September 2024
Al Jouf Cement launches trial operations of new production line 18 December 2013
Saudi Arabia: Al Jouf Cement has said in a bourse statement it has launched trial operations of a second production line. The new production line will have a clinker production capacity of 5000t/day. The trial period will take three months.
Al Jouf announced in October 2013 that it had signed an agreement with Al Rajhi Bank for a US$107m loan to partially finance the construction of the new production line. The loan is to be repaid by June 2019.
Saudi labour crackdown pushes cement sales down by 30% 18 December 2013
Saudi Arabia: Cement sales have dropped by 30% since the beginning of 'correction campaigns' against illegal foreign workers in early November 2013, according to Zamil Al-Miqrin, head of the National Committee for Cement Companies.
Speaking to local media, Al-Miqrin said the rate of sales reduction varies from one region to another adding that supplies currently surpass demand in the cement companies. The first week of the campaign saw a sharp fall in sales, as high as 50% for some companies, but Al-Miqrin expected an improvement in prices by the beginning of January 2014. He added that sales growth in cement had fallen by 10% in 2012 to 3% in 2013.
Saud Al-Araifi, CEO of the Northern Province Cement, said that cement producers in Saudi Arabia are unable to react to the crisis because exporting cement to foreign countries is banned by the Ministry of Commerce. He added that the crisis will be temporary until the current labour shortage in the construction market corrects itself. Other commentators have noted that the rate of stalled construction projects has been much higher in the private sector than in the government sector.
OYAK Group orders three vertical roller mills from Pfeiffer 17 December 2013
Turkey: Bolu Cimento Sanayii AS, a member of the OYAK Group, has ordered three vertical roller mills from Gebr Pfeiffer SE for the new production line at its cement grinding plant in Kazan near Ankara. Installation of the mill will expand the existing plant into an integrated cement plant. Delivery of the mills is scheduled for mid-2014 and will boost the total number of Pfeiffer mills installed at OYAK Group cement plants to eight.
An MPS 4500 B with a drive power of 3150kW will be used for cement raw material grinding. The mill is guaranteed to produce 320t/hr at a product fineness of 12% residue on the 0.090mm screen.
Pet-coke and lignite will be ground in an MPS 225 BK vertical roller mill with a drive power of 400kW. The throughput rate of this mill when grinding pet-coke will be 20t/hr at a fineness of 3% residue on the 0.09mm screen and 35t/hr when processing lignite.
Bolu Cimento has also ordered an MPS 4500 BC mill with a drive power of 3300kW, which will yield 130t/hr of CEM I at a specific surface of 3900cm²/g acc. to Blaine.
CKI Holdings cement plant launches production 17 December 2013
China: CKI Holdings has announced that the cement plant owned by its subsidiary, Green Island Cement, has officially commenced production. The cement plant is located in Yunfu city, Guangdong province and the total investment was US$1.3bn.
Lambert Leung, chief of materials division at CKI Holdings, stated that the group might invest another US$600m to build a second production line if the operating performance is satisfactory.
CG Cement Industry to launch OPC in December 2013 17 December 2013
Nepal: CG Cement Industry, a subsidiary of the Chaudhary Group, plans to enter the domestic cement market with the launch of its CG Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) at the end of December 2013. Trial production runs are already underway at the plant in Dumbikas, Nawalparasi district. The plant has an OPC production capacity of 1500t/day.
"We will ship our products to the market after completing some government procedures," said Varun Chaudhary, executive director of the Chaudhary Group. He added that the cement will arrive in stores after receiving certification from the government. CG also plans to establish a mine and cement plant in Palpa with a US$137m investment. The Palpa unit will produce clinker destined for cement production at the Dumbikas plant. Currently the Dumbikas plant sources its clinker from local producers and Indian imports.
Since 2010, Nepal's cement imports have declined due to increased domestic production. According to Chaudhary, there are now 50 grinding units and 70 cement brands in the country. Cement demand in Nepal is estimated at 4Mt/yr, 70% of which is fulfilled by domestic supply.
Buzzi Unicem to expand Texas cement plant 16 December 2013
US: Buzzi Unicem USA has announced that it plans to modernise and expand its Maryneal cement plant in Texas. The updated plant will have a 1.2Mt/yr cement capacity, up from 0.55Mt/yr. State-of-the-art pollution control equipment will be installed that will significantly reduce NOx emissions. The major components that will be installed during the expansion will include a new raw mill, a preheater/precalciner kiln and cooler system, a 4500KW finish mill, a solid fuel grinding and feed system and continued use of a newly commissioned Fives FCB Horomill Finish Mill.
"As an industry leader in quality and service, Buzzi Unicem USA is committed to sustainable, environmentally-responsible manufacturing at all of its plants," said David Nepereny, CEO of Buzzi Unicem USA. "The Maryneal plant expansion will result in a world-class facility that has the latest pyroprocessing, environmental and safety equipment."
The expansion will create an additional 200 full-time jobs for the 2 - 3 years that construction project is expected to last.
Builders cement car to pavement and refuse to move it 16 December 2013
Brazil: A VW Caddy was cemented to the pavement in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, after a car dealer refused to move it.
Local media reports that the pavement has been used to display cars for sale for more than 20 years. While it is apparently not illegal to park cars on the pavement because it is a public space, it was not possible to complete necessary construction work on the pavement due to the parked car.
After the car dealer refused to move the car, the construction workers responded by cementing it in place. Celso Antonio de Faria, the owner of the cement company stated "He said I could not lay a finger on the car."
Lafarge Tanzania inaugurates modern bag filter 16 December 2013
Tanzania: Mbeya Cement Lafarge Tanzania has inaugurated a new bag filter which significantly reduces the stack emissions to meet the national and international standards.
The new bag filter, inaugurated on 13 December 2013 at Songwe in Mbeya, reduces the stack emissions to 10mg/m3 which is lower than the 2013 Tanzania Environmental Regulations of 50mg/m3 and is in line with the Lafarge Industrial targets as well as the global environmental standards.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Lafarge Tanzania's Chief Executive Officer, Catherine Langrency said that the company has invested US$2.06m in the project. "The inauguration of this bag filter further underlines Lafarge Tanzania's commitment to continuous improvement as part of the Lafarge Group Sustainability Ambition 2020, which is to have responsible and environmentally friendly operations," Langrency said.
Lafarge Tanzania plans to increase its cement capacity in Tanzania to 700,000t/yr by adding a new cement mill, a clinker line upgrade and a new packing plant. Project completion is expected in the second quarter of 2015.
Twiga Cement donates food to orphanages 16 December 2013
Tanzania: The Tanzanian Portland Cement Company (Twiga Cement) has donated food valued at US$18,700 to four orphanages. The food is intended to feed orphans at the Kurasini, Malaika, Umra and Mamalenga orphanages, all in Dar es Salaam, for three months.
The Director of Human Resources Management for Twiga Cement, Jayne Nyimbo, said that it has become a tradition for the company to give donations at the end of each year. Around 300 orphans were gathered at a special festive meal, where they had the opportunity to play with 'Father Christmas' and have lunch with Twiga cement staff at the WAMA and Rotary Club of Dar es Salaam.
"We have brought children together to give them a day of pleasure, knowing that they do not have parents to spend time with, so we thought the least we could do is give them a Christmas donation that they deserve," said Nyimbo.
Increased clinker imports 16 December 2013
Kenya: Increased clinker imports have been recorded at the Port of Mombasa, Kenya.
The surge in clinker imports is attributed to an unprecedented boom in the construction industry at the end of 2013 as a result of improved economic growth, rising disposable incomes and an expanding real estate industry.