September 2024
Cemex to take over Trinidad Cement for US$89m 06 December 2016
Trinidad and Tobago: Cemex plans to takeover Trinidad Cement by increasing its share in the cement producer through its subsidiary Sierra Trading. It will present an offer and take-over bid to Trinidad Cement’s shareholders, which if successful, will increase its share of the company to 74.9% from the 39.5% that it holds at present. The value of the offer has been placed at US$89m. The offer is reliant on Sierra acquiring at least enough of Trinidad Cement’s shares to give it control. The offer period is expected to close on 10 January 2017.
If the offer is successful, Trinidad Cement will continue operating as previously. Trinidad Cement’s main operations are in Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados. It is the majority shareholder of Caribbean Cement Company.
South Valley Cement to consider cost of second production line 06 December 2016
Egypt: South Valley Cement is considering the cost of building a second production line following an increase in the cost of equipment from foreign suppliers due to the devualtion of the Egyptian Pound. The company’s management will meet in December 2016 to discuss the new 1.5Mt/yr line and how to pay for it, according to Daily News Egypt. The line will be built at the producer’s plant in Beni Suef’s industrial zone, increasing its overall production capacity to 3Mt/yr. It will take three years to build. South Valley Cement won a cement licence from the Industrial Development Authority in December 2016.
Locals seek compensation at Hongshi-Shivam cement plant project 05 December 2016
Nepal: Residents of Jyamire are seeking ’fair’ compensation from a quarry that Hongshi-Shivam Cement is building. Villagers have prevented Chinese technicians from the Nepal-China joint venture from working near the village, claiming that the company has ignored their complaints, according to the Kathmandu Post. Around 32 households in the region will be displaced by the mining project. The villagers are seeking compensation in excess of the rate set by the government, which they say the cement company offered them initially.
Hongshi-Shivam Cement is building a cement factory at Sardi in Nawalparasi district. It has acquired a permit from the Department of Mines and Geology to extract limestone at Jyamire in Palpa. China's Hongshi Holding Group has invested US$330m and its local partner has contributed around US$140m towards the project. The plant will have a production capacity of 6000t/day when operational and it is expected to be opened in 2017.
Dalmia Bharat Group plans US$293m investment in Odisha 05 December 2016
India: Dalmia Bharat Group plans to spend US$293m towards increasing its production capacity in Odisha. The cement producer has joined the 'Make in Odisha Conclave,' according to the Press Trust of India. It has a production capacity of 5.5Mt/yr from two plants in the state. Mahendra Singhi, Group chief executive officer of Dalmia Bharat Group, said that Odisha’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow by 12% by 2020. He added that the state government's commitment to industrial development is backed by industry-friendly policies that are already showing positive results.
DMCI to build cement plants in Philippines 05 December 2016
Philippines: DMCI Holdings is planning to spend US$180m to build a 1.7Mt/yr cement plant on Semirara Island in the Visayan Islands. The plant will also include a 0.4Mt/yr grinding mill and a captive power plant. DMCI is also planning to build three cement grinding plants in Batangas, Iloilo and Zamboanga, for a cost of US$188m, to give it access to markets throughout the country, according to the Business Mirror newspaper. The plants will be completed by 2020. Victor Limlingan, the managing director of DMCI, said that the company hopes to benefit from the government’s infrastructure spending.
Elementia completes acquisition Giant Cement 02 December 2016
US: Mexico’s Elementia has completed its acquisition of Giant Cement for US$220m from Cementos Portland Valderrivas (CPV). The board of directors has given its final approval for the purchase of the remaining 55% stake of the US cement producer giving it full control of the company. The transaction gives Elementia three cement plants, three limestone quarries, two aggregate quarries and six cement terminals, adding more than 2.8Mt/yr of cement production capacity.
“Today marks a major milestone for Elementia as we successfully enter the US cement market and take another solid step within our inorganic growth strategy. The work of our transition team is already underway to extract the tremendous value we see in Giant,” said Fernando Ruiz Jacques, chief executive officer of Elementia.
Egyptian government sells three cement licences for US$28m 02 December 2016
Egypt: The Industrial Development Authority (IDA) has tendered three licences to build new cement plants to El Sewedy Cement, South Valley Cement and Cement Egypt. The licences were sold for a total of US$28m, according to the Daily News Egypt newspaper. IDA chairman Ahmed Abdel Razek said that the three cement plants built using the new licences will have a total production capacity of 6Mt/yr. The new capacity is intended to support local infrastructure projects including the construction of a proposed new capital city.
Ohorongo Cement inaugurates plant upgrade 02 December 2016
Namibia: Ohorongo Cement has inaugurated upgrades to its cement plant in Otavi including a composite cement unit and a third packaging line. The US$10.6m expansion is expected to increase the plant’s production capacity to 1Mt/yr. Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy Kornelia Shilunga presided at the event.
The composite cement unit will enable the plant to produce various types of cement. The new packaging line will increase the plant’s packaging rate to 6800bags/hr from 4400bags/hr. Ohorongo Cement has also installed a 2t big bag filling station for special projects, aimed at optimising logistics.
The Namibian Standards Institute also certified Ohorongo Cement’s products at the inauguration for fulfilling the requirements of the Namibian Standard NAMS/EN 197-1:2014. The scope of certification covers five types of cement manufactured by Ohorongo Cement: CEM II A-LL 42.5N, CEM II B-LL 32.5N, CEM II B-V 42.5N, CEM I 42.5R, and CEM I 52.5N. The new certification should allow Ohorongo Cement to enter markets in Zambia and Botswana without additional certification and inspections.
Tanzania: Minister for Industries, Trade and Investments Charles Mwijage has confirmed that the government’s investment arrangement with Dangote Cement that were granted by former President Jakaya Kikwete's administration are still in place. He said that the government would do nothing to compromise Dangote Cement’s investment in the country and described its entry as a ‘game changer’ by reducing the price of cement, according to the Citizen newspaper. The comments were made in response to media speculation regarding a production shutdown at cement producer’s Mtwara plant.
Mwijage said that Dangote Cement could cut its production costs by using local coal or gas. The Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation has been in negotiations since October 2016 to supply gas to the cement producer. He also added that another cement producer, Engro, is considering building a cement plant and that the government is willing to offer it the same incentives as those given to Dangote Cement.
President Mahama inaugurates Ciments de l'Afrique plant in Ghana 02 December 2016
Ghana: President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated a 1Mt/yr cement plant in Tema on behalf of Ciments de l'Afrique (CIMAF), a subsidiary of Morocco’s Addoha Group. The project had an investment of Euro60m according to the Ghana News Agency. Construction started in 2014.