September 2024
Belgium: Taner Aykac has been appointed the managing director of Compagnie des Ciments Belges (CCB). The board of directors has also appointed Eddy Fostier as general manager of the company.
Aykac, a Belgian national aged 53 years, holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a MBA. He started his career in the agrochemical sector for Pioneer Overseas Corporation/DuPont in 1988 and subsequently worked for chemical and pharmaceutical multinationals such as Ciba-Geigy, Novartis and Zeneca, where he held various senior roles until 2000 before working for Syngenta Group. In 2011, Aykac was appointed CEO of Cimentas, a Cementir Group subsidiary in the Turkish cement and ready-mixed concrete business, contributing to the reorganisation of the company. He worked in Turkey until the end of 2015.
Panalytical launches benchtop X-ray powder diffractometer 01 November 2016
Netherlands: Panalytical has launched Aeris, a benchtop version of its X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) line. The system offers high data quality and speed of data acquisition for its power requirements and the manufacturers say that it is the first benchtop XRD system that is fully automatable and can easily be incorporated in industrial production control. The diffractometer is available in a number of different models tailored for the cement, minerals and metals industries. Additionally, a research model is available.
Cement plant jobs threatened in Kashmir unrest 01 November 2016
India: The closure of eight cement plants in the Kashmir region due to on-going protests has put the jobs of 50,000 workers in jeopardy. A worker who has spoken to the Greater Kashmir newspaper has said that his factory has been closed since early July 2016 and he has not been paid in that period. Local cement producers are estimated to have lost US$45m as importers have benefitted.
Dangote Cement defends conduct in Ghana 01 November 2016
Ghana: Dangote Cement has defended its conduct against accusations of tax evasion, dumping and other unfair trade practices by local cement producers. Tor Nygard, managing director of Dangote Cement Ghana, defended the Nigerian company at a press conference in Tema saying that the company's entry into the local market had stabilised the price of cement and strengthened competition, according to the Business and Financial Times newspaper. He also described the attacks by market competitors as ‘smear tactics.’
The Cement Manufacturers Association of Ghana (CMAG), representing local cement producers such as Ghacem and Diamond Cement, lobbied the Ghanaian government in October 2016 calling for a ban on imports of cement.
Nygard dismissed accusations of dumping cement in Ghana from Nigeria and confirmed that the company pays all the relevant taxes on its imports. He added that Ghacem and Diamond Cement employ 3000 workers after 55 years of operation but that Dangote Cement employs 2000 workers in the country after only six years of operation. Finally, he detailed plans for the company’s new US$100m cement grinding plant in Takoradi that is due to be commissioned at the end of 2017.
Algeria to stop importing cement in 2017 says minister 01 November 2016
Algeria: Abdessalem Bouchouareb, the Minister of Industry and Mining, has said that his country will stop importing cement in 2017. He made the comments at a visit to the China Triumph International Engineering (CTIEC) cement plant being built at Adrar, according to the Algeria Press Service. The plant is nearly 90% complete and due to be commissioned at the end of 2016.
"The year 2017 will mark the end of cement imports in Algeria, with the commissioning of all cement plants across the country, whose total annual production capacity is expected to reach 6Mt," said Bouchouareb. He added that industrial projects will allow the country to achieve self-sufficiency in cement and begin to export it.
Japan: Ube Group’s sales of cement have fallen by 7.2% year-on-year to US$1.05bn in the first half of its 2016 financial year that ended on 30 September 2016 from US$1.13bn in the same period in 2015. Its operating income fell by 24.5% to US$69.8m from US$93.8m. The company blamed this on sluggish demand for cement domestically and low market prices for exports despite buoyant volumes. Overall the group reported that its total new sales fell by 13.1% to US$2.69bn from US$3.09bn.
Star Ferro sets up subsidiary in Myanmar 31 October 2016
Myanmar: Star Ferro and Cement's subsidiary Star Cement has incorporated a subsidiary called 'Star Century Global Cement' in Myanmar. It said the new company has been created to provide ‘engineering, technical, financial, management and skilled and other services relating to prospecting and exploration of mines and minerals’ in the country. It also intends to offer technical consultancy services for exploration, mining, process, engineering and operating data.
Lafarge Jordan to start building 15MW solar power unit in 2017 31 October 2016
Jordan: Lafarge Jordan is set to start building a 15MW solar power unit for its Rashadiya cement plant in early 2017. The power plant, which is being built by Adenium Energy Capital, is expected to be operational by the third quarter of 2017, according to the Jordan Times newspaper. The agreement between Adenium and Lafarge was signed in late October 2016.
“This is an important milestone for the domestic industrial sector in general and the cement industry in particular as this agreement emphasises the positive role that industries can play in using alternative and renewable energy resources,” said Lafarge Jordan’s chief executive officer Amr Reda. This project will also follow the national Jordanian strategy for renewable energy launched by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in 2015.
Algerian investors to buy ASEC Algeria for US$60m 31 October 2016
Algeria: A group of Algerian investors have agreed a share purchase framework to buy 100% of ASEC Algeria from ASEC Cement and ASEC Cement Djelfa Offshoren for US$60m. ASEC Cement is an Egypt-based producer and supplier of cement and other construction materials. ASEC Cement Djelfa Offshoren is a subsidiary of ASEC Cement, a subsidiary of Qalaa Holdings.
Cementos Portland Valderrivas board approves sale of Giant Cement Holding to Elementia 31 October 2016
US: The board of Cementos Portland Valderrivas (CPV) has approved the sale of a 55% stake in its US subsidiary Giant Cement Holding to Elementia. The deal includes a US$220m capital increase in Giant Cement with subscription rights granted to Elementia, according to SeeNews. Elementia will also extend a loan of around US$305m to Giant Cement. In addition CPV will transfer up to US$66m in loans to Giant Cement to keep its remaining stake in the American cement producer at 45%.