September 2024
Cemengal completes commissioning at Cemindo 29 September 2016
Indonesia: Cemengal has completed the commissioning period for Cemindo in Medan. Two Plug&Grind XL units are operational at the site, allowing the cement producer to sell nearly 0.5Mt/yr of cement. A third unit is also due to start work in the country in the next few months.
Emami Cement wins limestone-mining lease in Rajasthan 29 September 2016
India: Emami Cement has won a limestone-mining lease in Rajasthan for a cost of US$4.5/t. The lease is for the Nagapur 3B1b Deh block that has an estimated reserve of 168Mt. It is the first non-coal mining lease to be sold via auction in the state, according to the Financial Express. Emami Cement will also have to pay royalties and make contributions to the district mineral foundation and national mineral exploration trust once it starts operation. Mining is expected to start in about 18 months subject to land acquisition, project planning and environmental clearance.
HeidelbergCement starts upgrade at Kaspi Plant 29 September 2016
Georgia: HeidelbergCement has started work to upgrade its Kaspi plant with a new dry-process production line. The project officially started on 27 September 2016 with Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili laying a foundation stone at the site.
“We welcome that today HeidelbergCement is starting an US$100m investment project on the Kaspi plant for full modernisation of the plant and constructing a dry line for clinker production. This project will make the production process more efficient,” said Kvirikashvili.
Ecocem step forward 28 September 2016
Once again Ecocem has shone the torch this week for a rare thing within Europe these days: a growing cement company. Its latest project is an import terminal in Sweden, as part of a deal with Bolidan, which launched on 22 September 2016. This supports an arrangement to supply cement for the Boliden Garpenberg mine. The agreement also includes supply for the Boliden Tara Mines in Ireland.
This follows the announcement to build a new slag grinding plant in Dunkirk, France in early September 2016 and the opening of a new terminal in Runcorn, UK earlier in the year. The 1.4Mt/yr Dunkirk plant is a joint-venture with the steelmaker ArcelorMittal, intended to target markets in north of France and in the UK. Once complete it will join Ecocem’s growing collection of grinding units in Ireland, France and the Netherlands. The slag-cement producer operates a 0.35Mt/yr plant at Dublin, a 0.7Mt/yr plant at Fos in the south of France and a 0.35Mt/yr plant at Moerdijk under its subsidiary Orcem Netherlands.
The focus on the UK makes sense given that Ecocem said that it had made commitments to sell more product in the UK in its first year than its total domestic sales in 2016. This followed the situation where, prior to entering the British market, Ecocem had to stop taking orders in the short term due to demand. If this is actually the case then it is unsurprising to note that Ecocem is also building a second UK terminal at Sheerness at the mouth of the River Thames near to London. As an aside, Francis Flower bought the Scunthorpe ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) plant from Hanson Cement in mid-2015 after the local market regulator requested the sale.
As Charlie Zeynel, ZAG International, says in an interview to be published in the October 2016 issues of Global Cement Magazine, that supplementary cementitous materials, including slags, in cement blends has grown worldwide, particularly in Europe and Japan, where GGBS cement represents around 25% and 30% of cement sales respectively. Zeynel goes on to say that GGBS usage is set to rise in other parts of the world, particularly the US, but this helps to explain the market Ecocem is operating in within northern Europe.
Ecocem seems well aware of the potential for slag cements in the US because it is attempting to build a Euro45m grinding plant Vallejo, California under its Orcem Americas subsidiary. The process has so far been dogged by planning problems at the proposed site as well as organised local opposition, which does not want a new industrial plant in the neighbourhood and issues such as the increased traffic it would bring. The irony here is that Ecocem bills itself as an environmentally friendly cement producer. Yet even environmentally-friendly cement needs to be manufactured and taken to site.
To misquote Kermit the Frog: it’s not easy selling green cement. However, Ecocem’s progress in Europe is encouraging both in the UK and the wider area. Roll on the opening of the Sheerness terminal.
Find out more about Ecocem's operations here: www.ecocem.fr/en/
FLSmidth and NHI Group sign joint-venture agreement for mining equipment 28 September 2016
China: FLSmidth and Northern Heavy Industries Group (NHI Group), based in Shenyang, have signed an agreement to enter into a joint-venture, with an equal amount of shares, for the design and supply of mining equipment targeting the mid-market segment. The joint venture will be established with its own board of directors and management under the name NHI-Fuller (Shenyang) Mining (NHI-Fuller), which will financially report results as part of the Minerals Division in FLSmidth. Subject to obtaining regulatory approval, it is anticipated that NHI-Fuller will be operational in the first quarter of 2017.
"In 2014, we announced that part of our strategy in the Minerals Division was to enter the expanding mid-market for mining equipment. With the NHI Group, we have now found a perfect industrial partner for this quest," said Group Executive Vice President of the Minerals Division in FLSmidth, Manfred Schaffer.
The NHI-Fuller products will be designed for the needs of mid-market or capital expenditure sensitive customers in the mining industry and will be marketed under the NHI-Fuller brand name. While the initial focus will be to supply crushing products, the goal of the joint venture will be to become the leading mid-market mining equipment supplier for other product lines as well.
Claudius Peters receives silo order from Cesla cement plant 28 September 2016
Russia: Claudius Peters has received an order to supply four silo conversions and a new loading plant, consisting of four loading bins at the 0.8Mt/yr Slantsev ‘Celsa’ cement plant near St Petersberg, owned by HeidelbergCement . As part of the modification works, the storage silos will be equipped with new bottom aeration and new discharge systems. The order is part of an upgrade to raise the plant’s production capacity to 1.2Mt/yr.
To convey the cement to the new loading plants, Claudius Peters will install two Fluidcon lines each, with a capacity of 300t/hour each, supplied with Claudius Peters X-pumps. Four truck loading plants with a capacity of 200t/hour will also be installed.
Qazax Sement Zavodu cement plant merges with concrete producer 28 September 2016
Azerbaijan: The Qazax Sement Zavodu LLC cement plant has merged with the Akkord Beton LLC concrete plant. The Ministry of Taxes of Azerbaijan reported the merger.
Nigeria: A new 2.5Mt/yr production line at the UNICEM Calabar cement plant is set to start production in October 2016. The subsidiary of LafargeHolcim will employ 1024 workers, comprising 539 expatriates and 485 local staff, according to Today Digital.
Eagle Cement to hold groundbreaking at Davao plant in October 2016 28 September 2016
Philippines: Eagle Cement plans to hold the groundbreaking ceremony for its 2Mt/yr plant at Davao on 20 October 2016. The US$300m project is intended to meet demand from infrastructure development near Manila, according to the Philippines News Agency. Ramon S Ang, the owner of Eagle Cement, said that the construction of the plant is part of a plan he announced earlier in 2016 for the cement producer to help support the country's growth while strengthening its position in the industry.
China: The China Cement Association has asked the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to speed up the consolidation process in the local cement industry. According to documents seen by the South China Morning Post the cement body wants the ministry to consolidate at least 60% of the country’s cement production capacity into 10 producers by 2020. The association made its proposals in July 2016 and has since chased the ministry for a response.
Association data shows that China may have to cut 390Mt/yr of production capacity and cut 130,000 jobs in the next five years in order to maintain an adequate balance between supply and demand. Larger cement plants could also be required to exchange production quotas and seek cross holdings in equity stakes.
To aid the consolidation process, existing cement companies will pool together US$3bn in a restructuring fund. This is expected to aid the larger cement producers, including Anhui Conch, Huaxin Cement, Qilianshan Cement and Sichuan Shuangma Cement.