September 2024
Ghorahi Cement halts production 13 January 2015
Nepal: On 13 January 2015, Ghorahai Cement Industry (GCI) stopped production due to a protest by its tipper operators. The tippers, which supply raw materials to the cement plant, have remained off the roads for the past nine days, putting pressure on Ghorahai to increase transportation charge.
"We have not been able to produce cement for the past nine days as tipper operators are not supplying raw materials to the factory," said a company official. Ghorahi Cement, which is located in Laxmipur, Dang Deokhuri District, produces Sagarmatha brand cement.
Tipper operators have asked the cement industry to increase transportation charge by US$1.49/t to US$6.48/t. They said that the cement plant has not revised its transportation charges for the past 18 months. Tipper operators launched protests after the industry refused to raise the transportation charge.
"We had been demanding revision in transportation charges for a long time," said Bharatnath Yogi, senior vice president of the Tipper Operators Committee of Dang. "We were forced launch the strike after the industry showed reluctance to address our demand."
Showing solidarity to the tipper operators' protest, truck operators have also stopped supplying cement and clinker manufactured by the industry to the market. Due to the protest, finished cement products remain in the plant's warehouses. According to a Ghorahi Cement official, 32,000t of clinker produced by the cement industry has remained unsold.
"Tipper operators have been pushing for a hike in transportation charges at a time when the price of petroleum products is coming down. This is not logical," said the Ghorahi Cement official.
Sangharsh Morcha MLA fights for cement plant to re-open 12 January 2015
India: Navjawan Sangharsh Morcha MLA and former minister Bhanu Pratap Sahi have urged the Jharkhand Government to initiate steps to re-open the Japla cement plant in Palamau, which was closed several years ago. Sahi said that the Government should also take steps to re-open the Bhavnathpur power plant. He added that the Government should outline funds in the main budget in March 2015 for its development, including water availability.
Prism Cement plans a limestone mining project and cement plant in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh 12 January 2015
India: Prism Cement is planning a 4.4Mt/yr capacity limestone mining project at the village of Kotapadu and Kalvatala in Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh. 6.63km2 of land has been acquired. The project will come also include a 3Mt/yr capacity clinker plant and a 48MW coal-fired power plant. The project is waiting for the new industrial policy to be established by the State Government.
Cement worker's body discovered in Bristol silo collapse 12 January 2015
US: After more than three days of searching, on 11 January 2015 firefighters found the body of a worker who was missing after a full cement silo collapsed in Bristol Township, Pennsylvania. The missing worker was identified as Anthony Gabriele (48) of Tullytown. The collapse happened at the Riverside Cement distribution facility in the Riverside Industrial Complex on 8 January 2015. An investigation into the collapse is still ongoing.
Aditya Birla Group to invest US$3.19bn in Gujarat 12 January 2015
India: Kumar Mangalam Birla has said that the Aditya Birla Group will invest US$3.19bn in Gujarat State to ramp up capacities across various existing facilities.
"We will be continuing to grow our businesses here," said Birla. "On the anvil are brownfield expansions at our cement plant in Sevagram, the viscose staple fibre (VSF) plants in Vilayat and Bharuch and expansions of our metal plants, among others. Our investments will be close to US$3.19bn."
He added that Gujarat is the group's preferred investment destination in India. "We're greatly impressed by the proactive approach of Government of Gujarat. I have a personal bias for the state," said Birla. He added that it was not tax sops, but delivery of high-quality infrastructure that makes it the group's preferred state.
N+P announces further co-operation with Dyckerhoff 09 January 2015
Germany: N+P has announced that it will expand its cooperation for the delivery of high quality Subcoal® pellets with Dyckerhoff in Germany.
Subcoal is produced at the Qlyte plant in Delfzijl, the Netherlands. The Qlyte facility produces about 65,000t/yr of Subcoal pellets, consuming around 100,000t/yr of non-recyclable paper-plastic waste fractions that otherwise would have ended in landfill or waste incineration. The Subcoal is used to replace lignite dust or bituminous coal at cement kilns, power stations and lime kilns.
Dyckerhoff started to use Subcoal in 2013. N+P and Dyckerhoff have since worked together to improve the alternative fuel for optimal use in its kilns. The cooperation has led to a new Subcoal fuel that is used at the Dyckerhoff kiln in Lengerich. The kiln in Geseke will continue to use the standard Subcoal quality.
Protests held in Boyaca against cement companies 09 January 2015
Colombia: Demonstrations have been held in Boyaca, Colombia by residents from Firavitoba and Tibasosa in order to protest against the operations of cement manufacturers Cementos del Oriente, Cementos Tequendama, Holcim and Cementos Argos. The communities claim that the cement operations are having a harmful effect on their health and are affecting the state of the local roads. Local authorities have agreed to meet with representatives from the communities on 19 January 2015 to discuss the matter.
CRH reports Euro190m in 2014 acquisition and investment spending 09 January 2015
Ireland: CRH has revealed a 2014 acquisition and investment spend of Euro190m, reflecting the completion of 21 transactions. On the divestment front, the group completed 16 transactions and realised total disposal proceeds of Euro350m.
"In August 2014 we announced a multi-year Euro1.5 – 2.0bn divestment programme; the proceeds of Euro350m generated in 2014 demonstrate that this programme is well underway," said Albert Manifold, CRH chief executive. "With a refined portfolio focus, the group is now well-positioned to pursue acquisitions that are in line with our long-term growth strategy. The 21 transactions completed during 2014 primarily comprise bolt-on acquisitions for our existing operations in the Americas, together with the expansion of our builders merchanting network in Europe."
The disposal of CRH's 50% equity stake in Denizli Çimento, its only involvement in Turkey, was the largest single divestment in 2014, realising proceeds of Euro170m.
Sançim acquired by Aşkale Çimento 09 January 2015
Turkey: Turkish cement company Sançim Cimento has been acquired by Aşkale Çimento. The acquisition follows the recently-aborted acquisition of Sançim by another firm, Çimsa, for Euro185.m. The new owner of Sançim is a joint venture of Sönmez Holding (43%), Aunde Teknik (38%), E.N.A. Tekstil (10%) and Umut Insaat (9%).
Venezuela and China to build three cement plants in Venezuela 09 January 2015
Venezeula/China: The governments of Venezuela and China have struck a deal to jointly build three cement plants in Venezuela. Each of the new plants will have 2500t/day of production capacity. No investment figures were released.