September 2024
China: SOCAM Development has agreed to sell a 35% stake in Nanjing Jiangnan Cement for US$22.1m to Country Garden. Nanjing Jiangnan Cement produces and trades cement in Nanjing. SOCAM Development plans to sell its remaining 25% stake in Nanjing Jiangnan Cement to Country Garden at a later date, according to ET Net News.
Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua to restructure company 30 August 2016
Mexico: The board of directors of Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua (GCC) has proposed a new corporate structure to simplify GCC’s controlling shareholder structure and make such structure clearer to investors. The restructuring, if approved by GCC’s shareholders, will consist of a merger between two entities controlling GCC into GCC, in which GCC would be the surviving entity.
Once the corporate restructuring is finalised, GCC’s principal direct shareholder will be Cancem, which will hold a majority and controlling interest in the shares of GCC. In addition, as a result of the proposed corporate restructuring, if approved by GCC’s shareholders as proposed, Cemex will own a direct stake equal to 23% of the outstanding share capital of GCC and a minority stake in Camcem. Cemex has expressed that it expects to hold its interest in Camcem as a long-term investment and will therefore remain an indirect minority shareholder of GCC.
The proposed corporate restructuring has been approved by the Mexican competition regulator, the Comisión Federal de Competencia Económica, and will require the approval of GCC’s shareholders to be completed.
Cemex amends US asset sale to Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua 30 August 2016
US: Cemex and Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua (GCC) have amended the terms of a sale of assets to GCC previously announced in early May 2016. The assets being sold by an affiliate of Cemex to an affiliate of GCC in the US have changed and mainly consist of Cemex’s cement plant in Odessa, Texas, two cement terminals and the building materials business in El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Cemex’s cement plant in Lyons, Colorado and cement terminal in Florence, Colorado are no longer part of the assets being sold to GCC. Upon closing of this transaction GCC will pay Cemex US$306m.
The sale is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval from the US competition authorities and GCC’s shareholders, as well as GCC obtaining financing to purchase the assets. The deal is expected to be completed before the end of 2016.
Nepal: Shubhashree Agni Cement Udhyog has placed an order for a Loesche Mill LM 35.2+2CS for the cement grinding section of its 700t/day integrated plant being built at Jaluke-6, district Arghakhachi. The order is Loesche India’s first in Nepal.
The order scope includes a mill fan and metal detector. The mill, designed for grinding Portland Slag Cement, will produce at a capacity of 62t/hr with a fineness of 3500 Blaine. The mill will also produce Ordinary Portland Cement and Portland Pozzolana Cement at capacities of 60t/hr and 76t/hr respectively. The mill will be delivered in a period of 10 months.
Other installations of the LM 35.2+2CS have been in operation at Deccan Cement, Bhavanipuram, since 2001, and to Sri Balaha Chemicals’ Hindupur plant for grinding slag at 4000 Blaine.
Loesche India has sold over 110 vertical roller mills for the grinding of raw material, coal and cement to various clients in India and South Asia. It is based in Delhi, National Capital Region.
Mark Towe to retire from board of CRH 30 August 2016
Ireland: Mark Towe has confirmed his intention to retire from the CRH Board at the end of 2016. Towe, who joined CRH in 1997 and was appointed a CRH Director in July 2008, will continue in his role as Chairman, CRH Americas.
SCG launches Masonry Cement to Myanmar 26 August 2016
Myanmar: SCG has launched Masonry Cement, its first bespoke product for the Myanmar market. The brand of cement is targeted for applications in plastering and bricklaying, according to the Myanmar Business Today newspaper.
“This Masonry Cement is specialised for the Myanmar market. Based on customers’ choices, they can use this cement or our former cement products. This new product has strength in bonding cement. Some unqualified cements provide less bonding in plastering. This new product will reduce waste and expenditure,” said Attapong Sathitmanotham, SCG’s Myanmar Country Director.
ARM Cement seeks US$138m investment from CDC Group 26 August 2016
Kenya: ARM Cement intends to use US$138m investment from the UK government-owned fund CDC Group to finance the construction of a new cement plant in Kitui County. The cement producer is Chief executive Pradeep Paunrana said that more details on the proposed 2.5Mt/yr plant would be released after shareholders’ approval of the development finance institution’s proposed investment in return for a 40.66% stake in the cement manufacturer, according to the Daily Nation newspaper. The project is planned to be completed by 2021. Nigerian company Dangote Cement is also building a cement plant in the same area.
Zimbabwe: Chinese cement producer Mortal Investments Manufacturing Company is building a US$10m grinding plant in Redcliff, Midlands province with a production capacity of 1Mt/yr. It is the second cement project in the province following the Sino Zimbabwe Cement plant near Gweru, according to the Financial Gazette newspaper. 400 jobs will be created at the site. The plant is also expected to benefit from slag from the nearby Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company (ZISCO) steel plant at Kwekwe.
Philippines: Cement sales have risen by 10.7% year-on-year to 13.2Mt in the first half of 2016 due to increased government spending on infrastructure and improved private sector involvement in construction. Ernesto Ordoñez, president of the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines, also cited good weather as helping drive up sales, in comments made to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Private sector construction constitutes 76% of cement sales, while public construction projects use the remaining 24%.
Arghakhanchi Cement plant prepares for US$38.5m upgrade 26 August 2016
Nepal: Arghakhanchi Cement plans to spend US$38.5m to increase both its clinker and cement production capacities to 3000t/day by October 2017. At present the plant has a clinker capacity of 1200t/day and a cement capacity of 1000t/day, according to the Kathmandu Post. Managing director Rajesh Agrawal added that the company has signed a deal worth US$9.32m to order vertical roller mills from FLSmidth as part of the upgrade.
Local industrial groups Siddhartha, Murarka and Kedia hold stakes of 35%, 30% and 17.5% respectively in the cement producer. Uma Cement, an Indian company, owns the remaining 17.5% stake. Arghakhanchi Cement was originally known as Dynasty Cement.