September 2024
SEA-Invest orders Samson Eco Hopper for project in Ivory Coast 16 November 2016
UK: SEA-Invest has placed an order for an Eco Hopper from Samson Materials Handling, part of Aumund Group, destined for operation in the Ivory Coast. This product is designed to receive dry bulk materials such as cement clinker, limestone, gypsum and slag from a mobile harbour crane. The Eco Hopper will discharge onto a high-level quayside conveyor at a rate of 1200t/hour or via a dedicated outlet direct to trucks at 700t/hour.
“In a competitive market we need to ensure our service offering is reliable and value for money. Environmental responsibility is something that we take seriously at SEA-Invest. We endeavour to provide efficient, cost effective and environmentally appropriate service and we look forward to developing our port facilities with Samson,” said Sébastien Ghesquiere, Director of SEA-Tech, an engineering subsidiary of SEA-Invest.
Siam Cement orders vertical roller mill from Loesche 16 November 2016
Thailand: Siam Cement has ordered a LM 56.3+3 CS vertical roller mill from Loesche for its cement plant in Kaeng Khoi. The mill will produce medium-fine cement qualities and is designed for grinding clinker, gypsum and limestone. The cement producer previously ordered a LM 56.3+3 CS mill from Loesche for its Ta Luang cement plant in 2014.
Sherpa and European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights take legal action against Lafarge over operations in Syria 16 November 2016
France: Sherpa and the ECCHR (European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights), as well as 11 complainants who are former Syrian employees of Lafarge, are taking legal action against Lafarge and its subsidiary Lafarge Cement Syria (LCS) for its actions in Syria. The non-government organisations have accused the cement producer of conducting business with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a terrorist group, via its Jalabiya cement plant.
“The Lafarge case highlights once again how multinationals doing business in conflict zones can directly fuel armed conflicts and contribute to grave human rights violations committed therein. Companies like Lafarge must be held accountable,” said Miriam Saage-Maaß, Vice Legal Director at ECCHR.
Sherpa and the ECCHR have accused LCS of entering into arrangements with ISIS in order to maintain production, by paying for passes issued by the jihadist organisation and buying raw materials necessary for cement production such as oil and pozzolana in areas under ISIS’s control. They have also accused Lafarge of reckless endangerment given that the plant continued to operate in the conflict zone. LCS repatriated its expatriate staff in 2012 but it kept its Syrian employees working at the site. Subsequently, when the plant was attacked, Sherpa and the ECCHR say that the local employees were forced to escape on their own.
PPC reports progress of cement plant projects in Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia 16 November 2016
South Africa: PPC has reported update on projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Ethiopia. In the DRC it said that engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract work from Sinoma is complete and overall the cement plant it is building is 90% complete. Power infrastructure is being built at present and hot commissioning at the site will start once this is in place. Sales of cement are scheduled to start in February 2017.
In Ethiopia the cement producer has planned to commission its 1.4Mt/yr Habesha plant in the second quarter of 2017. Plant construction is reported as ‘progressing well’ with overall project progress above 80%, civil construction 94% complete, mechanical erection at 66% and 95% of equipment manufactured and delivered to site. The project has a budget of US$180m.
LafargeHolcim increases stake in Ambuja Cement and ACC 16 November 2016
India: LafargeHolcim has increased its shareholding in Ambuja Cement and ACC via its subsidiary Holderind Investments. It now owns 63% of Ambuja Cement’s shares and 4.5% of ACC’s shares. The group will pay for the additional stakes in Indian Rupees. The impact on LafargeHolcim’s net debt will be Euro302m. It described India as one of LafargeHolcim’s key markets with solid long-term fundamentals and a clear potential for further improvement in business performance.
Federal Trade Commission approves request by HeidelbergCement and Italcementi to sell Martinsburg cement plant 16 November 2016
US: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has approved an application from HeidelbergCement and Italcementi to sell the Essroc cement plant in Martinsburg, West Virginia, eight cement terminals in the mid-Atlantic region and related assets to Argos USA, a subsidiary of Cementos Argos. The divestiture was required by the FTC’s August 2016 final order settling charges that the US$4.2bn merger of HeidelbergCement and Italcementi would be likely to harm competition in five regional markets for cement in the US. The Commission vote to approve the divestiture was 3-0.
Jens Wegmann stands down as CEO of Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions 16 November 2016
Germany: Jens Michael Wegmann is standing down as CEO of Thyssenkrupp’s Industrial Solutions division with immediate effect and leaving the company. Wegmann accepted a golden bracelet for his wife from a Pakistani business partner, according to Reuters.
“I made a mistake which I greatly regret and I am now paying the consequences. I realise that my conduct in my dealings with a sales partner was not in line with Thyssenkrupp’s values and that I can no longer credibly drive the necessary changes at Industrial solutions. For this reason I am standing down as CEO of Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions – irrespective of legal issues and the findings of the on-going internal investigation. I would like to wish all employees the very best for the future and every success in the continuing implementation of the transformation,” said Wegmann in a statement.
Stefan Gesing, chief financial officer of Industrial Solutions, will assume Jens Michael Wegmann’s duties and serve as chair of the business area board on an acting basis. The group will decide on a permanent successor in a structured process.
Bharat Heavy Electricals wins orders in Togo and Benin 15 November 2016
Togo/Benin: Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHE) has been awarded an order by Norway’s Scancem International, part of Heidelberg Cement group, to supply motors for Ciments Du Togo and Cimbenin. The motors will be manufactured and supplied by BHE's Bhopal plant.
East African Portland Cement brings in the auditors 15 November 2016
Kenya: East African Portland Cement (EAPC) has hired Ernst & Young to conduct a forensic audit of its business following reports that the company is technically bankrupt and may have lost around US$7.1m worth of stock from its warehouses since 2014. Cement stock valued at US$4m went missing in Kenya and US$3.1m disappeared in Uganda, according to the Business Daily newspaper. Ernst & Young started work for the state-owned cement producer in early November 2016.
PPC Zimbabwe commissions Msasa cement grinding plant 15 November 2016
Zimbabwe: PPC Zimbabwe has commissioned its 0.7Mt/yr cement grinding plant in Msasa. The plant was built by China’s Sinoma International for a cost of US$85m.
At a tour of the plant PPC Zimbabwe managing director, Kelibone Masiyane complained about the cost of electricity in the country compared to its neighbours. “If you go to Zambia, they charge US$0.06 and we are setting up a plant in Ethiopia, where they charge about US$0.03. As such, competing in other countries will be difficult for Zimbabwe. Transporting cement from Botswana is quite expensive, so we are hoping that the plant will help with that,” he said in comments reported by the News Day newspaper. He added that the cost of electricity in Zimbabwe is US$0.15. Ideally PPC Zimbabwe would like to export cement to Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique.