Displaying items by tag: Closure

US: Refractory manufacturer HarbisonWalker International has decided to close its plants at Oak Hill, Ohio and Sproul, Pennsylvania as it opens a new US$30m refractory plant at South Point, Ohio in early 2018. The closures will affect around 88 employees. Previously in 2016 the company negotiated an end to eleven months of industrial action at the Oak Hill site.

Iceland: Iceland Cement has started demolishing its cement plant at Akranes. The 9 hectare site in the town will be used for housing and other projects, according to the Iceland Review magazine. FLSmidth originally built the plant and it was in operation since 1958 before it stopping manufacturing cement in 2012 when the company switched to imports from Norcem. Germany’s HeidelbergCement is the majority owner of the company.

Brazil: Wellington Dias, the governor of Piauí, is seeking the reopening of the Itapissuma cement plant. Owners João Santos Group closed the plant in March 2017 due to an 80% drop in sales caused by the country’s poor economy. Around 500 employees were laid off, according to the state government. The cement producer planned to make a final decision on the future of the plant by the end of September 2017. However, the governor has intervened to try and coordinate the purchase of the plant by a local business consortium.

Zimbabwe: PPC Zimbabwe has hinted that it may be looking to shut down its Colleen Bawn Cement plant in Gwanda, citing pressure from cheaper imported clinker as well as smuggled cement coming over the border. If it decides to close the plant, the move would represent a significant blow for PPC Zimbabwe and PPC’s wider activities outside of its native South Africa.

The management has appealed to the government for protection, stating that, unless measures are put in place to curb cheap imports, the firm risks losing its investment at Colleen Bawn. It estimates that a wider community of around 4000 rely indirectly on the plant for their livelihoods. The plant has been in operation for more than 70 years.

Country managing director Mr Kelibone Masiyane said, “The cost of production is very high in Zimbabwe when compared to the rest of the region. Our competitors are importing clinker at cheaper cost and they are jumping the production process. The biggest challenge here at Colleen Bawn is that we incur huge costs producing clinker and because of this there is a risk of closure of the plant and opting to import clinker as well.”

However, Masiyane expressed confidence that the engagements PPC Zimbabwe was having with the government would result in ‘fruitful’ interventions that would protect the firm and avert negative effects. He said that the company’s major cost driver was electricity costs, which are much higher than in neighbouring countries.

In response Deputy Minister Mabuwa said that the government appreciated the strategic economic role of the cement manufacturing sector and would address the plight of PPC. She concurred that, while cement was removed from the open general import license, continued clinker imports were having a negative effect on the value chain.

India: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has ordered three cement plants to stop operation and issued show-cause notices to 11 other units in Telangana. Kakatiya Cements in Nalgonda, Mancherial Cements in Mancherial and the government owned Cement Corporation of India at Tandur have been issued with closure notices, according to the new Indian Express newspaper. Around 240 cement factories across the country have been sent either closure or show-cause notices.

The campaign follows an initiative asking selected industries to install online pollution monitoring systems which are to be connected to the CPCB as well as State Pollution Control Board servers to ensure real-time monitoring of pollution emission of industries. Cement plants have also been sent show-cause notices for failing to meet new emissions standards set by the CPCB.

Gabon: The workers union at CimGabon have held a press conference calling for state intervention in the local cement sector. They blamed ‘uncontrolled’ imports of cement for threatening the closure of the producer’s grinding plant at Owendo, according to the Binto Media Group. The calls for state action follow the suspension of investment by Ciments de l'Afrique (CIMAF) on an upgrade project at the plant. In 2014 the company shut down its clinker plant at Estuaire and its cement grinding plant at Franceville. Germany’s HeidelbergCement also has a stake in the producer.

Tanzania: January Makamba, the Minister of State in the Vice-President's Office, Union and Environment, has ordered that the Moshi Cement plant close whilst it implements the recommendations of the National Environment Management Council (NEMC). Following a visit by the council the management of the plant were asked to observe the Environment Management Act of 2004, according to the Daily News newspaper. Recommendations the plant has been asked to take action on include reducing dust emissions at the site.

UAE: Arkan has closed its Emirates Cement plant in Al Ain blaming increasing gas and electricity costs. The building materials company temporarily closed the plant in late 2016 but this has now become permanent, according to the National newspaper. Production will move to its newer Al Ain Cement plant that is now running at almost full production capacity. The decision to close the older plant is expected save the company US$12m/yr. The Emirates Cement plant was one of the oldest cement plants in the country with operation since the 1970s.

Pakistan: Lucky Cement says that all of cement plants in Pakistan are operating as normal. The plants are not facing any unscheduled shutdown and sales and cement dispatches are progressing as per the company’s regular routine.

The cement producer made its comments in response to a news story in the Nation newspaper alleging that a district authority had shut down Lucky Cement’s Pezu plant near Darru Pezu in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in early January 2017 due to breaches of environmental regulations.

Amendment: This story was amended following comment from Lucky Cement.

Vietnam: Ha Tien is to close its cement grinding plant in the Thu Duc district of Ho Chi Minh City following failed attempts to move the plant. The cement producer was ordered to cease all operations at the plant by 31 December 2016, according to Vietnam News. The plant reduced its production capacity to 1Mt/yr from 1.7Mt/yr in 2015 following accusations of air pollution. Ha Tien attempted to move the plant to District 9 in 2016 but the proposal was turned down by city planners.