Displaying items by tag: GCW348

US: The Portland Cement Association (PCA) predicts growth of 2.8% in cement consumption in 2018 and 2019 in its Spring Forecast. Growth is then expected to climb to 4% in 2020 as impacts from potential federal infrastructure spending are likely to take effect. The analysis estimates cement consumption at 99.3Mt in 2018, 102.1Mt in 2019 and 106Mt in 2020.

Ed Sullivan, PCA senior vice president and chief economist, has attributed the forecast growth to a variety of positive economic factors including a strong economy, job market and anticipated increase in infrastructure spending. He said that in combination these factors, “suggest a modest acceleration in real GDP, construction markets and cement consumptions.”

However, the PCA projects that ‘robust’ infrastructure spending isn’t likely to occur until the fourth quarter of 2019, given the key steps that must occur, including passage of an infrastructure bill, federal and state paperwork, bid letting and review and finally contract awards leading to construction.

Pakistan: The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) says that the capacity utilisation of the local cement industry reached 94% in the nine months of the local financial year to March 2018. Demand for cement has been bolstered by local demand and growing exports so far in 2018, according to the Business Recorder newspaper. Cement despatches grew by 14.7% year-on-year to 34.8Mt in the first nine months of the 2017 – 2018 year from 30.3Mt in the same period in the previous period. Despatches grew faster in the north of the country than the south.

Vietnam: Mai Tien Dung, the Minister and Head of the Government Office, has identified ways for the Vietnam Cement Industry Corporation (VICEM) to improve its operations. The measures were drawn up at a meeting with the cement producer, according to the Viet Nam News newspaper. The minister wanted ways to increase Vicem’s local market share, improve corporate governance, streamline its organisational structure, make environmental improvements and increase the quality and competitiveness of its products. He also emphasised the need for the company to coordinate with the transport sector to reduce its logistics costs.

France: Cem'In'Eu is preparing to open a 0.24Mt/yr cement grinding plant at Montreuil-Bellay in Maine-et-Loire in 2021. The aspiring cement producer submitted planning and environmental permit applications in March 2018, according to the Le Moniteur des travaux publics et du bâtiment magazine. The company hopes to obtain authorisation for the project in the first half of 2019 and start construction work in 2020. Cement from the plant will be marketed under the ‘Val de Loire Ciments’ brand and targeted to central and western France.

Tunisia: Ciments de Bizerte has restarted exports of clinker and cement after a hiatus of ten years. A shipment of 25,000t of clinker disembarked from the cement producer’s port to Cameroon in early April 2018, according to La Presse de Tunisie newspaper. The local cement industry has an overcapcty of 1Mt/yr.

Kenya: The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has committed US$96m to invest in National Cement towards upgrading a cement plant and building new grinding plants. National Cement’s chairman and chief shareholder Narendra Raval is also expected to invest US$102m into the expansion project, according to the Daily Nation newspaper. The company intends to build two grinding plants in Kenya and Uganda and a new 5500t/day clinker production line at its existing integrated plant in Merrueshi in Kenya. It also plans to build a 8MW captive power plant at Merrueshi.

New Zealand: Golden Bay Cement plans to start shipping cement directly from its integrated plant at Whangarei, Northland in the North Island. Previously, cement from the plant was being shipped to the South Island via Auckland, according to the New Zealand Herald newspaper. Once the logistic change is completed around 11% of Whangarei’s output will be shipped to the South Island.