Displaying items by tag: Expansion

Qatar: Switzerland-based Sika has expanded concrete admixture production capacity at it Doha admixture plant. The company has also announced the start of epoxy resin production in the country. It says that its present investments target growth to serve the expanding regional construction market. Numerous major projects and the expansion of energy and utilities infrastructure have driven a growing demand. Qatar’s state sourcing policy further increases consumption of building materials produced in the country.

Europe, Middle East and Africa regional manager Ivo Schädler said "Our latest investment in Qatar positions us for continued growth and strengthens our competitiveness in the country. In expanding our production, we are anticipating a substantial increase in demand and volumes for our high-value adhesives and flooring solutions. Our building sector customers will benefit from an expanded and locally produced portfolio of Sika solutions which, in addition, eliminates long-distance transportation."

Sri Lanka: Tokyo Cement Company (Lanka) has announced that it expects to sign an agreement to increase the production of OPC and other hydraulic cement products by 1Mt/yr. The investment will be made at its existing cement grinding plant in Trincomalee on the north east coast of Sri Lanka.

Tokyo Cement said that the project would cost approximately US$12m. Global Cement notes that this amount is fairly low for such a large increase in cement capacity and therefore may represent increases in cement handling capacity, rather than grinding capacity. Tokyo Cement said that it expects the project to be completed within 24 months.

Uzbekistan: Uzbekqurilishmateriallari deputy chair Ulugbek Abrayev has said that Uzbek cement production capacity will total 20.0Mt/yr before 1 January 2021, up by 60% year-on-year from 12.5Mt at the start of 2020. Abrayev added that, due to growing demand, Uzbekistan will produce 14.5Mt in 2021, corresponding to 73% utilisation of projected capacity. A total of ten cement plant projects across eight of the country’s 12 regions are due for completion in 2020 and 2021.

Hungary: Italy-based Entsorga has completed the installation of an automated alternative fuel (AF) line at a Hungarian cement plant.The upgrade consists of an Entsorga Spider crane and Pelican power system which will be able to maintain a continuous feed to the plant’s calcination system 24 hours a day.

Entsorga CEO Francesco Galanzino said, “Bringing a commission to a successful conclusion in the middle of the maximum intensity period of the coronavirus crisis has been a great satisfaction. The cement plant will make significant savings in CO₂ emissions.”

Colombia: Cementos Argos owner Grupo Argos has announced a raft of cuts to investments and expenses worth a total of US$245m in response to the impacts of Covid-19. Noticias Financieras News has reported that US$61.2m of the cuts will be to planned investments in expansion projects and raw materials inventory restocking, including to some in the cement business. Group Argos President Jorge Mario Velasquez said that the measures would, “give additional currency for the different sources, cash and funding that the organization has access to and give us relative peace of mind in our cash structure.”

Grupo Argos said it would stick to its US$3.67bn five-year investment plan.

Zimbabwe: Work has begun on a 43,000t/yr dry mortar production line at Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe’s 0.5Mt/yr Manresa plant in Harare. The plant, supplied by Turkey-based Varlik Industries, will increase the company’s mortar production capacity by 710% to 50,000t/yr from 7000t/yr. Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe chair Kumbirai Katsande said “The expansion project is three-pronged and will include doubling of cement capacity and tripling agricultural lime capacity as well as automation of the dry mortars plant.”

Sri Lanka: Norochcholai Coal Power Plant (NCPP) is courting buyers for its fly ash, of which it says it produces US$5.5m-worth annually. In 2019 NCPP sold US$3.3m to Sri Lankan cement producers. Daily News Sri Lanka has reported that the company has undertaken measures to increase the value of the fly ash to cement producers, in order to obtain a higher price. NCPP manager Indrasiri Gallage said, "By selling fly ash to cement producers the plant has also helped to free the country from reliance on clinker imports."

An expansion, including the installation of a new 300MW coal-fired power plant, will eventually bring the NCPP’s capacity to 1200MW. The plant is currently working to increase the value of its bottom ash for paving block production.

India: Aditya Birla subsidiary UltraTech has announced plans for a 3.5Mt/yr clinker production capacity expansion to its integrated Andhra Pradesh plant in Bhogasamudram, Anantapur district, to 10Mt/yr from 6.5Mt/yr. The new kiln line will cost US$169m and reach completion in March 2022.

India: Deccan Cements has firmed up its plan to expand its cement plant in Mahankaligudem, Nalgonda District, Telangana. The plant will be expanded from 1.8Mt/yr via the installation of a third line at an investment cost of US$85m.

The project will also increase the capacity of the plant’s waste heat recovery power plant from 18MW to 33MW. The project will generate employment opportunities for 170 new staff.

The project is expected to commence by September 2020, with completion scheduled for mid 2021.

India: Nirma Ltd’s subsidiary cement producer Nuvoco Vistas has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Emami Group for the acquisition of the latter’s 8.3Mt/yr-capacity cement business, including a 2.5Mt/yr integrated plant in Chhattisgarh and three grinding facilities. The company says that with the completion of a capacity expansion to its 4.6Mt/yr Jojobera, Jharkhand, plant in early-2020 it will have a total installed cement capacity of 23.5Mt/yr. Nuvoco Vistas managing director Jay Krishnaswamy said, “This is a momentous development for us, and in line with our long-term ambition to become a leading building materials company delivering superior performance!”