Displaying items by tag: Investment

Saudi Arabia: Yamama Cement has signed a US$443m financing agreement with Saudi National Bank (SNB). The company plans to invest the funds in its relocation of a 10,000t/day kiln line to its Northern Halal, Al Kharj, plant from the site of its former plant in Riyadh. This will help towards its aim of increasing the Northern Halal plant’s capacity to 30,000t/day by 2025. The loan consists of US$213m in long-term financing for a period of eight years, US$150m in refinancing of the long-term funding for a duration of four years and US$80m in short-term financing for one year.

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement has released its interim carbon neutral goals to 2030. The group intends to reduce its CO₂ emission intensity across the entire supply chain by 20% or more compared to 2000. Total domestic CO₂ emissions should be decreased by at least 40% compared to 2000. The company intends to invest US$820m towards these goals. Ultimately the cement producer wants to become carbon neutral by 2050.

Austria: Lafarge Zement has announced the successful commissioning of a new raw meal mill at its Mannersdorf cement plant in Lower Austria. CEO Berthold Kren congratulated process engineer Nina Wolf and the Mannersdorf plant team for carrying out the Euro23m project.

Cambodia: Conch International Holding (HK) subsidiary Conch KT Cement has completed the feasibility study for its upcoming US$250m Kampong Speu cement plant at Monorom in Horng Samnan Commune. The Phnom Penh Post newspaper has reported that the company is collaborating with stakeholders to develop a ‘masterplan’ to manage all potential impacts revealed in the feasibility study. The plant is Conch KT Cement’s second in the country, with the help of which it hopes to secure a reliable domestic cement supply for Cambodians, making use of the kingdom’s abundant raw materials.

In the first 10 months of 2021, Cambodia imported US$40m-worth of cement, down by 33% year-on-year from US$59m in 2020.

El Salvador: Cementos Fortaleza is establishing a new 0.3Mt/yr cement plant at Acajutla in Sonsonate Department. The Diario El Mundo newspaper has reported that the subsidiary of Grupo Regalado and Mexico-based Elementia plans to commission the plant in eatly 2023. The company will invest US$40m in its construction. The plant will produce its cement from 20% El Salvadorean-produced raw materials and will primarily serve local consumption, with the possibility of also exporting some cement.

Grupo Regalado representative Marcos Regalado Nottebohm said “It is challenging to invest in a project of such magnitude. This has been a natural step between two large business groups of great renown.”

France: Lafarge France has announced a total planned investment of Euro46m in upgrades to its 1.6Mt/yr Saint-Pierre-la-Cour, Mayenne, cement plant and its 1.2Mt/yr La Malle, Bouches-du-Rhone, cement plant. The Holcim subsidiary will invest Euro40m to convert the Saint-Pierre-la-Cour plant to low carbon cement production. Meanwhile, it will invest Euro6m in the La Malle plant’s conversion to ultra-low carbon cement production. The L’Usine Nouvelle newspaper has reported that the transitions will complement the company’s strategy of over 25% EcoPact reduced-CO₂ ready-mix concrete sales by 2025.

Ireland: CRH says that it completed another phase in its on-going share buyback programme on 16 March 2022. The group purchased US$300m-worth of shares, bringing its total cash returned since the beginning of the programme in May 2018 to US$3.2bn. On 17 March 2022, it concluded an agreement to begin the purchase of a further US$300m-worth of its shares by 27 June 2022. The producer instructed investors that any decision in relation to any future buyback programmes will be based on an ongoing assessment of the capital needs of the business and general market conditions.

US: Monarch Cement’s net sales were US$212m in 2021, up by 12% year-on-year from US$189m in 2020. Its cement sales volumes increased by 12% year-on-year to 1.2Mt. Monarch Cement invested US$24m in new equipment in 2021, including 27 new ready-mix trucks, six new cement haul trucks, three loaders and two excavators. It plans to launch Portland limestone cement (PLC) products later in 2022.

Spain: A consortium consisting of Cemex España, energy suppliers Enagás and Redexis, renewable power and infrastructure company Acciona and 30 other partners has commissioned Europe’s first solar power-to-green hydrogen plant at the site of Cemex España’s Lloseta cement plant on Majorca. The EU contributed Euro10m to the approximately Euro50m project. Euro3.75 million came from the Balearic Islands Autonomous Community government and Euro2.5m from the Spanish Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE) of the Ministry of the Ecological Transition. The project will generate 300t/yr of hydrogen, eradicating 20,700t/yr of CO₂. The hydrogen will primarily fuel city buses in Palma, as well as air conditioning units in public and private buildings there.

Thailand: Siam Cement Group (SCG) says that it is reviewing its planned US$2.4bn investment programme for 2022 due to the changing conditions it faces following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and ensuing cost rises. The Bangkok Post newspaper has reported that the company has recorded a rise in raw materials and energy costs across its businesses.

President and chief executive officer Roongrote Rangsiyopash said "We will delay some new investment projects, especially greenfield investments, and consider increasing more investments under merger and acquisition plans to avoid possible impact on our long-term financial management." Rangsiyopash added "Prices of cement and building materials will also gradually increase."