September 2024
Georgia: Gebr Pfeiffer has received an order to supply a mill for HeidelbergCement Group’s Kaspi plant. The vertical roller mill will be used in a new 3000t/day kiln line at the site. The order was placed through the China’s Sinoma Chengdu in November 2016.
The type MPS 4000 B mill, equipped with a SLS 3750 B type classifier, has been designed for a capacity of 270t/hr of raw meal. The mill will be delivered with an enlarged housing to allow the raw material with a moisture of up to 10% to be dried almost exclusively with the available preheater gases.
Commissioning of the plant is scheduled for 2018.
Senegal introduces new cement tax 10 January 2017
Senegal: The government of Senegal has introduced a tax of US$4.84/t of cement with effect from 2 January 2017. The tariff will apply to cement from the country’s three cement plants run by Ciments du Sahel, Sococim and Dangote, according to the Quotidien newspaper. Vendors are expected to pass the cost onto consumers with higher prices.
Cement production rose by 10% year-on-year to 5.15Mt in the first 10 months of 2016 from 4.68Mt in the same period in 2015 at the Ciments du Sahel and Sococim plants, according to data from the Directorate of Forecasting and Economic Studies (DPEE), reported upon by the African Press Agency. The increase has been attributed to a 25% surge in exports, although local sales have also risen slightly.
Cemex increases offer to buy Trinidad Cement 10 January 2017
Trinidad & Tobago: Cemex has increased its offer to buy a controlling stake in Trinidad Cement. The cement producer has instructed its subsidiary Sierra Trading to make a higher offer and take-over bid with a value of US$101m with a deadline of 24 January 2017. Previously, in early December 2016 it offered US$89m. The amended offer is dependent on Cemex acquiring control of Trinidad Cement, among other conditions. In late December 2016 the directors of Trinidad Cement advised shareholders to reject Cemex’s offer because it was seen as poor value.
Nepalese cement certification delayed 09 January 2017
Nepal: Government plans to grade domestic brands of cement have been delayed due to administrative issues at the Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology (NBSM). The NBSM prepared a draft for the certification in the autumn of 2016 but it has failed to approve it internally before forwarding it to the Nepal Standard Council, according to the Himalayan Times. The delay has been blamed on the busy schedule of NBSM employees. Under the plan, cement produced by local companies will be certified under three quality categories: 33-grade, 43-grade and 53-grade cement.
Semen Indonesia sets US$449m aside for expansion in 2017 09 January 2017
Indonesia: Semen Indonesia has prepared US$449m to be spent on capital expansion upgrades in 2017 to support government infrastructure targets. The plan includes four cement plants with a total production capacity of 10.5Mt/yr, according to the Jakarta Post. The Rembang plant in Central Java and the Indarung VI plant in Padang, West Sumatra are in the final stages of construction. New plants in Aceh and Kupang are also being planned for completion in 2019 and 2020 respectively, although these projects will require additional funding. The cement producer is also planning to build two packaging plants in Bengkulu and Maluku and a 30MW waste heat power plant at its plant in Tuban, East Java.
Company corporate secretary Agung Wiharto added that Semen Indonesia has forecast a 5% rise in demand for cement in 2017 to 70Mt. This is mainly due to government plans to boost infrastructure development across the country.
Burnpur Cement blames late loan payment on demonetisation 09 January 2017
India: Burnpur Cement has blamed an ‘irregular’ non-payment to its lenders on demonetisation and a depressed market. It added that it was discussing the matter with its lenders, including the option of restructuring the debt. The cement producer operates two plants in the east of the country.
Pakistan cement sales to grow by 28Mt by 2020 says association 09 January 2017
Pakistan: The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association expects local cement sales to grow by 26 – 28Mt by 2020. It made the forecast as part of a six- month review of the industry. Chairman Sayeed Saigol said that local sales grew by 8.6% year-on-year to 19.8Mt in the first half of the country’s financial year to 30 June 2017 from 18.2Mt in the same period in the previous period. Based on current growth trends he added that the industry would need to increase its production capacity. To this end it is increasing capacity to 72.3Mt/yr from the current capacity of 46Mt/yr.
Despite the anticipated growth in cement sales Saigol defended import duties to the countries on the grounds that the government benefits from taxation of the local industry. He has also urged the government to support the industry by placing an anti-dumping duty on Iranian cement. Exports of cement fell by 3.5% year-on-year to 2.91Mt from 3.02Mt with a particular fall in exports to Afghanistan.
US: Terex Corporation has completed the sale of its Material Handling and Port Solutions (MHPS) business to Finland’s Konecranes for US$595m and Euro200m in cash and 19.6 million newly issued class B shares representing a 25% interest in Konecranes. The final transaction is subject to post-closing adjustments for cash, debt, working capital, MHPS actual 2016 EBITDA and the closing of the sale of the Stahl CraneSystems business.
“We believe that the Konecranes-MHPS combination represents compelling industrial logic that will deliver significant value to Konecranes’ customers, team members and shareholders, including Terex,” said John L Garrison, Terex president and chief executive officer.
Terex Corporation is a manufacturer of lifting and material processing products and services.
Minister inaugurates Ain El Kebira cement plant 06 January 2017
Algeria: Abdesslam Bouchouareb, the Minister of Industry and Mining, has inaugurated the second production unit at the Ain El Kebira (SCAEK) cement plant near Setif. The new unit will have a cement production capacity of 2Mt/yr, according to the Algerian Press Service. The plant is controlled by the government backed Groupe Industriel des Ciments d'Algérie (GICA).
Bouchouare announced that the 1.5Mt/yr Adrar cement plant is due to be commissioned by April 2017 and the 2Mt/yr Chlef plant by October 2017. He added that national cement production is expected to increase by 5.5Mt/yr in 2017, allowing Algeria to export its surplus by early 2018.
Bunting Magnetics to acquire Master Magnets in UK 05 January 2017
UK: Bunting Magnetics, a US company specialising in the magnet and magnetic equipment sector, has signed an agreement to acquire Master Magnets, a UK-based manufacturer of magnetic separation equipment. The Redditch-based firm produces magnetic separation, recycling and metal detection equipment to several industries worldwide including the mining, quarrying and aggregate sectors. No value or terms for the deal has been disclosed.
“Master Magnets has deep customer relationships in new markets for us such as mining, quarrying and aggregates. We are especially excited to now be able to offer a large range of ATEX approved electromagnets and mineral separation equipment,” said Simon Ayling, Managing Director of Bunting Magnetics Europe. Ayling will assume operations management responsibility of this new division following the purchase.
Master Magnets was founded in 1978 and currently has 26 employees. The company designs, manufacturers and services a line of industrial magnetic separation equipment including eddy current separators, permanent and electro magnets, including overband magnets, drum magnets and suspension magnets. The company also supplies a range of mineral separation equipment for customers around the world. The company will continue to operate out of its Redditch headquarters in the UK.