September 2024
Spain: Cementos Molins has reported a rise in its net profit of 65% year-on-year to Euro50.8m in 2015. The Spanish cement producer also managed to reduce its loss in the Spanish market to Euro13.1m in 2015 from Euro27.7m in 2014. Sales outside of Spain also improved, with its profit rising by 9% to Euro64m. Particular improvements were noted in Mexico (20%) and Argentina (37%), according to Expansion.
Philippines: Holcim Philippines has reported a rise in net profit of 58% year-on-year to US$171m in 2015. Its revenue rose by 15% to US$793m. It attributed the gain to increased government spending in infrastructure projects and higher construction activity. Profits also benefited from a US$55m gain from the revaluation of an investment in an affiliate. The LafargeHolcim subsidiary also reported that it is increasing its cement production capacity to 10Mt in 2016 from 8Mt in 2015 to benefit from anticipated infrastructure spending.
Cement shortage hits Pangasinan province in Philippines 02 March 2016
Philippines: A shortage of cement has been reported in the Pangasinan province due to government projects, including road widening schemes, and private construction. The local Northern Cement Corp. (NCC) plant at Sison is producing around 100,000 bags per day according to the Philippines News Agency. Despite this dealers, and buyers are reporting cement shipments selling out hours after delivery, with prices spiking accordingly.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) monitoring of the NCC plant reports that 2.2 million bags were delivered by NCC in January 2016 and 1.9 million bags were delivered from 1 – 22 February 2016. The NCC is upgrading its local plant to double production to 200,000 bags per day by mid-March 2016. The DTI has asked consumers not to panic over this ‘temporary’ shortage.
Ireland: Quinn Cement and the Warrenpoint Harbour Authority (WHA) have signed contracts to build five cement silos at Warrenpoint Harbour with a total storage capacity of 7500t dedicated to the export of bulk cement from Quinn Cement to the UK market. The 10-year deal will see WHA invest Euro3.2m into the project. Work on the project is due to commence immediately, with completion expected in September 2016.
"This is a very significant development for the business, which will allow us to provide an even stronger service offering to our UK customers as well as creating additional local job-opportunities servicing the growing UK construction sector,” said Liam McCaffrey, CEO of Quinn Industrial Holdings Limited, the holding Company for Quinn Cement.
Quinn Cement is currently in the process of extending its storage and distribution centre at Crown Wharf in Rochester, UK where it is constructing two additional storage silos to bring its total capacity at Rochester to 7400t. Construction of that extension is due to be completed at the end of March 2016. Additionally, Quinn Cement is in discussions with regard to setting up a second import facility on the UK mainland.
Matias Cardarelli appointed director at Yguazu Cementos 02 March 2016
Paraguay: Matias Cardarelli has been appointed the director of Yguazu Cementos, a joint-venture between Intercement and Concret Mix. Yguazu Cementos has a 0.4Mt/yr cement grinding plant with in Villa Hayes. Previously, Cardarelli worked for Ford Motors and Zurich Financial Services. He joined Intercement in Argentina in 2008.
India: Shailendra Chouksey, a director of JK Lakshmi Cement, has been appointed as the new president of the Cement Manufacturers' Association (CMA) for a two year term. He replaces OP Puranmalka, the managing director of Ultratech Cement. Previously Chouksey was the vice-president of the association.
"As the newly elected president of the CMA, my priority is to device methods to work with different stakeholders, including the government of India to spur the cement demand," said Chouksey.
Chouksey holds a PhD in managerial economics, an MBA in marketing from the Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi and a post-graduate degree in physics. He has worked in the cement industry for nearly 40 years.
Colombia: Cementos Argos has reported that its net consolidated income rose by 83% year-on-year to US$556m in 2015 from US$305m in 2014. Its revenue rose by 40% to US$7.91bn from US$5.67bn. The rise in profit was attributed to an increase in market profitability and operational effectiveness.
“The record-setting results obtained in 2015 are the results of a well-planned coherent work during the last decade aimed at transforming a local company into a multinational player devoted to the cement and concrete business,” said Jorge Mario Velásquez, CEO of Cementos Argos.
Overall cement production volumes for the Colombia-based multinational building materials producer rose by 14% to 14.3Mt in 2015. Cement production volumes rose by 13% to 6.2Mt in Colombia. Cement production volumes rose by 20% to 3.4Mt in the US and by 21% to nearly 4Mt in the company’s Caribbean and Central American division.
Cementos Argos also noted that it completed its US$125m expansion of its Rioclaro Plant in 2015. The upgrade has increased the plants production capacity by 0.9Mt/yr.
Cimerwa calls for cement imports to be restricted 01 March 2016
Rwanda: The management of Cimerwa has asked that the government prioritise locally-made cement, according to the New Times. Despite opening a new cement plant in mid-2015 and cutting its prices, the local producer has found it difficult to sell its product despite growth in the construction sector.
"We recognise that while the regional market is large enough for everybody, as local company, and as Rwandan consumers, we all have a duty to contribute to the economy by consuming locally-produced goods and services in order to reduce Rwanda's import bill and build local businesses," said Busisiwe Legodi, the chief executive officer of Cimerwa. The company is also considering setting up depots across Rwanda to further cut its prices.
UltraTech purchase of Jaiprakash Associates cement plants likely to complete by June 2017 01 March 2016
India: UltraTech Cement's US$2.5bn proposed acquisition of Jaiprakash Associates' cement plants is expected to be completed by June 2017, according to UltraTech Cement.
"We have to ink definitive agreements and get permission from the High Courts. This will take time. The firm expects the agreement to be finalised in the next 12 - 15 months. Expect it to consummate by June 2017," said UltraTech Cement Chief Financial Officer Atul Daga.
Daga added that UltraTech is also looking at alternative routes in case proposed amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act do not happen. In February 2016 the government took views from public, states and industry on amending the MMDR Act to include provisions allowing transfer of captive mines granted through procedures other than auction.
The transfer of captive mining leases, granted other than through auction, would allow banks and financial institutions to liquidate assets where a company or its captive mining lease is mortgaged. The move will allow mergers and acquisitions in the Indian domestic market, especially in the cement sector, in which several deals are currently on hold.
UltraTech Cement signed a Memorandum of Understanding to buy Jaiprakash Associates’ cement plants in late February 2016. Altogether, the cement plants have a total cement production capacity of 22.4Mt/yr.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Agency defers approval for tyre-derived fuel plant at Bestway Cement 29 February 2016
Pakistan: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has deferred the approval for setting up a tyre-derived fuel (TDF) plant at the Bestway Cement plant in Farooqia. The decision has been left by the EPA to consent from the local community, according to local press.
EPA Director General Dr Bashir Khan said at a public meeting that unless local residents were satisfied, Bestway Cement would not be issued a no-objection certificate. Residents have cited dust, smoke, noise and water pollution as reasons to object against the proposed plant. Qamar Hayat, a local activist, said that locals would allow the EPA to approve the TDF plant when they were guaranteed pollution would be monitored and that health hazards and property losses would be checked.