
Displaying items by tag: GCW54
Global CemPower
19 June 2012The Global CemPower conference took place last week in London, attracting 103 delegates from 25 countries. The conference looked at waste heat recovery options in the global cement industry. 'Back-of-the-envelope' calculations suggest that the value of the waste heat recovery units that could be installed in the global cement industry in the next ten years might total US$50bn - well worth thinking about.
Robert McCaffrey, the conference convenor, gave a listing at the event of the seven megatrends that will shape the future of the global cement industry, including demographic trends (aging of both developing and developed nations), urbanisation (with 70-75% of humanity due to live in cities by 2050), the growth of new country superpowers, the possibility of further climate change, paradigm shifts in the cement industry business model, ever-increasing energy costs and the influence of Rumsfeldian known-unknowns and unknown-unknowns.
Whatever else happens in the next 50 years, increased energy costs and energy efficiency will be the order of the day. In the global cement industry, waste heat recovery is here to stay.
Presentations, videos and a full review of the Global CemPower conference are available here, www.globalcement.com/conferences/global-cempower/introduction.
ANH Refractories Europe hires Frank to drive sales
19 June 2012UK: ANH Refractories Europe has hired Stefan Frank, a senior engineer with more than 20 years' experience, to drive export sales across Europe.
The senior refractory engineer has joined the Wirral based firm to bolster expertise in the cement sector. He has been charged with kickstarting a new campaign to increase ANH's profile and drive sales in emerging cement markets in countries including Turkey, Ukraine and Italy.
Frank holds more than 20 years' experience in the refractory industry. This has included roles at HeidelbergCement Group's Technology Center in Leimen, Baden-Württemberg, in Germany, and extensive work in the rotary kiln field.
ANH Refractories Europe managing director Peter Rooney said, " The European cement market has been a solid area for sales in the last 12 months and we believe Stefan has the knowledge and skills to build on this."
The American owned firm, which has a US turnover of US$550m, manufactures materials used in linings for furnaces, kilns and incinerators operating at high temperatures. It delivers refractory solutions, services and products to many industries including aluminium, petrochemical, power, incineration, mineral and glass.
EPA may slacken PM emissions rules
19 June 2012US: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) appears poised to soften particulate matter (PM) limits in its pending revised air toxics rule for cement plants, while separately pursuing an extended compliance deadline for the rule. Both moves would represent major concessions to industry groups that sought a weaker rule but have the potential to rile environmentalists who say such changes would be unlawful.
According to an industry source, EPA will propose to soften the rule's PM limits on smokestacks for existing cement plants. New data submitted to EPA by the industry shows that the limit of 0.02kg/t of clinker set by the final rule prior to reconsideration is not realistically attainable. Instead, the EPA will probably revert to a higher number, closer to the 0.043kg/t that it offered in its original proposal.
Environmentalists oppose softening the air toxics rule and recently warned the agency in written comments that, "any changes diminishing or replacing the existing standards would be flatly unlawful." The likely changes to the rule follow a series of 11th-hour meetings that industry officials and others have held with EPA and White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB) staff seeking to shape the proposal.
The Portland Cement Association previously presented a paper to the EPA arguing for an increase in the emissions limit for PM. "The current PM limit of 0.02kg/t of clinker is very stringent," reported the paper. "Very few facilities can comply with the clinker limit without major investments in new and upgraded PM controls."
Dangote talks up US$40bn LSE launch
19 June 2012Nigeria: Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote has announced that his cement company is aiming for a valuation of up to US$40bn on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) when it is floated in 2013. If realised, the company would be valued at several times the size of France's Lafarge.
Dangote's cement empire stretches from Senegal to South Africa, benefiting from a construction boom across one of the world's fastest growing continents. In a difficult global environment for share offerings, Dangote said he was not discouraged by the tumble in Facebook's shares since they listed in May 2012.
"Whereas the assets of Facebook were hype, we have real assets," said Dangote, setting out the market capitalisation he expected for his firm at the listing planned for late 2013. "It depends on the market, but it should be something like
US$35-40bn," said Dangote.
Despite Dangote's desire to present the company as larger than Lafarge, its revenue was in the order of 13 times lower than its French rival in 2011. Dangote highlighted, however, that the company's rapid expansion would make it considerably larger than it is now by the time of the listing, with new plants due to be completed in 13 other African countries by then. Alongside its expansion, he noted that Lafarge is in the midst of a cost-cutting programme in an effort to offset the impact of stagnation in its main markets and to cut its debt.
Cameroonian Dangote plant back on track
19 June 2012Cameroon: Construction of a US$115m cement plant by the Nigerian cement giant Dangote has restarted in Douala after resolution of a land dispute. Work on the 1.5Mt/yr facility began in September 2011 but was halted in early 2012 after the Sawa people filed an injunction against the project, complaining it violated their sacred site on the banks of the Wouri River.
"Following instructions from the Presidency of the Republic, work has resumed at the Dangote cement factory," said Joseph Beti Assomo, the governor of the region under which Douala falls. "Let me seize this opportunity to inform you that the mix-ups surrounding the site of the Dangote project have been entirely dissipated to enable resumption of work."
India Cements gets expansion go-ahead
19 June 2012India: South India's largest cement maker by volume, The India Cements Ltd, has received clearance from the environment ministry to proceed with capacity expansion of its existing two plants.
The company sought the Terms of Reference (TOR) approval for expanding capacities in Padaveedu, Salem district at its Sankaridurg plant and in Dalavoi, Ariyalur district. The green ministry approved the TRO of India Cements on 25 April 2012 and 26 April 2012 respectively.
Company officials maintain that this is only a process and nothing has been finalised vis-a-vis expansion of capacities. "We are getting the required approvals in advance. Nothing is on the board. We want to be ready and when there is a need we should not be seen as waiting for regulatory approvals," said a company official.
Kuwaiti cement company results
19 June 2012Kuwait: Several sets of financial results for Kuwaiti cement companies have been released for the year to 31 December 2011.
Hilal Cement has reported that its total revenue increased by 5.8% to US$71.1m and its net profit grew by 70.5% to US$4.4m.
Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Portland Cement saw its total revenue drop to US$174.4m, a drop of 18.4%, with its net profit slumping by 88.6% to US$9.1m.
Kuwait Cement recorded a fifth consecutive year of positive earnings, a 20.8% increase in total revenue to US$215.9m, and a 6.8% improvement in net profit to US$51.2m.
Jaypee under the hammer
18 June 2012India: India's biggest cement producer, Jaiprakash Associates, says that it is planning to sell its cement units in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh as a part of its divestment plan. In a move that is very similar to those of debt-ridden European and North American cement producers, local media has reported that Jaiprakash has been in talks with at least two different investors, including domestic group Aditya Birla and Lafarge from France. It is looking to sell its 'Jaypee Cement' unit plants, which are already run as a separate company.
Birla and Lafarge have finished their first round of talks with Jaypee. Final bids will be completed in two months. Jaypee wants to exit the cement production business in order to focus on its core activities.
Earlier, it was also reported that Switzerland's multinational Holcim Ltd. was prepared to spend up to US$1.6bn on the three plants, which have a joint capacity of 9.8Mt/yr.