September 2024
UK Competition Commission to create new cement producer 15 January 2014
UK: The Competition Commission (CC) has demanded that Lafarge Tarmac sell one of its cement plants in the UK to create a fifth cement company in the country to increase competition in the market. The CC also intends to increase competition in the supply chain for ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) by forcing Hanson to sell one of its GGBS production facilities. The CC is also introducing measures to limit the flow of information and data concerning cement production and price announcements.
"We believe that the entry of a new, independent cement producer is the only way to disturb the established structure and behaviour in this market which has persisted for a number of years and led to higher prices for customers," said CC Deputy Chairman and Chairman of the Inquiry Group, Professor Martin Cave.
The measures follow a two year investigation which found that both structure and the conduct in the cement sector restricts competition by aiding coordination between the three largest producers: Lafarge Tarmac, Cemex and Hanson. Competition problems also arose from the UK having only one domestic producer of GGBS in the UK (Hanson) with exclusive rights to use the output of Lafarge Tarmac, the single domestic producer of granulated blast furnace slag (GBS), which is the main raw material input into GGBS. The CC estimates that the lack of competition for both of these issues may have cost UK customers up to Euro60m/yr.
The final report follows the publication of the CC's provisional findings in May 2013 and an Addendum to the provisional findings and its provisional decision on remedies in October 2013.
Cameroon: Dangote Cement has signed an agreement with Gaz du Cameroun for the provision of gas for its 1.6Mt/yr cement plant in Douala, Cameroon. Commissioning of the cement plant is planned in January 2014 and the gas supply is scheduled to start in the second half of 2014. Construction at the Douala cement plant was delayed by a land dispute in 2012. The new plant is expected to reduce cement prices in the country.
India: The Cement Corporation of India's (CCI) Bokajan cement plant has halted production since 1 January 2014 due to a shortage of funds to purchase coal. Employees, unions and other local bodies have threatened to thwart any 'conspiracy of management' to close down the plant on 'insubstantial grounds' and have sought the intervention of Assam's Chief Minister to restore production.
Previously, the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) declared that the state-owned CCI was a 'sick' industry but following good revenues from the cement producer's plants in Rajbon, Tendur and Bokajan the Indian government decided to keep the plants running.
Construction of rotary kiln at Shaaxi Fuping cement plant completed by China 20MCC Construction Group 15 January 2014
China: Construction of the No. 1 rotary kiln at the Shaaxi Fuping cement plant, Shaaxi Province has been completed by the China 20MCC Construction Group (20MCC Group). Construction started in March 2013.
The range of the masonry work covered by 20MCC Group included the rotary kiln, grate cooler, hot kiln hood, tertiary air duct, hot-blast stove and the other equipment of the two production lines, casting of wear-resistant ceramic materials for the raw mill, cement grinding mill and the pipelines on the top of the slag mill.
Clinker production capacity at the plant will be 4.03Mt/yr, ground slag capacity will be 1.2Mt/yr and cement capacity will be 3.35Mt/yr.
Flooded Cemex plant in UK to reopen in February 2014 15 January 2014
UK: Cement production is due to restart at Cemex's South Ferriby plant in February 2014. The 0.8Mt/yr cement plant was flooded on 5 December 2013 with water from the neighbouring Humber Estuary causing considerable damage to the site's electrical network, according to the Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph.
"From our other UK sources we have been able to ensure a continued supply to all of our customers since the flooding took place and will continue to do so, ensuring that all receive the excellent service they expect from Cemex UK," said a spokesperson for Cemex. "The work entailed clearing up the site from the debris and silt deposited by the flood water, drying out buildings and components and working closely with our insurers, developing and starting to implement a plan to get the plant back to production as soon as possible." Silos at the site were not damaged in the flooding.
Government to launch first housing start-up index 14 January 2014
India: The Indian government is inching closer to the launch of a much needed Housing Start Up Index (HSUI), which is a measure of housing construction activity in the country, following a three year delay.
A joint initiative of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) Ministry, the index will help policy makers get a clear picture about the trends in the housing sector and its contribution to the economy.
The HUPA Ministry and the RBI will release the HSUI website and its logo on 15 January 2014. The government had initially planned to launch the first set of data for 10 cities in December 2010.
The number of housing units built during a period indicates the demand and supply situation in the housing market. They are considered as a lead indicator of economic activities because of their strong forward and backward linkages. About 275 industries, including cement and steel, are dependent on the construction and housing sector.
The index would come up every quarter and will be based on data of newly built residential units in urban India from 2007 onwards. It would measure the change in the level of activities in the housing sector and identify the growth / recessionary tendencies in this and related sectors of the economy.
"The RBI is developing a pilot index based on the housing data from 25 towns. We are planning to release this by 31 January 2014," said a senior HUPA Ministry official. The detailed index would be released at a later stage. It will cover 50 cities that contain more than 100,000 inhabitants.
Presently, five countries in the world have their own housing start up index.
HCC resumes civil works at TLDP-IV 14 January 2014
India: HCC, the civil works contractor for NHPC's Teesta Low Dam Project Stage IV (TLDP-IV), has resumed civil works that had been stalled for over eight months. Works halted on 20 March 2013 as HCC feared termination of the contract.
HCC had earlier noted that the work had stalled due to a severe financial crunch being faced by NHPC and accordingly requested that NHPC extend financial assistance to the tune of US$8.46m to HCC for resuming works. While NHPC agreed to extend the requested assistance, civil works contractor HCC refused to accept the proposal as it is and sought an increase beyond US$8.46m.
Aggravated with the constant modifications in terms of financial assistance and non-resumption of works, NHPC shot a missive to the contractor on 3 December 2013, directing the latter to restart the works within 7 days, failing which NHPC would initiate the action for termination of contract. In response, HCC has started the work of dewatering in the RCC dam pit and preparatory work for second stage concrete in the power dam area.
HCC has presented a final proposal to NHPC that the company has agreed to present to its Board. HCC has requested that NHPC to provide US$3.25m initially for clearing the past liabilities and US$9.76m for various construction material purchased. On this account, NHPC has requested the Board to release the interest bearing advance of US$32,530 to HCC for discharge of its partial past liabilities. The Board shall further resolve that all the construction materials required for balance works shall be procured directly by HCC after certification by the project. NHPC shall extend the assistance under this head in a phased manner based on requirement of material which shall be interest bearing and limited to US$97,590 against bank guarantees.
Lafarge sells Maryland aggregates assets for US$320m 13 January 2014
US: Lafarge has announced the sale of five aggregates quarries and related assets in Maryland to Bluegrass Materials for a total enterprise value of US$320m, subject to relevant regulatory approvals.
With these divestments, Lafarge has largely completed its strategy of refocusing on its core markets in the US. The company now operates a strong network of integrated positions mainly located in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River regions. These include nine cement or grinding plants and associated cement terminals with a combined capacity of 11Mt/yr, as well as related aggregates and concrete businesses in these markets.
Najran Cement launches trial operations at WHR power plant 13 January 2014
Saudi Arabia: Saudi cement producer Najran Cement said that it launched trial operations of the first phase of its waste heat recovery (WHR) on 11 January 2014. The trial will take 10 days to complete and the commercial launch is yet to be announced. The US$45m WHR project is being installed by China's Sinoma Energy Conservation on a turnkey basis.
Dongwu Cement to form joint venture with Hengtong 10 January 2014
China: Dongwu Cement and Hengtong Group have agreed to establish a 50:50 joint venture company with a registered capital of US$24.8m.
The joint venture scope includes highways, urban roads, bridges, tunnels, foundation works, sewage treatment and drainage works. It also covers the construction and management of industrial and civil buildings and landscaping projects, including engineering technical consultation, project supervision, project bidding agency, property management, sales of building materials and domestic trade.