Displaying items by tag: China
Uzbekistan: Chinese investors have announced the launch of a 0.9Mt/yr integrated cement plant in the Fergana region of Uzbekistan as a result of a total investment of US$113m. Trend News has reported that a second phase of work beginning in May 2020 will further increase the cement plant’s production capacity. This is one of five upcoming Chinese-owned integrated plants in Uzbekistan, with a shared capacity of 6.0Mt/yr.
Huaxin Cement projects 18% - 28% year-on-year profit growth
10 January 2020China: Preliminary calculations from Huaxin Cement’s financial division have projected a net profit attributable to shareholders for 2019 of between US$0.88bn and US$0.95bn – an increase of 18% - 28% year-on-year from US$0.74bn. The company attributed the forecasted rise to an increase in the production and sales scale of its leading products.
China Cement Association Information Centre deputy director and Digital Cement Network CEO Chen Bailin estimated that demand will remain steady across China in 2020, according to Yicai News.
Iran records booming eight-month exports
06 January 2020Iran: Cement producers in Iran reported growth of 22% year-on-year in exports of cement and clinker over the eight months between 21 March 2019 and 21 November 2019 to 11.4Mt from 9.34Mt. The Financial Tribune newspaper has reported that 37 countries received Iranian cement or clinker over the period. The leading importers of cement were Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Russia. Clinker markets included Iraq, the UAE and China.
New buyer signs Schwenk Namibia deal
06 January 2020Namibia: China-based West China Cement concluded a sale and purchase agreement for Germany-based Schwenk Zement subsidiary Schwenk Namibia for US$104m on 3 January 2020. The Nambian newspaper has reported that the deal is awaiting clearance from authorities. Schwenk Namibia holds a 70% stake in Ohorongo Cement. Singaporean authorities stopped the sale of Schwenk Namibia to Singaporean-based International Cement Group (ICG) in September 2019 due to the latter’s inability to cover the losses of the Namibian company.
Three cement plants shut down to protect lake in Yunnan
03 January 2020China: Three cement plants in Dali, Yunnan province with a combined capacity of 5.0Mt/yr and belonging to Dali Cement (Group), Dali Hongshan Yunnan Cement and Hongta Dianxi Cement have ceased all functions except the packaging of existing cement in order to stop polluting the area of Erhai Lake. The shutdown was mandated by the City of Dali and Dali Economic Development Zone authorities in mid-2017. Xinhua Net newspaper has reported that the removal of kilns is underway and that demolition on all three sites will have been completed by 31 May 2020. The companies will be permitted to construct plants of corresponding capacities at allotted sites elsewhere.
Hongshi-Shivam Cement produces substandard cement
02 January 2020Nepal: Cement produced by Hongshi-Shivam cement, a joint venture of Shivam Group and China’s Hongshi Cement, failed to meet the mandated 30-minute initial setting window in tests conducted by the Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology (NBSM). Gulf Daily has reported that the NBSM will pursue legal action against the company.
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology names Huaxin plant site of National Industrial Heritage
02 January 2020China: The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has included Huaxin’s former Huangshi integrated cement plant site on its third annual National Industrial Heritage (NIH) list. The site includes three wet kilns, a warehouse, a bagging facility, slurry tanks and stone dumps. 49 disused sites from various industries were listed for NIH status, which ensures state-funded preservation and protection from demolition, on 26 December 2019.
Allied Minerals opens second Chinese refractory production plant
02 January 2020China: Allied Minerals has commissioned a refractory production plant in Tianjin, 5km away from its existing plant in the city in Hebei province. Former Allied Minerals corporate vice president Tom Gibson explained: “We’ve built more than manufacturing plants and offices. We’ve built bridges.” The new plant will increase Allied Minerals’ supply of refractory products to cement producers in and around the city, which is located near the coast 100km from Beijing.
Sinotrans transports cement from Angola to DRC
30 December 2019Angola: Chinese-based Sinotrans has exported 800t of cement on the 1344km railway journey from Cimenfort’s 0.4Mt/yr Lobito grinding plant to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Angola Press Agency has reported that the cement was ground from clinker produced in China. Cimenfort sales coordinator Francisco Idelfrides suggested that the cement company may look to expand its production capacity in 2020. He said it sold 0.3Mt of cement in eastern Angola and the DRC in 2019.
Huaxin Cement invests US$0.9m to turn quarry green, wins award
24 December 2019China: Huaxin Cement’s Guoditang quarry in Dongchuan district, Kunming has won the Chinese government’s ‘Green Mine of the Year 2019’ award after receiving total investments of US$0.9m for vegetation recovery. Huaxin integrates land reclamation and afforestation into its step-mining method at the quarry, using planting quilts, sprinklers and drip irrigation devices to recover 80,000m2 of vegetation so far. The company has estimated that the mine will continue to supply its limestone needs in the area until late 2033.
The National Civil Affairs Commission named Huaxin Cement a ‘National Model Unit for National Unity and Progress’ on 17 December 2019. It is the only building materials producer to have obtained the title.