September 2024
Oman Cement to award new mill contract to FLSmidth 03 October 2013
Oman: Oman Cement has disclosed that it intends to award the contract for supply and installation of a new 150t/hr cement mill to FLSmidth. FLSmidth separately confirmed that a letter of intent had been signed by Oman Cement, although final negotiations remain to be completed. No price for the contract has been released.
Other announcements from the Oman-based cement producer include an upgrade of kiln 1 to increase production and improve pollution control. Oman cement also plans similar pollution control improvements to kiln 2 with the aid of a consultant.
Falcon Cement approved for ISO 9001 certification 02 October 2013
Bahrain: Falcon Cement Company (FCC), the first Bahrain-based fully integrated cement producer, has announced that it has been approved for ISO 9001 Quality Management System Certification by Bureau Veritas.
"We are delighted to have received this prestigious certification," said executive director Salah Sharif.
FCC, which started production in 2009, currently produces 1000t/day of cement with expansion planned for the next year to grow it to above 2500t/day. This represents up to 60% of the current cement requirements of the Bahraini market.
Dushanbe cement plant to start coal-fired kiln 02 October 2013
Tajikistan: The first coal-fired rotary kiln at the Dushanbe cement plant is about to start operation, according to the Tajik Ministry of Energy and Industry (MoEI). Chinese contractor Beijing Uni-Construction Group has installed the 600t/day cement kiln.
The Dushanbe cement plant has four large rotary kilns with capacity of 600t/day each and two small rotary kilns with capacity of 300t/day each. The 1.2Mt/yr plant has not been in operation since the beginning of 2013 due to a lack of natural gas.
Pakistan provides the majority of cement imports to Tajikistan, supplying 1.7Mt/yr.
Bangladesh: Loesche has been thanked by the Charity: Water non-government organisation for its donation towards a clean water project in the community of Lutarupara-Molliktola, Char region in Bangladesh. Thanks to the funding, the village has received a tube-well and now has access to clean water and sanitation.
Due to Loesche's donation in late 2011, 347 people in Lutarupara-Molliktola now have access to safe and clean drinking water. In December 2012 Loesche donated again to Charity: Water to help a community in Malawi that will be completed un 2014.
Charity: Water is a non-profit organisation that provides clean and safe drinking water in developing countries. In addition to helping communities access clear water the organisation trains beneficiaries on best sanitation and hygienic practices, safe water storage and water point management.
Trinidad Cement fights minority shareholder board nominations 02 October 2013
Trinidad: An appeal by Trinidad Cement to challenge an injunction by minority shareholders to block its annual general meeting has been postponed, according to Radio Jamaica News. The hearing was originally scheduled for Monday 30 September 2013.
Trinidad Cement 's annual general meeting on 12 July 2013 was stopped by a high court injunction with just one hour's notice. The injunction was part of legal action by a group of shareholders holding 5.68% of the company who want to nominate five directors to the cement producer's board.
United Arab Emirates: Turkish cement producer Adana Cement has won an award for safety performance improvement at the 11th Annual DuPont Safety and Sustainability Awards, which took place in Dubai on 24 September 2013. Six award recipients were selected by an independent jury comprised of leading experts in occupational safety and sustainability.
Adana Cement was chosen for its efforts to create a safe work environment. In 2005 the company established an integrated OHSAS 18001-certified Safety Management System, before implementing further processes and improvements in 2008 after recognition that 96% of accidents were caused by dangerous behaviour, rather than conditions.
Together, these initiatives have had a profound effect in shaping a positive safety culture among employees. In particular, a multi-faceted approach, including behaviour-oriented site visits, accident information meetings, reward and sanction practices and a schedule of continuous training programmes, has resulted in a dramatic decrease in employee and sub-contractor accidents since 2008, based on statistics collected since 2003. A new record of 243 uninterrupted days without an accident was achieved in 2012, in a period when expanding production objectives were successfully met.
Al Jouf Cement takes US$107m loan for second production line 02 October 2013
Saudi Arabia: Al Jouf Cement has announced in a bourse filing it had signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia's largest Islamic bank, Al Rajhi Bank, for a US$107m loan to partially finance the construction of a second production line. The loan is to be repaid by June 2019.
Al Jouf Cement has a cement production capacity of 1.75Mt/yr or 5000t/day. The company's products include Ordinary Portland Cement and sulphate resisting cement.
Tong Yang Cement files for court receivership 02 October 2013
South Korea: Tong Yang Cement, a subsidiary of Tong Yang Group, has filed for court receivership. The receivership with the Chuncheon District Court was lodged in an official note, as reported by the Korean Broadcasting System. Sister-companies Tongyang Incorporated, Tongyang International, Tongyang Leisure and Tongyang Networks have also filed for court receivership in recent days.
Tongyang Group will have to repay debts of more than US$1bn.
Indian rail freight rate up by 15% 02 October 2013
India: Indian Railways has raised a freight tariff of 15% on all commodities, including cement, from 1 October 2013. Designated a busy season charge in a railway notification, the tariff is due to run until June 2014. The charge precedes a review of the fuel adjustment component (FAC), applicable after every six months to adjust fuel prices, that was also due on 1 October 2013.
East African Portland Cement Company asks Kenyan government to renew CEO Kephar Tande 02 October 2013
Kenya: The East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC) has asked the Kenyan government to renew the term of its CEO, Kephar Tande, whose current three year term is set to end in October 2013. Tande's re-appointment presents a test to the new Kenyan government, elected in March 2013, which may follow its predecessors and attempt to influence the composition of the cement producer's management board.
"The board is satisfied with Tande's work and we have asked the Cabinet secretary to offer him another term," said the chairman of EAPCC, Mark ole Karbolo, in an interview with Kenyan newspaper Business Daily. He added that the EAPCC will announce a profit of nearly US$12m for the year ending June 2013.
In 2012 the government unsuccessfully attempted to oust eight EAPCC directors including the chief executive, accusing them of poor governance. The directors, including Karbolo, Kenya Airways CEO Titus Naikuni and lawyer Hamish Keith, moved to court to block the move following the state's directive to disband the cement maker's board. The court reinstated them in a legal battle that also saw former President Kibaki's appointment of Karbolo's replacement revoked.