Displaying items by tag: India

India: Ambuja Cement, part of LafargeHolcim, reported a 71% jump year-on-year in its consolidated net profit to US$127.9m during the first quarter of 2021, compared to a profit of US$74.8m in the same period of 2020. Managing Director Neeraj Akhoury said, "Indian demand growth has been strong in the last quarter, which has also helped the sales volume growth and commercial performance.”
Akhoury added that, despite strong and continuing headwinds with regards to input prices, including coal, petcoke and diesel, the company had made significant progress on efficiency improvement, which had a positive impact on cost evolution.

India: The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) has issued Zuari Cements’ Kapada cement plant with a closure order. The order follows an alleged failure to conform to a previous environmental order from the APPCB. The Indian Express newspaper has reported that, pursuant to the order, the board has requested police to cut off the power supply to the integrated cement plant.

India: Shiva Cement’s consolidated net sales in the 2021 financial year, which ended on 31 March 2020, were US$3.81m. The figure represents a 12% year-on-year decline from US$4.33m. Net loss also fell, by 4% to US$2.94m from US$3.05m.

India: Road Transport and MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari says that ‘huge demand’ is being created for steel and cement companies due to the rapid construction of road infrastructure. However, he also accused the industries of creating cartels and exploiting people, according to the Press Trust of India. The minister said that the government is now looking for some alternative for steel and cement. At a webinar Gadkari said that road construction has reached 37km/day day.

India: The board of directors of Sagar Cements is considering merging its wholly-owned subsidiary Sagar Cement (R) (SCR) into the company. A meeting has been scheduled for the company’s board of directors to consider the matter in late April 2021. SCRL, formerly BMM Cements, operates the 1.0Mt/yr Yadiki Mandalam cement plant in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh.

India: Larsen & Toubro has won a contract for the construction of a 3.5Mt/yr-capacity integrated cement plant at Nimbahera in Rajasthan. The Press Trust of India newspaper has reported that the supplier classed the order’s value as ‘significant,’ meaning between US$134m and US$336m.

India: Ambuja Cement has successfully sent two cement shipments to their destinations using biofuel-powered ships. Two of the company’s cement carriers delivered cement in India while running using biofuel derived from soya extract.

The biodiesel blend (B20) was in compliance with International Maritime Organisation sulphur content requirements and met International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) levels in terms of flash point requirements. No increase of NOx was observed with biodiesel blend as compared to low sulphur high-speed diesel (LSHSD), rather the emission level was found to be less. The reduction in CO₂ was found to be around 7% and the total life cycle reduction of CO₂ by life cycle analysis was measured to be around 21%, as the biodiesel from soya extract had a reduction of life cycle greenhouse gas emissions by 70%.

Following the successful initiative, the Directorate General of Shipping has approved biofuels trials for the rest of Ambuja Cement’s fleet, which are mainly deployed on the Indian coastal route.

India: Ambuja Cement, part of Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim, plans to commission its upcoming Mundwa cement plant in Rajasthan by September 2021. The plant will have a total capacity of 5Mt/yr, consisting of 3Mt/yr of integrated and 2.0Mt/yr of grinding capacity. The Hindu newspaper has reported that the company aims to achieve 50Mt/yr total installed capacity in the medium term. It said that it is evaluating possible plant upgrades at Bhatapara in Chhattisgarh and Maratha in Maharashtra.

India: Birla Corporation has commissioned a 28MW solar power plant at a cement plant in Uttar Pradesh. EQ International has reported that Waaree Energies supplied 330kW and 335kW solar modules for the project. The subsidiary of Waaree Group is one of the largest solar photovoltaic module manufacturers in the country.

India: Dalmia Bharat subsidiary Dalmia Cement and other companies are introducing a raft of new safety measures to counteract an increase in coronavirus cases, according to the Economic Times newspaper. The companies’ efforts include creating bio-bubbles for workers, reintroducing working from home where possible, changing shift patterns, conducting rapid testing and, not allowing outsiders into facilities without a negative coronavirus test and organising vaccination stations.