Displaying items by tag: HeidelbergCement
Romania's Carpatcement Holding plans Euro15m investments in 2014
16 January 2014Romania: Romania's Carpatcement Holding, a HeidelbergCement subsidiary, said that it plans to invest Euro15m in 2014 in increasing energy efficiency, in environmental projects and personnel development.
In 2013 the company's sales fell by 14% due to a national decline in infrastructure projects, domestic spending and in foreign direct investments.
HeidelbergCement has invested more than Euro450m in Romania since 1998. Between 2008 - 2009 it invested Euro100m in raising its cement production capacity to nearly 7.15Mt/yr. In Romania the Germany-based company produces cement, concrete and aggregates in its three units, Carpatcement Holding, Carpat Beton and Carpat Agregate.
HeidelbergCement concludes sale and transfer of cement grinding facility to JSW Steel
06 January 2014India: HeidelbergCement India has completed the sale and transfer of its cement grinding facility situated at Raigad, Maharashtra to JSW Steel, in accordance with the Business Transfer Agreement executed between the company and JSW Steel on 5 October 2013. The sale and transfer took effect from 3 January 2014.
Third quarter cement producers roundup
13 November 2013The third quarter results are in and signs of a recovery in the construction industry are present. Generally for the European producers, volumes of cement sold in the third quarter of 2013 have improved year-on-year compared to the figures for the first nine months of 2013. Although many of these third quarter sales changes are still negative it seems like the industry has turned a corner.
Lafarge reported that cement sales fell by 4% year-on-year to 102Mt for the first nine months in 2013. In the third quarter of 2013 sales remained stable year–on-year at 36.7Mt. Holcim saw its nine month sales fall by 3% to 104Mt while its third quarter sales remained stable at 36Mt. HeidelbergCement saw its nine month sales rise by 1% to 67.7Mt while its third quarter sales rose by 4% to 25.3Mt. Italcementi saw its nine month sales fall by 6% to 32.6Mt while its third quarter sales fell by 2% to 10.8Mt.
By region some of the differences between the European-based multinational cement producers have been telling. Lafarge, for example, is still down year-on-year on cement volumes sold in North America, denting the perceived wisdom of a strong North American recovery. However, profit indicators such as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) have risen in that region, increasingly in the third quarter. Cemex and Holcim have done better in this region.
Notably, the unstable political situation in Egypt has also impacted the balance sheets for Lafarge and Italcementi. Lafarge reported that cement sales volumes fell by 27% for the first nine months of 2013, principally due to gas shortages, and 19% for the third quarter as the company started to substitute other fuels. Similarly, Italcementi saw overall cement and clinker sales drop by 11.2% in the nine months and 14% in the third quarter.
Meanwhile in China, Anhui Conch produced 86.2Mt for the nine months, a year-on-year increase of 12.1%. Overall revenues in China seem to have risen after decreases in 2012. Anhui Conch reported that its operating revenue rose by 15% to US$6.08bn for the first nine months and US$2.20bn for the third quarter of 2013. Analysts have pinned the return to profit to building in the country's eastern and southern provinces and the effects of government-led industry consolidation. Bucking this trend though, China National Building Materials (CNBM) saw its revenue rise by 37% to US$13.5bn for the first nine months of 2013 but its profit fell by 8.1% to US$542m.
Anhui Conch, Lafarge, Holcim, CNBM, Italcementi and HeidelbergCement all feature at the top of Global Cement's list of the 'Top 75 global cement companies' to be published in the December 2013 issue of Global Cement Magazine. Ahead of final publication we want to know whether readers agree with the rankings. Download our list (registration required) and let us know your comments by 1 December 2013.
HeidelbergCement hurt by weaker currencies
08 November 2013Germany: HeidelbergCement said that profit for the third quarter of 2013 fell by 7% due to weaker currencies in emerging markets.
Operating income before depreciation was Euro811m in the third quarter of 2013 compared with Euro872m during the same period in 2012. Sales fell by 1.3% to Euro3.89bn.
The German cement producer said that lower energy and raw material costs and price increases could not compensate for the negative currency effects. A cost-cutting programme dubbed 'Fox 2013' had already exceeded a full-year target of Euro240m, generating cash savings of Euro253m.
Cementa to sell fly ash cement by 2015
16 October 2013Sweden: Cementa is developing a new cement that uses fly ash for sale by 2015. The project is part of the Swedish subsidiary of HeidelbergCement's drive to reduce its carbon emissions by 2030 and to meet the growing environmental requirements of its customers.
"We see this as a natural further step in our vision of zero carbon emissions by 2030," said Fredrik Jansson, Vice President and Marketing Director at Cementa.
PCA stands by brighter US cement future
18 September 2013US cement consumption may have disappointed some in the first quarter of 2013 but solid growth lies ahead, according to the Portland Cement Association (PCA). Just how solid that growth will be remains open to interpretation.
PCA chief economist Ed Sullivan forecast 8% growth in cement consumption at the start of 2013. Now's its been halved to just 4%. Yet he's standing by the hint of good news ahead, upping the growth from 2014 to 9.7%.
Figures from the major US cement producers present a mixed picture. The major multinational cement producers mostly suffered from the weather in early 2013. Lafarge saw its cement sales in North America drop by 23% year-on-year for the first half of 2013 to 4.4Mt from 5.7Mt in the same period of 2012. Cemex's cement sales in the US rose by 3% but no specific figures were released. Holcim's cement sales in North America fell by 7% to 5Mt from 5.4Mt. HeidelbergCement's cement sales in the North America grew by 5% to 5.7Mt from 5.4Mt.
Of the rest, Texas Industries reported a rise in cement shipments of 29% to 2.23Mt from 1.73Mt for the six months to the 31 May 2013. Titan saw sales in the US rise by 10% to US$258m.
Preliminary United States Geological Survey data for June 2013 suggests that the increase in portland and blended cement shipments in the US slowed in the first half of 2013. In 2011 32.1Mt were shipped, in 2012 37.0Mt were shipped and in 2013 37.2Mt were shipped.
Meanwhile the construction figures US Department of Commerce mostly suggested growth but not without the odd jitter. Construction spending fell slightly in June 2013. Total construction spending adjusted seasonally fell by 0.4% to US$869bn due to a fall in non-residential construction. Since then though the July 2013 figure hit US$901bn, the highest since June 2009.
Accordingly, in his forecast Sullivan pins his hopes on the residential sector in the near term. It has seen consistent growth since October 2012. However other industry commentators, like the American Institue of Architects, have focused on poor growth in non-residential construction.
Let's hope Sullivan's got it right.
HeidelbergCement releases 2011/2012 Sustainability Report
18 September 2013Germany: HeidelbergCement has reduced its specific net carbon dioxide emissions by 21% to 607.5 kg/t of cement since 1990 according to its 2011/2012 Sustainability Report. Its alternative fuels rate increased to 21.7% in 2012. This is the fifth sustainability report that the German-based cement producer has published.
"Sustainable business practices are a fundamental condition as well as an integral component of our business activities and therefore central to the activities and decisions of our management teams on the ground," said Dr Bernd Scheifele, CEO of HeidelbergCement.
Despite increasing its alternative fuels mix, HeidelbergCement reported changes in its traditional fossil fuels mix for clinker production. Hard coal usage fell but petroleum coke and natural has saw rises in usage. NOx, SO2 and dust emissions all fell from 2011 to 2012.
Belgian Competition Council fines cement sector
04 September 2013Belgium: The Belgian Competition Council has fined three cement producers and two related organisations Euro14.7m for restricting competition in the Belgian cement market. In a statement, the Belgian Competition Council accused HeidelbergCement subsidiary CBR, Italcementi subsidiary CCB, Holcim Belgium, FEBELCEM and the national centre for technical and scientific research for the cement industry (CRIC/OCCN) of concerted behaviour.
According to the council, the accused parties acted in a coordinated manner between May 2000 and October 2003 to delay the adoption of a licence and of standards allowing ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) to be used as a component for ready-mix concrete. The cement producers and FEBELCEM sought to protect their own interests in selling cement for ready-mix concrete and CRIC/OCCN aided them in doing this.
The council noted that Irish GGBS producer Orcem had its import of GGBS to Belgium delayed due to the anticompetitive practices.
Germany: HeidelbergCement has announced improved operating results in the second quarter of 2013 despite claims that poor weather conditions in Europe and North America had hampered its performance. The group's revenue was stable at Euro3.8bn for the three months to 30 June 2013 and at Euro6.56bn for the first six months of 2013.
HeidelbergCement's net profit for the second quarter of 2013 was Euro469m, a 92% increase year-on-year from Euro245m in the second quarter of 2012. Over the first half of 2013, its profit rose by Euro285m from just Euro86m in the first half of 2012.
"HeidelbergCement has successfully continued the positive earnings development in the second quarter despite challenging conditions," said Dr Bernd Scheifele, chairman of the managing board. "The measures that we introduced to improve margins are showing results. We were able to implement price increases in our principal markets and our efficiency improvement programmes are progressing according to plan."
The group saw regional variation in its cement sales during the period under review. While construction activity in Europe and parts of North America was hindered due to heavy rain and flooding in some areas, HeidelbergCement's cement deliveries benefited from the sustained increase in demand in its Asian and African markets as well as from the continued economic recovery in other parts of North America, especially in the southern US.
During the second quarter, the group's cement and clinker sales volumes dropped slightly by 0.8% to 24.3Mt from 24.5Mt in 2012. The Asia-Pacific group area experienced the strongest growth in sales volumes, followed by North America and Africa-Mediterranean Basin. Cement sales volumes in the Western and Northern Europe group area remained broadly stable. Deliveries in the UK were more than 10% above the values of 2012 due to the emerging recovery in private residential construction. Sales volumes in Germany and in the bordering countries of eastern Europe were adversely affected by heavy rainfall and flooding.
The Eastern Europe-Central Asia group area recorded a decline in sales volumes of more than 10%. Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic were the most severely affected. In addition, the harsh austerity policies of these countries had a negative effect on public infrastructure construction. In the first half of 2013 cement and clinker sales volumes decreased slightly by 0.8% to 42.4Mt from 42.7Mt in 2012.
Looking ahead, in North America, HeidelbergCement still expects ongoing economic recovery and consequently a further increase in demand for building materials, especially from residential construction and the raw materials industry. A three-layered economic development is anticipated in Europe and central Asia. It says that the markets in Germany, northern Europe and the UK should continue to develop positively and expects those in central Asia to remain stable. In Benelux and eastern Europe a continuing weak development of the economy and demand for building materials is anticipated. In Asia and Africa, the group still expects sustained positive demand.
Croatia: HeidelbergCement is interested in bidding for the Croatian cement plant Nasicecement, according to HeidelbergCement's regional director Branimir Muidza.
"We are still very interested in the acquisition and we are carefully monitoring the situation of Nasicecement's pre-bankruptcy settlement. If an opportunity arises we are ready to invest," said Muidza to SeeNews. HeidelbergCement has previously held a 8% stake in Nasicecement.
In February 2013 Nexe Grupa, who own Nasicecement, revealed that it had submitted a motion for the opening of a pre-bankruptcy settlement procedure. Its subsidiaries did likewise. Acquiring Nasicecement could compliment HeidelbergCement's strategy in the Balkans as it holds cement plants in Hungary and Bosnia & Herzegovina.