September 2024
FCT Combustion report service updates in the Americas 14 November 2016
US: FCT Combustion has reported service updates to its clients in Ecuador, the US and Canada.
Hormicreto in Cuenca, Ecuador is preparing for commissioning of its G-Jet Hot Gas Generator for alternative liquid fuels firing, with a thermal capacity of 5.2MW. The system will provide hot air for the raw and cement swing mill application. FCT is responsible for the complete supply from the waste oil tank to the hot gas generator. Hormicreto is also commissioning a new riser duct natural gas firing system. FCT has also supplied two K-Jet Calciner Burners at the riser.
The Lehigh Cement Leeds plant in Alabama, US has awarded FCT with a new contract for a natural gas firing system for their riser duct. The system, rated at 30MW, will consist of a NPFA 86 Valve Train and K-JetCalciner Burner.
St Marys Cement, part of the Votorantim Group, has ordered, via Arctic Combustion, two K-Jet Calciner Burners for natural gas at the riser for its Ontario, Canada plant. The K-Jet Burner has a cutter block system that adjusts gas velocity on the fly during operation.
The CRH Mississauga plant in Canada has hired FCT to make an audit of several of its pieces of combustion equipment of the plant.
Dalmia Cement commits to 100% renewable power 14 November 2016
India: Dalmia Cement has committed to 100% renewable power and joined RE100, an initiate between the Climate Group and CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project). The new additions to RE100 take the total number of members to 83, and the total demand for renewable electricity being created to over 100TWhr.
“Being one of the greenest cement companies in the world, we are committed to decarbonising our operations in a way that makes business sense. We are scaling up our ambition to make a long term transition to 100% renewable power, achieving a fourfold increase in the percentage of renewable energy in our electricity consumption by 2030,” said Mahendra Singhi, Group CEO and Whole Time Director at Dalmia Cement (Bharat).
After adding 8MW solar photovoltaic capacity for its captive use, Dalmia Cement has set an interim target to increase its percentage of renewable energy consumption fourfold by 2030 compared to 2015, according to the Business Standard newspaper. Around 7% of the electricity used by Dalmia Cement, from the national grid and in-house generation, is based on renewable energy. Around 40% of the group’s locally generated power is based on renewables.
Holcim Indonesia inaugurates cement terminal in Lampung 14 November 2016
Indonesia: Holcim Indonesia has officially inaugurated its new 1Mt/yr cement terminal in South Lampung. The event was attended by the Vice Regent of South Lampung Regency, Nanang Hermanto, the representatives of the Ministry of Industry and the Board of Directors of Holcim Indonesia. The US$26m project was started in 2014 and it will process bagged and bulk cement. It is intended to serve markets in Sumatera Island, especially in Lampung.
“We want to get closer to our customers and ensure secure supply to meet local demand in Lampung. This terminal applies the latest technology and environmental-friendly equipment and a jetty to support the operation,” said Gary Schutz, President Director of Holcim Indonesia.
Schutz also addressed the country’s economic slowdown and decreasing demand for cement by calling for the government to invest in delayed infrastructure projects. He said that numerous additions to the national cement production capacity has led to a ‘drastically’ over-supplied market outpacing demand by far for the next six to 10 years.
East African Portland Cement profit falls by 42% to US$41m 11 November 2016
Kenya: East African Portland Cement’s (EAPCC) profit has fallen by 42% to US$41m in the first half of 2016 from US$70.7m in the same period of 2015. It has blamed the drop on a fall in the revaluation gain of its assets, according to the Daily Nation newspaper. Its revenue rose by 5.4% to US$87m but this was adversely affected by rising cost of sales. The cement producer asked for regulatory approval to publish its financial results after a 31 October 2016 deadline.
W&P Zement orders PSIglobal logistics system 11 November 2016
Austria: W&P Zement has chosen PSIglobal software from PSI Logistics to manage its production and delivery networks. The system offers the replication, analysis and composition of national, continental and global supply chains as well as optimal site planning.
The Austrian construction materials producer will firstly analyse the sites and transportation routes of its cement business in Austria, Italy and Slovenia with PSIglobal. In subsequent steps, the company will prepare the key performance indicators determined with the system and then report options for optimisation for the network through structured evaluations.
Lagan Cement picks Ctrack Online to manage fleet 11 November 2016
Ireland: Lagan Cement has chosen Ctrack Online, a vehicle tracking system, to manage its fleet. It will use the system to monitor a mixed fleet of 42 heavy goods vehicles, vans, forklift trucks and barges, improve productivity and analyse operational performance. In particular, the system will measure and analyse the performance of three barges that extract sand from Lough Neagh.
“Ctrack Online has already become an essential day-to-day tool that is helping us achieve lean operational practices, while meeting strict customer requirements and keeping them informed at all times,” said Paul Adamson, operations manager of Lagan Cement Products.
Buzzi Unicem sees cement sales rise slightly so far in 2016 11 November 2016
Italy: Buzzi Unicem’s cement sales have risen by 1.2% year-on-year to 19.5Mt for the first nine months of 2016 from 19.3Mt in the same period of 2015. Its total net sales rose slightly to Euro2bn and its earnings before interest, taxation depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 18.3% to Euro416m from Euro352m. It reported improved demand in Central Europe, Poland and Ukraine but that the US was affected by poor weather. Elsewhere, it said that the recession in Russia has lessened although its sales have continued to decline.
India: ACC has revealed that an appeal by cement producers to the Competition Appellate Tribunal (COMPAT) against a fine imposed by the Competition Commission of India in August 2016 for alleged cartel activity has succeeded in negotiating the terms of the penalty. The COMPAT has ordered that the producers deposit 10% of the US$1bn fine in a similar manner to that of a fine levied in 2012. That fine was eventually dropped in 2014 with the CCI citing a lack of evidence.
Fines totalling US$1bn were levied on ACC, ACL, Binani, Century, India Cements, JK Cement, Lafarge, Ramco, UltraTech, Jaiprakash Associates and the Cement Manufacturers Association in late August 2016 for alleged cartelisation activity.
Germany: The rating agency S&P Global Ratings has assigned a BBB-/A-3 company rating to HeidelbergCement. The classification in the Investment Grade is associated in particular with the strong business profile after the Italcementi acquisition and an improved creditworthyness. It attributed the decision to the strong market position and wide geographic diversification of HeidelbergCement following the acquisition of Italcementi.
“We are very happy about the positive rating decision by S&P,” said Bernd Scheifele, CEO of HeidelbergCement. “It is proof of the strong operating business of HeidelbergCement and the continuous improvement of our capital structure and cashflow in the last years. With the classification in the Investment Grade, we have achieved one of our core strategic targets. As a consequence, we are very well positioned to significantly enlarge our investor base and improve our financing conditions.”
S&P also upgraded the issuance ratings of Italcementi from BB/B to BBB-/A-3. The outlook on all ratings is stable.
Cementir sales rise but profit falls so far in 2016 10 November 2016
Italy: Cementir Holding’s revenue has risen by 1.8% year-on-year to Euro733m in the first nine months of 2016 from Euro720m. Its sales volumes of grey and white cement grew by 4.6% to 7.28Mt from 6.96Mt. Yet, its profit fell by 24.9% to Euro47.7m from Euro63.6m. It blamed the fall in profit indicators on foreign currency effects and poor markets in Italy and Turkey.