Displaying items by tag: Saudi Arabia
Saudi Cement keeps Hofuf kilns closed due to weak demand
22 September 2014Saudi Arabia: Saudi Cement Co has announced that it will not restart cement production after refurbishment work on two kilns at its Hofuf, Eastern Province plant due to high inventory levels and weak demand. The company has reported falling year-on-year profits in the first half of 2014. Between January and August 2014, sales fell by 14% year-on-year because of increased volumes being produced by Saudi cement firms and stagnant demand.
"The feasibility of operating the two kilns shall be reconsidered whenever market conditions warrants it," said Saudi Cement. The company expects to record annual depreciation charges of about US$2m related to the kilns from the fourth quarter of 2014 onwards.
Saudi firms collective profits down in first half of 2014
07 August 2014Saudi Arabia: The first-half net profits of Saudi Arabia's listed cement companies dropped by 6% collectively to US$910m compared with US$970m in the corresponding period of 2013, according to the Al-Riyadh daily newspaper. The companies' combined sales in the second quarter of 2014 came to US$980m.
Saudi Arabia/Finland: Wärtsilä has received an order to supply a turnkey power plant for the Umm Al-Qura Cement Company. The 47MW captive power plant will be located close to Taif city. The equipment will be delivered by February 2015 and the project will enter commercial operation by October 2015.
The power plant consists of five 20-cylinder Wärtsilä 32TS engines, a new two-stage turbocharged version of the Wärtsilä 32 series. This new engine is designed to operate efficiently in high temperate and altitude conditions such as a location of this project with temperatures up to 50°C and an altitude above 1000m. After completion of this project, Wärtsilä will have supplied more than 1600MW of installed power plant capacity in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia: Saudi cement producer City Cement Company has announced that it intends to invest US$29.7m to boost its cement grinding capacity to 265t/hr. The company said that it would use its own funds to finance the expansion. Construction will start on 1 June 2014, with completion expected in February 2016. Commercial production is expected in March 2016.
Saudi Arabia: China's Tianjin Cement Industry Design and Research Institute Co Ltd Tianjin, part of Sinoma International, has signed a contract with Loesche for the delivery of a LM 56.4 vertical roller mill to the cement plant of United Cement Industrial Company in
Saudi Arabia.
The Loesche mill will grind cement raw material at a production rate of 420t/hr with a fineneness of 12% R 90μm / 2% R 200μm. Loesche will also deliver a 3600kW capacity gearbox. The very hot ambient conditions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia causes very dry raw materials, necessitating a grinding bed sprinkler system.
Delivery for the key parts of the LM 56.4 is scheduled in August 2014. The commercial production of cement is expected in the second half of 2015.
ABB completes upgrade at Eastern Province Cement Company
02 April 2014Saudi Arabia: ABB has completed a process control system upgrade to three cement production lines at Eastern Province Cement Company (EPCC) in Al Khursaniya, Saudi Arabia. Power and automation technology supplier ABB updated the Extended Automation System 800xA to the latest standards.
"ABB has completed the final upgrade on site in a record time during the planned maintenance shutdown of the plant", said Mohammad Arif Khan, Electrical and Instrumentation Manager at EPCC.
The scope of supply included the updating the Extended Automation System 800xA licences, computer, laboratory and raw meal proportioning system hardware, as well as project management, engineering and site services, including training. The modernisation follows a previous process control system upgrade of the production lines number one and two in 2003, as well as equipment deliveries for the extension of the plant with line number three in 2005. The contract was booked in June 2013. Commissioning was completed in December 2013.
Saudi Arabian Cement to boost Rabigh plant production capacity
25 February 2014Saudi Arabia: Arabian Cement Company (ACC) has announced that its management board has approved a project to boost the production capacity of the company's plant in Rabigh. The new production line will add a capacity of 10,000t/day and is expected to start operations in mid-2017. No financial details were available.
Baha Cement Company to be established in Riyadh
17 February 2014Saudi Arabia: The minister of Commerce and Industry, Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, has approved the establishment of Riyadh-based Baha Cement Company as a closed joint stock company with capital of US$107m. The capital is split into shares and the company shares have been subscribed 50% by partners and the other 50% will be offered for public subscription.
The minister's approval comes within the framework of the state's policy to enhance economic activities in various sectors.
Najran Cement launches trial operations at WHR power plant
13 January 2014Saudi Arabia: Saudi cement producer Najran Cement said that it launched trial operations of the first phase of its waste heat recovery (WHR) on 11 January 2014. The trial will take 10 days to complete and the commercial launch is yet to be announced. The US$45m WHR project is being installed by China's Sinoma Energy Conservation on a turnkey basis.
Al Jouf Cement launches trial operations of new production line
18 December 2013Saudi Arabia: Al Jouf Cement has said in a bourse statement it has launched trial operations of a second production line. The new production line will have a clinker production capacity of 5000t/day. The trial period will take three months.
Al Jouf announced in October 2013 that it had signed an agreement with Al Rajhi Bank for a US$107m loan to partially finance the construction of the new production line. The loan is to be repaid by June 2019.