September 2024
Heidelberg Materials exits Georgian joint venture 25 April 2023
Georgia: Heidelberg Materials has completed the divestment of its joint venture in Georgia. It previously held a 45% state in CaucasusCement Holding BV (CCH), the parent company of HeidelbergCement Georgia Ltd and Terjola Quarry Ltd, Tbilisi.
Heidelberg Materials sold its share to its long-term joint venture partner Cement Invest BV, an investment company that is jointly managed and owned by the Georgian Co-Investment Fund and Hunnewell Partners. The joint venture’s scope included two integrated cement plants, 14 ready-mixed concrete plants and two aggregates plants. The partners agreed to not disclose the financial terms of the transaction.
Heidelberg Materials said that these latest steps reflect its continued simplification of its country portfolio and would help to position the company as front runner on the path to Net Zero and circularity in the building materials industry.
Carthage Cement sees positive start to 2023 25 April 2023
Tunisia: Carthage Cement saw a 35% rise in turnover during the first quarter of 2023 to reach US$37.3m. The company explained that the improvement was mainly due to a 64% increase in export turnover, which rose from US$4.0m in the first quarter of 2022 to US$6.5m in the first quarter of 2023. Local turnover was also higher, rising by 30% year-on-year to US$27.6m.
Investigation after boy dies in cement quarry lagoon 25 April 2023
Uganda: Hima Cement and local authorities are investigating the circumstances in which an eight-year-old boy allegedly drowned on 21 April 2023 in a quarry lagoon at a site formerly operated by Hima Cement. Poshele Bwambale Isingoma, a resident of Katoke village in Bugoye sub-county, was reportedly among other minors who had gone out to play. Isingoma had attempted to follow ducks that were swimming close to the side of the lagoon but slipped in and got into difficulty.
Hima Cement’s country CEO Jean-Michel Pons said the fatal incident occurred at a quarry previously operated by Hima Cement, saying “On behalf of Hima Cement, I convey my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family for this unfortunate tragedy.” Pons added that the company’s management was ‘co-operating fully with the authorities in their investigation to establish the cause of the incident.’
Peru: Data from Asocem, the Peruvian Cement Association, shows that national cement dispatches reached 958,000t in March 2023, a 17% decrease compared to March 2022. Asocem members made 894,000t of cement, a 20% decrease. They produced 770,000t of clinker, a fall of 18% year-on-year.
Asocem members exported 13,000t of cement, a 27% decrease compared to March 2022. They exported 36,000t of clinker, a 19% decrease. Peru imported 8000t of cement and 44,000t of clinker, year-on-year falls of 85% and 72%, respectively. Most imports came from Vietnam, Chile and South Korea.
Steady January for Senegalese cement production 24 April 2023
Senegal: Cement production in Senegal by Sococim, Dangote Cement and Ciments du Sahel fell by 5.6% month-on-month in January 2023. According to the National Agency for Statistics and Demography, this drop was due to weaker exports, which fell by 7.0% month-on-month. In contrast local cement sales improved by 6.5%.
Compared to January 2022, January 2023 saw an 11.1% increase in cement production volumes. Exports rose by 58.2% year-on-year, while local sales rose by +7.5%.
Second line commissioned at Bokaro plant 24 April 2023
India: Dalmia Bharat's wholly owned material subsidiary – Dalmia Cement (Bharat) has commenced commercial production at its second cement line at its Bokaro, Jharkhand Cement Works 2 (JCW2). The JCW2 line has a capacity of 2.5Mt/yr, bringing the total capacity of DCBL and its subsidiaries to 41.1Mt/yr.
Oman Cement reports strong first quarter 24 April 2023
Oman: Oman Cement, which is undergoing a change of ownership to China-based Huaxin Cement, reported a revenue of US$50.7m in the first quarter of 2023. This represented a 15% rise year-on-year compared to the first quarter of 2022, when its revenue was US$43.2m.
The company reported net profit of US$5.2m, a 126% year-on-year jump due to one-off earnings, as total expenses increased by 7% year-on-year US$44.2m.
Cement truck crash in Kinshasa 24 April 2023
Democratic Republic of the Congo: A trailer truck filled with bags of cement crashed into a ravine in the Kitokimosi district of Kinshasa on 21 April 2023, causing significant material damage. The vehicle had begun its journey in Kongo Central province and crashed at about 05:00. It is thought that brake failure may have been to blame. One person in the vehicle was taken to hospital with serious injuries, while the driver appears to have absconded. There have also been reports that the truck was looted in the aftermath of the incident.
Holcim grows sales and earnings in first quarter of 2023 21 April 2023
Switzerland: Holcim’s sales and earnings have risen in the first quarter of 2023 on a like-for-like basis despite the divestment of its India-based business in September 2022. Its net sales rose by 8% on a like-for-like basis to Euro5.84bn in the first quarter of 2023 from Euro6.57bn in the same period in 2022. Recurring earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) grew to Euro503m from Euro626m. Sales and earnings increased, in real terms, in Europe and Latin America but earnings fell in North America. Both sales and earnings fell in Asia Middle East Africa. Holcim did not comment on the fall in earnings in North America but Reuters noted that US construction spending declined in February 2023 as the housing market coped with increases in the interest rate by the Federal Reserve.
Jan Jenisch, the chief executive officer of Holcim, said "This profitable growth was led by strong performances across our building materials businesses. Our teams continued our fast-paced execution, with 12 value-accretive acquisitions, including Duro-Last, completing our range of flat roofing systems. With strong underlying trends across all our businesses, we are confident we will close the full year strong.” He added that the group reached 16% of ready-mix concrete net sales with its ECOPact product and expanded its ECOPlanet product range with two calcined clay production facilities in France and Mexico. It also launched its ECOCycle technology platform with a target to beat a previous 2025 target of recycling 10Mt/yr of construction, excavation and demolition waste.
Poland: Germany-based IKN says that erection works of a new IKN-supplied cooler are in progress at Lafarge Poland’s Małogoszcz cement plant. The Euro100m upgrade project is building a new 3700t/day clinker production line at the unit to replace the existing three lines. A new alternative fuels line will also be installed to reduce the plant’s CO2 emissions by 20% and its energy consumption by 33%. China National Building Material (CNBM) subsidiary Nanjing Kisen International Engineering was previously reported as being the lead contractor on the project.