following the abolition of the previous method on 1 January 2017. Officials say that the changes are intended to open up the cement market in the country, increase competition, offer more market choice and reduce the price of cement amongst other aims, according to the Borneo Bulletin newspaper. Cement importers are required to register, their companies need to be at least 70% locally owned and applications will last two years. Personal allowances for citizens bringing cement across the border will be limited to two bags per vehicle.
Philippines: Eagle Cement is planned an initial public offering (IPO) of US$183m to partly pay for a US$249m cement plant it wants to build in Cebu. The plant will have a cement production capacity of 2Mt/yr when complete, according to the Philippines Star newspaper. The project will also include building a distribution centre and marine terminals in Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao regions. Additional financing will be sourced though debt funding and internal sources. Construction is scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2017 and the project is anticipated to be finished in the first quarter of 2010.
Philippines: The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) is preparing to investigate the cement industry for alleged violations of competitive practice. It says it has found reasonable grounds to proceed to a full administrative investigation on the cement industry for possible violations of Sections 14 and 15 of the Philippine Competition Act, according to the Philippine Star newspaper. This follows a legal statement by Victorio Dimagiba, a former trade undersecretary, in August 2016 accusing the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CEMAP), LafargeHolcim Philippines and Republic Cement and Building Materials of engaging in anti-competitive agreements.
Dimagiba has accused the cement producers of striking illegal agreements including, “restricting competition as to price or components thereof or other terms of trade, abusing their dominant position by engaging in conduct that substantially prevents, restricts, or lessens competition, imposing barriers to entry, or committing acts that prevent competitors from growing within the market.” He has also alleged that Ernesto Ordonez, the head of CEMAP, has used the trade association to justify violating the Philippine Competition Act, as well as maintaining prices of domestic cement in the retail market ‘unreasonably’ high.
Ordonez responded to the claims saying that he was puzzled about the PCC’s decision and that CEMAP had not been informed about a preliminary inquiry.
Jordan: The General Association for Construction Workers has opposed Lafarge Jordan's decision to give workers at its Fuheis cement plant a three-month paid holiday. The worker’s body has requested that Lafarge provide staff with guarantees that they will receive their full rights after the holiday period ends, according to the Jordan Times. The paid leave started on 2 March 2017 and was implemented to reduce costs at the plant. Clinker production stopped at the plant in 2013 and cement grinding and packaging stopped in July 2016. Around 200 workers are affected by the arrangements.
Myanmar: Mawlamyine Cement has been ordered to conduct an additional environmental impact assessment at its Kyaikmayaw cement plant in Mon State. The government has requested that a third party conduct the study at the site, according to the Daily Eleven newspaper. Issues with coal use, transportation of finished products via river and emissions have been raised by the Environmental Conservation Department. The cement producer has also been asked to include residents in the assessment to ensure transparency of the process.
Mawlamyine Cement is a joint venture between Thailand’s Siam Cement Group and Pacific Link Cement Industries. The 1.8Mt/yr plant was built for US$400m and was scheduled to start production in late 2016.
Bestway Cement hires Sinoma to build plant at Farroqia 06 March 2017
Pakistan: Bestway Cement plans to set-up a 6000t/day integrated cement plant at its Farroqia site in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. It has signed an agreement with China’s Sinoma International Engineering Company to build the plant. No cost for the project or a scheduled timescale has been released.
India: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has decided to form a multi-disciplinary committee to examine the possibility of building cement plants near to power plants to use fly ash. The decision was taken at the ministry's Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for thermal power projects in mid-February 2017 following a directive by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in January 2017, according to the Mint newspaper.
"Only 20 - 30% of fly ash is being currently used in making Pozzolana Portland Cement (PPC). Though there are technologies available worldwide for using 80% of fly ash in cement manufacturing, it is not practised in India for various reasons," said an expert committee convened by the ministry.
A sub-committee may be formed with the representative Ministry of Mines, Ministry of Power, CEA (Central Electricity Authority), Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and Ministry of Coal to examine the issue. In 2015, about 180Mt of fly ash was produced across India and by 2025 it is estimated to reach 300Mt/yr. Unused fly ash is typically dumped into ash ponds.
Demonetisation likely to deliver Indian cement industry first fall in volumes since 2001 06 March 2017
India: A report by HDFC Securities suggests that the Indian cement industry will witness its first decline in cement sales volumes since 2001 due to demonetisation. The research by Ankur Kulshrestha and Sarfaraz Singh says that cement volumes fell by 13% year-on-year in January 2017 following a 9% decline in December 2016. They added that cement demand, although weak, is recovering from the shock with the south of the country least effected.
"Our channel checks across the country show cement demand, though still weak, is recovering from the effect of this move. Though states undergoing political processes (Uttar Pradesh and Punjab) are an exception to this recovery as of now, there is a possibility demand may pick up once the government formation is complete," said Kulshrestha and Singh. They added that energy prices contributed much of a surge of cement industry profitability in the last financial year or so.
Pakistan: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has found that Zeal Pak Cement dodged paying US$19.7m to the authorities via tax evasion and money laundering schemes. As well as underpaying tax on imports of cement the cement producer also sent money to Iran, according to the National Herald Tribune newspaper. The FBR was alerted to the malpractice mid-way through importing a 86,500t consignment of Ordinary Portland Cement that was subsequently impounded. Zeal Pak Cement is also accused of fabricating false invoices and other documents.