September 2024
Sinoma and Yamama Cement sign contract for 10,000t/day clinker line 09 November 2022
Saudi Arabia: China-based Sinoma has signed a contract with Yamama Cement for the construction of a new 10,000t/day clinker production line at its new plant site. The announcement of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract at the Arab-International Cement Conference in Amman, Jordan, came shortly after the news that Sinoma had been contracted to dismantle, move and rebuild one of Yamama Cement’s existing cement production lines in a strategic move between the producer’s old and new plant sites.
India Cements slumps to a loss in three months to September 2022 09 November 2022
India: India Cements Limited has posted a loss of US$16.9m during the quarter that ended on 30 September 2022 on account of increases in fuel and coal costs. The manufacturer had earlier reported a profit of US$9.3m in the three months to 30 June 2022. India Cements’ vice chair and managing director, N Srinivasan, “It was a difficult quarter because the coal price increase was quite sharp.”
Loma Negra records strong sales in third quarter 09 November 2022
Argentina: Loma Negra, part of Brazil-based InterCement, recorded net sales of US$236m in the third quarter of 2022, a 4.2% year-on-year rise compared to the third quarter of 2021. The group attributed the increase to improved cement sales, complemented by improved concrete and aggregates sales.
Loma Negra’s consolidated adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 12.7% to US$47.0m. However, it still made a net loss of US$76.6m, mainly due to the cancellation of debt in foreign currencies with local funding.
Sergio Faifman, Loma Negra's chief executive officer, noted, “The industry (exhibits) a positive trend, showing a high level of activity and heading to a record year. In fact, the third quarter was the best in history in terms of cement shipments for the industry and for Loma Negra. Our production capacity and our extensive nationwide distribution network allow us to keep up with the growing demand, underpinning our status as leaders in the industry.”
Roanoke breaks ground on Chesapeake Terminal expansion 09 November 2022
US: Roanoke Cement, part of Titan America, has held a ground-breaking ceremony for an expansion at its Chesapeake Terminal near Norfolk in Virginia. Council members, other state and local officials and Roanoke Cement team members gathered to launch the project, to build a new US$40m storage dome. In response to increasing demand for low carbon cement, the storage dome at the terminal will provide an additional 70,000t of capacity, tripling the site’s existing storage volume. The Chesapeake Terminal will see expanded truck and rail capacity as well, and the improved terminal will enable the import and distribution of other raw materials needed to produce concrete.
"This important capital improvement is another investment in anticipation of increased construction material demand for infrastructure development and other projects," said Kevin Baird, president of Titan America's Mid-Atlantic Business Unit, which includes Roanoke Cement. "Expanded storage and marine terminal upgrades permit us to make low carbon cement available for construction needs all over the region."
The company expects the expanded facility to be completed by the end of 2023, in time for the region’s 2024 construction season.
Cheetah Cement and union reach wage agreement 09 November 2022
Namibia: The Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN) and Cheetah Cement yesterday reached a wage agreement to end a strike that has crippled the company’s Otjiwarongo plant for the past three months. A total of 80 Cheetah Cement’s employees, which is the trading name of the Chinese-owned company Whale Rock Cement (WRC), had been striking after the company and the MUN failed to reach an agreement in negotiations about wage increases and improved conditions of service.
The agreement will see all workers receive a 5% increase in salary, as well as a 5% increase in housing allowances. “We would like to place on record that the company's generous offer is not based on an admission of affordability but rather a commitment to bring an end to the prolonged wage dispute,” said WRC’s general manager Kevin Lee said in a statement.
Other increases include the company paying 80% of employees’ medical aid contributions, the introduction of a new pension fund in January 2023 and back-pay for 12 months at employees’ new rates, to be paid by the company within 14 days.
Birla Corporation swings to a loss 09 November 2022
India: Birla Corporation has recorded a net loss of US$6.8m in the three months to 30 September 2022, against a net profit of US$10.6m in the same period in 2021. The company's bottom line was impacted by higher interest and depreciation costs on account of its integrated Mukutban cement plant, which cost US$336m. When scaled up to full capacity, the Mukutban plant will increase the company's production capacity to 20Mt/yr.
Even with a double-digit growth in cement sales by volume, Birla Corporation's third quarter profits were impaired by a sharp rise in power and fuel costs, which could not be passed on to consumers in the seasonally weak monsoon quarter. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for the quarter fell by 51.6% due to a substantial increase in production costs.
Vicat revenues rise against uncertain backdrop 08 November 2022
France: Vicat’s revenue in the first nine months of 2022 came to Euro2.70bn, a 15% rise year-on-year compared to Euro2.35bn in the same period in 2021. Its revenues in France rose by 8% to Euro889m from Euro824m. Its revenue in the rest of Europe fell by 4.5% to Euro288m from Euro301m. In the Americas, Vicat’s revenues increased by 27% to Euro637m from Euro500m, while they rose even more dramatically across the Mediterranean rim, up by 57% from Euro166m to Euro260m. In Africa revenues came to Euro245m, broadly unchanged on the year. In its Asia region, including Kazakhstan and India, its revenues rose by 18% to Euro376m from Euro320m.
The group’s sales volumes of cement fell by 5% to 20.3Mt from 21.3Mt. However, price rises enabled it to increase its operational revenue by 18% to Euro1.69bn from Euro1.43bn. Similarly, concrete sales volumes fell by 4.8% to 7.48Mm3 but operational sales rose by 16% to Euro1.04bn.
Guy Sidos, the group's chair and chief executive officer said "Vicat's nine-month sales performance reflects the resilience of its markets despite a high basis of comparison in 2021. Against a backdrop of very high inflation, the group's sales posted a solid increase compared with the same period of 2021, supported by strong growth in selling prices across all its regions. In a global environment that provides little short-term visibility, especially regarding energy costs, we are executing our strategy to improve our industrial performance, make greater use of secondary fuels, reduce our carbon footprint and implement a pricing policy tailored to these new conditions."
Vicat announced that it expects its overall earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to be lower in 2022 as a whole than in 2021 but comparable to 2020.
FLSmidth books strong orders so far in 2022 08 November 2022
Denmark: Cement plant equipment manufacturer FLSmidth has reported strong fundamentals in its third quarter results for 2022. Its cement order intake increased by 8% year-on-year compared to the third quarter of 2021. Cement sector revenue increased by 7% organically and by 13% when including positive currency exchange effects. This, alongside solid performance from its mining sector, helped the group’s order intake to increase by 11% overall for the quarter.
Group chief executive officer Mikko Keto said, “The positive momentum that we saw in the second quarter has been sustained in the third quarter where we have seen robust growth in both order intake and revenue. The mining business continued to benefit from a healthy backlog and fundamentally positive market conditions, with a 53% growth in service order intake. In addition, the cement business delivered an earnings before interest, tax and amortisation (EBITA) margin of 3%. The short-term outlook has improved based on stable performance despite an emerging recession.”
UAE: The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) and Emirates RDF have signed four memoranda of understanding (MOU) with Fujairah Cement Industries, JSW Cement, Lafarge Emirates and Star Cement to use alternative fuels produced by the Emirates RDF in the Umm Al Quwain Emirate in their manufacturing operations.
Emirates RDF’s plant treats and transforms municipal solid waste (MSW) from Umm Al Quwain and the emirate of Ajman into refuse derived fuel (RDF). The ministry said in a statement that MOUs are part of its support for integrated waste management projects that treat waste and transform it into economic resources in line with the Ministerial Decree No. 98 of 2019 on using RDF in cement factories. Cement plants in the UAE will be encouraged to meet 10% percent of their total thermal energy needs using RDF.
Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said, “The participation of the private sector is a main pillar of the UAE’s green economy transition and the adoption of circular economy methods, the foremost of which is integrated waste management. The signing of the agreements with a group of leading cement factories in the country to partially use alternative fuel in their operations is a high-impact step within our efforts to implement integrated waste management and reduce harmful emissions.”
Colombian cement sales on the rebound 08 November 2022
Colombia: Data from the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) shows that the volume of grey cement produced in September 2022 grew by 4.1% year-on-year to 1.28Mt. 1.19Mt was sold domestically, a 2.1% rise. Around 90,000t of cement was exported.
The volume produced in the first nine months of 2022 increased by 7.9% year-on-year to 10.9Mt. The total volume sold domestically over the same period was 10.1Mt, a 5.7% rise, with 750,000t exported.