Displaying items by tag: Government
Construction starts at 2Mt/yr Tanganyika cement plant in Democratic Republic of Congo
30 September 2020Democratic Republic of Congo: The government of Tanganyika Province has announced the start of construction of a 2.0Mt/yr-capacity integrated cement plant in Kabimba. The Financiel Afric newspaper has reported that the plant will occupy the site of the former Kabimba cement plant, which was mothballed in 2016.
Governor Zoé Kabila Mwanza Mbala said, “The revival of the Kabimba cement plant will revitalize the social sector and restore the economic fabric throughout Tanganyika Province.
Philippines: The Department of Trade and Industry says that it is considering banning Bureau of Philippines Standards-certified companies’ cement from bearing the label ‘Made in the Philippines’ where it was produced in another country. The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines has complained that the labels constitute false advertising.
Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said that any regulative action would follow a thorough review, but “offhand, if products are not really manufactured here, they cannot be labelled as ‘Made in the Philippines.’”
Competition Commission of Pakistan conducts search of All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association headquarters
25 September 2020Pakistan: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has conducted a search of the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) headquarters in Lahore, Punjab Province as part of it investigation into alleged anticompetitiveness by cement producers. The Daily Frontier Star has reported that the aim of the search was “to gather evidence of possible communication, arrangement, agreement or understanding between cement producers pertaining to the alleged violation of the provisions of the Competition Act.” The CCP launched the investigation in May 2020 following a request from the Ministry of Industries and Production (MoIP).
Norway: The Norwegian government has introduced a bill to parliament to allow funding for industrial scale implementation of HeidelbergCement’s carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at its 1.2Mt/yr Brevik plant in Porsgrunn, Telemark. If enacted, the legislation will provide for the majority of required funding.
HeidelbergCement chair Dominik von Achten, “We are very pleased with the proposal of the Norwegian government. This allows us to continue the pioneering work that we started together with our partners in Brevik. The CCS project in Norway is an important cornerstone in our climate strategy. It will enable us to significantly reduce otherwise unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions related to the cement production process.”
National Energy Technology Laboratory invests US$1.5m in LafargeHolcim CO2MENT project
18 September 2020US: LafargeHolcim says that Department of Energy institution National Energy Technology Laboratory has awarded US$1.5m of federal funding to the company’s CO2MENT Colorado project. The project aims to capture 2.0Mt/yr of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the company’s 1.9Mt/yr Portland cement plant in Florence, Colorado for sequestration underground by Occidental.
The group said, “With the successful completion of the initial scoping study in June 2020 and confirmation of Department Of Energy funding, the partnership has committed to the next project phase.”
Zimbabwean government body lifts Diamond Cement prohibition order
17 September 2020Zimbabwe: The National Social Security Authority (NSSA) has lifted a prohibition order which it issued to Livetouch Investments subsidiary Diamond Cement after the death of a worker on 6 March 2020 at the company’s 0.4Mt/yr Redcliff grinding plant. The incident brought to light “sub-standard safety and security arrangements.” The Chinese-owned company had also failed to register any employees under the NSSA’s Workers’ Compensation Insurance Fund (WCIF) and the National Pension Scheme (NPS).
The New Zimbabwe newspaper has reported that the NSSA lifted the prohibition order in mid-September 2020 after the company was found to have complied with its registration and safety requirements. NSSA communications officer Tendai Mutseyekwa said, “After a joint visit by the NSSA’s Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate and the Compliance Inspectorate, the company registered with the NSSA schemes. They subsequently settled their subscriptions for the two NSSA schemes from the effective date of 4 April 2017, when the company started operating.”
A police investigation into the fatality continues.
Krasnoyarsk Cement workers awarded Russian state honours
16 September 2020Russia: Three workers at Krasnoyarsk Cement and its associated company Sibcemservice have been awarded the title of ‘Honoured Builder of the Russian Federation’ by the central state government. Excavator driver Mikhail Yelkin, grinding workshop supervisor Valentina Trofimova and turner Stepan Grishechko have been issued with the honourary titles for their long service with the company of over 30 years and help in mentoring new employees.
EuroChem Karatau’s upcoming US$800m Zhambyl fertiliser plant to produce aggregates
16 September 2020Kazakhstan: EuroChem subsidiary EuroChem Karatau has entered into talks with Zhambyl Region governor Berdibek Saparbayev over plans for the construction of a mineral fertilisers plant at a total investment cost of US$800m. Kazakhstan Newsline has reported that the facility will additionally produce aggregates for use in cement production. The plant will exploit the region’s Karatau-Zhanatassky phosphorite basin, from which the company has already extracted and carried out primary processing on phosphorite ore.
Cemtech Materials secures bauxite residue supply from Noranda Alumina
15 September 2020US: Cemtech Materials will produce cement using bauxite residue supplied under a new contract signed with New Day Aluminium Holdings subsidiary Noranda Alumina. Noranda Alumina has executed a letter of intent with Cemtech to sell it 60,000t of bauxite residue starting in the fourth quarter of 2020. The bauxite will be used in the cement production process as the raw material for iron, replacing other current iron bearing raw materials.
Noranda Alumina chair and chief executive officer (CEO) David D’Addario said, “We are focused on continuously improving the sustainability of our business and reducing our environmental footprint on our path to a zero residue refinery, and look forward to helping our partners in the cement industry to achieve their aligned goals.”
The deal follows a beneficial use approval from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. Noranda Alumina is located in Gramercy, Louisiana. It produces smelter grade alumina for the production of aluminium and chemical grade alumina for non-metallurgical applications.
Ethiopian government offers licences for 16Mt of cement imports in 2021 financial year
14 September 2020Ethiopia: The Ministry of Trade and Industry says that it is granting licences for the import of 16Mt over the financial year ending 7 July 2021, the 2021 financial year. The Ethiopian Press Agency has reported that the cause of the measure is a cement shortage resulting in inflated prices. The order requires importers to import a minimum of 3000t of cement, and to begin importing before 8 December 2020.
Director of communication affairs Wondimu Flate said, “The directive was prepared in order to enable cement factories to produce at their full potential and to connect those engaged in the sector from the manufacturer and importer to the retail business, with supply and distribution being monitored and used.”