Displaying items by tag: Star Cement
Star Cement to establish new 3Mt/yr clinker line
06 June 2022India: Star Cement plans to invest US$129m to establish a new 3Mt/yr clinker line. BusinessLine Online News has reported that producer currently operates 2.8Mt/yr-worth of clinker capacity across two units in Meghalaya. Star Cement says that it plans to increase its presence in the Northeast India, Bihar and West Bengal markets. It will additionally invest US$90 – 103m to establish two new grinding units with a combined capacity of 4Mt/yr at Guwahati and Silchar in Assam.
Star Cement said that projected infrastructure investment growth in Northeast India inspired its investment decision, while it opted for a 3Mt/yr kiln over a 2Mt/yr alternative due to the improved efficiencies it offers.
India: Star Cement's full-year 2022 financial year sales were US$286m, up by 29% year-on-year from US$222m. Its net profit rose to US$31.8m, up by 32% from US$24.2m. The producer recorded total costs of US$259m, up by 36% year-on-year from US$191m. Raw materials costs rose by 45%, power and fuel expenses rose by 23% and transport costs rose by 34%.
During the year, the company bought back 2% of its shares, at a total cost of US$16m.
UAE: Switzerland-based ABB has carried out an upgrade of the control system for UltraTech Cement subsidiary Star Super Cement at the company's Dubai grinding plant. The supplier says that it installed its ABB Ability 800xA distributed control system (DCS) across three grinding units at the facility. The DCS will communicate between the plant and the company's Ras Al Khaimah clinker plant. ABB previously supplied electric and automation engineering services for the Ras Al Khaimah plant in 2012.
ABB Process Industries global cement lead Max Tschurtschenthaler said that Star Cement's operations will benefit from improved operator visibility, easier maintenance and reduced downtime due to the new systems.
Star Cement’s Brishyrnot quarry expansion environmental clearance faces local challenge
21 June 2021India: The National Green Tribunal has received a complaint from the Jaintia Students’ Union (JSU) challenging the Meghalaya Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s approval of Star Cement’s Brishyrnot quarry expansion plans. The Sentinel newspaper has reported that the student organisation demanded the cancellation or suspension of environmental clearance for the expansion pending proper processes. It claims that the ministry failed to meet the necessary requirements for a public hearing. It allegedly did not receive no-objection confirmation from all affected local groups.
The Brishyrnot quarry currently covers 42ha in East Jaintia Hills district and has a limestone capacity of 2.5Mt/yr.
India: Star Cement’s net profit after tax fell by 35% year-on-year to US$25.7m in its financial year to 31 March 2021 from US$39.3 in the same period in 2020. Its revenue dropped by 7% to US$235m from US$252m.
India: Star Cement has incorporated new subsidiaries in Assam and Meghalaya. It has set up Star Cement North East in Guwahati, Assam and Star Cement Lumshnong in Lumshnong, Meghalaya. Both business units are yet to start conducting operations. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has approved both incorporations.
OPGC dispatches fly ash to ACC
24 May 2021India: Power company OPGC has dispatched its first shipment of fly ash to ACC’s Jhinkpani cement plant in West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand. The Pioneer newspaper has reported that the shipment consists of 3450t of fly ash from its Ib power plant. The power plant has fly ash storage facilities with a capacity of 6900t. It previously supplied ash to a Star Cement cement plant in Assam.
India: Star Cement plans to increase the cement production capacity of its Guwahiti integrated cement plant in Assam by 2Mt/yr. It also plans to increase its clinker production capacity in Meghalaya by 2Mt/yr. The Free Press Journal newspaper has reported the total cost of the planned investment is US$137m. Managing director Sajjan Bhajanka said that the company would complete the work by mid-2023.
India: Star Cement has announced the completion of its US$61m grinding plant project in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. The Press Trust of India has reported that the 2Mt/yr grinding plant is set to enter production shortly. This will bring the company’s installed capacity to 6.3Mt/yr. The company intends to source clinker from its integrated cement plant in Meghalaya that has mines nearby. Fly ash will be procured from West Bengal or Bihar.
Star Cement plans to discontinue its lease of another grinding plant in Siliguri, West Bengal, at the end of January 2021.
India: Meghalaya Cement, Star Cement and Amrit Cement have been accused of illegally mining 1.8Mt of limestone in Meghalaya between 2013 and 2018. The Northeast Now newspaper has reported that the companies mined the limestone in a tribal area of the state without environmental, forest or wildlife clearance or No Objection Certificates (NOCs). Local cement producers also allegedly owe the state government around US$40m in related limestone mining licence fees. All three cement producers reportedly made donations to a local political party.
The state government is also investigating allegations that two of the cement producers have polluted two local rivers, Wah Lukha and Wah Lunar. The former river allegedly turned ‘deep blue’ due to pollution.