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The timing of the UK Mineral Products Association's (MPA) latest call to arms makes one wonder how well the economic recovery is going in parts of Europe. The MPA has launched a document entitled 'Cementing the Future – Sustaining an Essential British Industry' to promote the UK cement industry. It is the MPA's job to beat the drum for the industries it represents so in this sense it should always be trying to raise the minerals sector's profile.

Yet as the UK economy starts to lumber out of the recession, a publication like this suggests that the challenges ahead of the industry are still large. MPA figures released in July 2013 showed that year-on-year growth in cement volumes hit a low of -10% in the second quarter of 2012 before rising to better (negative) rates to the first quarter of 2013. No data was available for the second quarter of 2013.

One of the MPA's recommendations is that the UK government does more to protect the main internationally-owned players from international trading markets. At least foreign-owned companies provide local jobs. The main thrust is to protect the industry from carbon taxation, ensuring better international competiveness. On the back of Cembureau's latest industry figures, chief executive Koen Coppenholle recommends much the same thing for Europe as a whole in his column in the September 2013 issue of Global Cement Magazine.

One thing the MPA doesn't need is more bad news when the UK Competition Commission publishes its report on an investigation on the aggregates, cement and ready-mix concrete market in December 2013. On that score the investigation hasn't been too troubling so far with its provisional findings concluding that despite poor competition between firms on price there was no explicit collusion.

In terms of competition though things could be worse. For example, take Colombia. In August 2013 the Colombian competition agency, the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (SIC), announced its investigation in the country's main players for 'sustained and unjustified' increases in the price of cement since 2010. For the first six months of 2013 cement prices rose by 8% compared to an inflation rate of 1.73%.

Whatever is happening in Colombia, its largest cement producer, Cementos Argos, saw its profits rise by 5.9% to US$218m in 2012. At present the MPA can only dream of times like that again and hope that the UK government takes note of its advocacy.

Russia: France's Lafarge, the world's largest cement producer, has announced that it has appointed André Martin to the position of chief executive in its Russian division. He replaces Alex de Valukhoff.

"To come to Russia and serve as the CEO of Lafarge Russia is an honour I find humbling and motivating," said Martin to the Moscow Times. "Together with the team of professionals we are committed to contributing to the building of better cities."

Martin joined Lafarge in 1995, initially working in cement mergers and acquisitions before rising to the post of president of Lafarge-Agregate-Betoane in Romania in 1999. He has also worked for Lafarge in North America. Most recently Martin was the senior vice president for Lafarge's industrial customer segment in Paris.

Turkey: Limak has ordered a new 3500t/day clinker production line from KHD for its Trakya cement plant. Cement plant equipment manufacturer KHD has been contracted to deliver the equipment, supervise the construction and commission the project, including on-site training. The new kiln line will be erected near an existing 1850t/day line, which will also be upgraded by KHD in the beginning of 2014.

Core components of the new KHD line include: a four-stage KHD Preheater with PYROCLON®-R Low NO_X calciner, equipped with PYROTOP® compact mixing chamber, tertiary air duct with dust settling chamber, and PYROBOX calciner firing system for coal dust; a PYRORAPID® two-tire rotary kiln, with a diameter of 4.4m; PYRO-JET® kiln burner for coal and fuel oil; PYROFLOOR® clinker cooler equipped with a PYROCRUSHER® System.

The new calciner with PYROCLON®R will be KHD's first Low-NO_X calciner in Turkey. Trakya will be the second PYROFLOOR® system Limak has installed at one of its plants. Commissioning of the new kiln at Trakaya is scheduled for the autumn of 2014.

Italy: Italcementi's Carlo Pesenti (CEO) and Giovanni Ferrario (COO) launched i.nova, Italcementi's new product offer system, on 19 September 2013. The entire product portfolio developed by the group, focused on the concept of differentiating products by performance, is now available on the market.

The group says that the customer is the hub of the i.nova system, which differs from the traditional commodity-based approach to cement supply. Its system is designed to simplify the purchasing process by organising products by structural codes.

Through i.nova it will be easier for customers to distinguish and select, for instance, the acoustic products that are grouped under the i.sound family, or the thermal products grouped under the i.clime family or again, the special products for water, grouped under the i.idro family. In addition, a distinct colour and graphic marking have been given to each performance 'family' so as to make visual recognition of the product quicker and easier in all the countries where the group operates.

"i.nova revolutionises Italcementi's marketing strategy and approach to sales, reconfirming the group's highly innovative positioning," explained Carlo Pesenti. "Despite operating in what is referred to as a traditional sector, the company places research, innovation and sustainability at the forefront of its industrial strategy, convinced that such values represent a fundamental lever for consolidating its competitive advantage in the building industry. In fact, i.nova is the evolution of the last 15 years of research, during which many unique innovative products have been developed, such as the photocatalytic cement and the transparent cement used for the Italian Pavilion in Shanghai."

India: The Indian Realtors' body CREDAI has said that cement prices across India had gone up by US$0.95-1.12/bag in the week to 23 September 2013 and that it was considering an approach to the fair trade regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) alleging a cartel between the cement producers.

CREDAI chairman Lalit Kumar Jain said that cement prices in Pune had risen by 31% in just a week. "Considering that buyer sentiment is currently low, the cement price rise defies logic," he said. "We feel that there is a cartel. We are currently taking legal advice."

UK: The Mineral Products Association (MPA) today, which promotes the interests of the cement industry in the UK, has today launched a landmark document for the UK cement industry, 'Cementing the Future – Sustaining an Essential British Industry'. The new publication sets out to explain the importance of cement and concrete to the UK economy and society and draws attention to the vulnerability of the industry to overseas competition unless the government acts to create a level playing field in terms of the cost of regulation and unilateral 'green taxes' that overseas competitors do not face.

"Cement is a key constituent in concrete, the most widely used man made substance on the planet , and underpins our economy and everyday life," said Dr Pal Chana, Executive Director of the MPA. "Our shops, factories, offices, homes, schools, hospitals and much more all depend on this critical material yet the industry is struggling to compete in the face of ever increasing costs, some of which are centrally imposed by government. Our strategic significance to the economy cannot be overstated."

"The government's own economic growth plans are predicated on a substantial increase in the construction of infrastructure and housing and cement and concrete are going to be needed for both," continued Chana. "We cannot allow the supply of this essential material to be left to the vagaries of the international trading markets, especially not when we have a deep rooted industry here in the UK with factories in mainly rural locations providing much needed jobs."

'Cementing the Future' calls on the government to: recognise the industry's strategic significance and potential to generate economic growth; acknowledge the industry's role in delivering a low-carbon future for the UK; deliver an economic climate of investment security and reduce regulatory uncertainty in the industry; reduce the cumulative cost burden on the industry and; lift unilateral green taxes. In return, the industry will deliver: a secure supply of quality-assured cement made in the UK; commitment to the UK government's infrastructure and built environment programme; continued investment in the future of a healthy domestic cement industry; sustained employment at our network of UK cement plants and the supporting supply chain and; a planned reduction of 81% in greenhouse gases as detailed in our Carbon Roadmap to 2050.

"The UK cement industry has provided an essential material for the built environment for over 100 years. Working with government, we can continue to make a vital contribution to development and cement the future of an essential British industry", concluded Chana.

India: The Indian high court in Gujarat has ordered that a US$600m deal to sell the Kutch cement plant from Jaypee Cement to UltraTech Cement will be subject of outcome of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by local villagers.

According to the Times of India, the Kharai panchayat has filed a PIL complaining that the cement company has encroached upon grazing land, water bodies and public roads. The PIL demands that the encroachment should be removed and that the high court should intervene to make the area free from pollution caused by mining and the dumping of dust.

Counsel Mehul Sharad Shah contended that over 5000 hectares of land was given at a cheap rate to Gujarat Anjan Cement to create a cement plant for a lease period of 1997 to 2008 on the condition that the company would put up construction within two years. After not following the condition, it transferred the lease for US$120m to Jayprakash Associates, which merged with the J P Corporation. The PIL alleges that the company encroached on gauchar land, water bodies, public roads and began polluting by dumping alkali dust. Cuts in jobs for local labourers has also added to tension in the area.

The high court has said that the transfer of lease will be subject to final outcome of the PIL.

Saudi Arabia: Al Jouf Cement has shut down its production line for unscheduled maintenance until 5 October 2013. In a bourse statement the Saudi Arabian cement producer said that the shutdown will cost US$4.8m and that it will not impact its ability to meet contractual obligations to clients. In June 2013 the cement producer closed its production line for two weeks for unscheduled maintenance.

Pakistan: Lucky Cement Limited has reported a year-on-year rise of 43.2% in profit after tax to US$91.9m for the year ending on 30 June 2013, from US$64.1m for the same period in 2012. This is the highest profit the Pakistan-based cement producer has ever recorded.

Sales by Lucky Cement rose by 12% to US$414m from US$370m. The company saw cement sales volumes grow by 1.4% to 6.06Mt from 5.97Mt. Local sales rose by 1.3% to 3.77Mt from 3.72Mt. Exports grew by 1.7% to 2.29Mt from 2.25Mt.

In its annual report Lucky Cement announced that two vertical grinding mills at its Karachi cement plant are scheduled to become operational in the last quarter of the 2013 – 2014 financial year and in September 2014 respectively. A tyre-derived fuel plant is planned to replace coal usage at it Pezu plant. The company is also in neogiation to supply surplus electricity generated at Pezu to the Peshawar Electric Company.

Overseas projects include a joint-venture cement plant in Democratic Republic of Congo, which is at the financial stage, and a joint-venture cement grinding plant in Iraq, which is due for completion at the end of October 2013 with commissioning and trial production due from early November 2013.

In its outlook Lucky Cement noted that cement consumption will rise in Pakistan due to the government's funding of the Public Sector Development Programme. However, rises in utility costs, weakening local currency and other factors will present challenges to the cement industry. The company intends to mitigate utility cost rises by investing in waste heat recovery systems at its Karachi and Pezu captive power plants. Each plant will producer 5MW, with expected completion set for December 2014.

Nigeria: Dangote has ordered a new vertical roller mill from Loesche for a new project, Ibese 7, at its Ibese cement plant. The mill is the 13th mill the Nigerian cement producer has ordered from Loesche for Ibese.

The order is for a LM 63.3+3 vertical roller mill for grinding clinker with components such as gypsum and limestone. The product rate of clinker type CEM I will be 310t/hr at 3200 blaine while the product rate of clinker type CEM II will be 295t/hr at 4500 blaine. The gearbox capacity for the LM 63.3+3 will be 6700kW.

In addition to the mill Loesche will deliver a LF 20 (burner dual-fuel HFO / NG) hot gas generator and all the mechanical equipment between the mill pre-bins and the product bucket elevator. Loesche will also supply all electrical equipment and automation, the building steel structure and the detail engineering of the civil works. A latest generation type LDC classifier will also be delivered by Loesche. Commissioning is scheduled for the end of April 2014.