September 2024
State assesses measure to ensure cement consistency 03 March 2015
Costa Rica: The government of Costa Rica is considering a measure to increase competition in the local cement market, for which accredited ratings agencies would define regulations on the consistency of cement to be sold in the country. This should enable the import of cement from more distant countries, such as China.
The current law prohibits the sale of cement when more than 45 days have passed since the production date, while the material should maintain a resistance of 28MPa. Economy Minister Welmer Ramos said that the existing regulations impede competition, while there are certified laboratories that are capable of demonstrating the quality of cement. However, there are fears that building works could be damaged if an adequate standard is not established.
Cemex to develop gas power plants in Mexico 03 March 2015
Mexico: Cemex plans to build new power plants in Mexico using natural gas, according to Cemex Energia chief executive Luis Farias. "We are looking to develop a 300MW gas project in the north of the country, near the border with the US," said Farias. Cemex is also looking at a portfolio of three to five 70MW plants, complementing existing installations at its cement plants where it already has access to gas.
Rain Cement to develop 7MW waste heat recovery system 03 March 2015
India: The board of directors of Rain Commodities Ltd has given the go ahead to a proposal to develop a 7MW waste heat recovery (WHR) system at Rain Cement's plant in Boincheruvupalli Village, Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh.
The power plant will produce up to 7MW of gross electrical energy from the waste heat and flue gases produced during the cement manufacturing process at a project cost of US$11.3m. The project that will be funded by internal accruals and bank loans and is expected to be completed in about 14 months.
China: SOCAM Development Ltd has agreed to sell its entire 45% stake in Lafarge Shui On Cement Ltd, its cement joint venture project, to its partner Lafarge for US$329m. Lafarge Shui On Cement has 32Mt/yr of cement production capacity in southwest China, in Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou and Chongqing Provinces. The sale would make Lafarge Shui On Cement a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lafarge.
SOCAM Development, which has been seeking to sell its cement operations since 2013, said that the disposal would allow it to focus on its construction business and to capture opportunities arising from a massive public housing programme recently announced by the Hong Kong government.
Shree Cement commissions cement plant in Chhattisgarh 02 March 2015
India: Shree Cement has commissioned a 2.6Mt/yr capacity grinding plant at Baloda Bazar near Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
Northern Cement's Jordanian unit to add new clinker line 02 March 2015
Jordan: Northern Cement Co said that Northern Cement-Jordan, in which it holds 99.35%, has decided to install an additional clinker production line. In preparation for the expansion project, it will carry out feasibility and environmental studies. Northern Cement reported a net profit of US$62.5m in 2014, almost unchanged from US$62.6m in 2013.
Europe: Holcim is considering offering its shareholders a sweetener to win their approval for a planned merger with Lafarge, according to Swiss newspaper Sonntagszeitung.
Sonntagszeitung said that Holcim was looking at several 'creative methods' to sway its shareholders into backing the deal, including a generous special dividend or a share buyback, instead of trying to alter the terms of the deal, which involves a one-to-one share swap. However, Holcim's chief executive Bernard Fontana said that the merger agreement did not contain any mechanisms by which the terms could be automatically adjusted. Sonntagszeitung said that Holcim was considering the sweetener in response to opposition from its shareholders to the deal, which hinges on investor approval for a capital increase for financing.
Nigeria: Dangote Cement has announced the appointment of Onne Van der Weijde as its new managing director. According to Dangote, the appointment is in furtherance of the implementation of strategies put in place to drive operational efficiency, support its ambitious growth strategies and delivering shareholder value.
Van der Weijde, who has a wealth of experience from working as the managing director of India's Ambuja Cement, will ensure that strategic, operational and brand synergies are maintained, while underlining renewed management focus on all customer segments. He worked to improve the profit and consolidation of the business and was also responsible for the acquisition and growth in marketing and sales.
As a director and business planning manager of Holcim (Australia), he developed a business presence in southeast Asia through joint ventures and acquisitions, providing support in the management of existing operations in the region. In addition to his role as manager, he was also the COO of India's ACC and a member of the senior management team of Holcim. He also became the CFO of Holcim (Indonesia). He was responsible for treasury, reporting, business planning, accounts and procurements. Van der Weijde represented Holcim in Switzerland as the senior vice president. He managed the international tax, audit, marketing and IT functions of Holcim (Asia).
EU Commission sends Slovenia to court over eco permits 27 February 2015
Slovenia: Slovenia faces EU judicial proceedings for its alleged failure to fully-implement a system of environmental permits for its large industrial plants. The case referred to the EU Court of Justice relates to one of the country's two cement producers, which continues to operate without permits.
The Commission said that matter would be referred to the court for failure to implement provisions of the integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC) directive of 2007, which requires that industrial plants be licensed to verify that they meet strict environmental controls. It is the second time that Slovenia has faced EU court action over the IPPC directive, after the Court of Justice found in 2010 that Slovenia was running afoul rules requiring that all plants meet the set requirements.
The EU is seeking a base fine of Euro1.6m for the country plus Euro9009 for each day that the violation persists. The Slovenian Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning said that it was, "Striving to implement as quickly as possible the alleged violations of EU law." Licenses under the IPPC directive became a requirement for member states as of 30 October 2007. According to the Commission, Slovenia has made considerable progress since the 2010 ruling, but full compliance with the judgement has still not been reached.
The new case concerns 'a major cement factory,' which continues to operate without a permit. While it avoided naming the plant, Slovenia has two cement plants owned by Salonit Anhovo and Lafarge. Whereas Salonit Anhovo is a licensed IPPC plant, Lafarge is involved in lengthy bureaucratic and legal proceedings in seeking a permit. It has faced ongoing protests from local groups against it being granted a license. Despite not having a license, the plant continues to operate.
The Environment Ministry said that one of the factors influencing the length of procedures was a ruling by an administrative court in Slovenia demanding that Lafarge's plant be treated as a new facility rather than an existing installation. The Environment Agency, which issues permits, is therefore obliged to complete all procedures prescribed for licensing of new plants.
Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua sees 1025% swell in 2014 net income 27 February 2015
Mexico: Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua (GCC) saw its consolidated net income surge by 1025% in 2014 to US$43.1m. Its consolidated net sales grew by 14.8% year-on-year to US$755m. Net sales grew by 11.7% to US$185m in the fourth quarter of 2014. Cement sales volumes rose by 10% in the fourth quarter and by 9% in the full year. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in 2014 increased by 35% year-on-year to US$154m. EBITDA in the fourth quarter of 2014 grew by 27.5% year-on-year to US$37.2m.