Displaying items by tag: Tunisia

Tunisia: Carthage University, Ciments de Bizerte, the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the University of Algarve faculty of science and technology have concluded a study into the heavy metal content of CEM-I and CEM-II cement. The study found that both types of cement contain traces of arsenic, barium, boron, cadmium, chromium, copper, manganese, nickel, lead, strontium and zinc in equal measure, according to the Journal of Engineering.

Carthage University said, "Heavy metals in cement can originate from a variety of processes in production, including their initial presence in raw materials and fuel, incorporation into kiln refractory brick, metal erosion from the raw material grinding process and in additives such as gypsum, as well as cement kiln dust."

Tunisia: Six companies filed offers to acquire a majority stake of between 58% and 78% of Carthage Cement’s registered share capital. The group called for expressions of interest on 29 May 2020 and the deadline for receipt of tenders was 4 December 2020. It said, “The list of pre-qualified investors will be communicated once the opening and examination of the offers received have been finalised.”

Tunisia: Ciments de Bizerte dispatched its first batch of cement since 2008 from the Port of Bizerte on 19 October 2020. Agency Tunis Afrique Press has reported that the cement was sold on the Libyan market. The development follows Ciments de Bizerte’s investment in an upgrade of its quay at the Port of Bizerte.

Tunisia: The Ministry of Industry and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises has issued a decree authorising the use of polypropylene cement bags, with the aim of increasing the competitiveness of Tunisian cement against rival Turkish products on the Libyan market. The Economiste Maghrebin newspaper has reported that the loss of a valuable exporter market following Algeria’s attainment of a cement surplus led the ministry to enact the cost-cutting policy. In January 2020, Algeria enacted a progressive prohibition on this type of packaging with a view to a blanket ban from 1 January 2021.

Minister of Industry and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Salah Ben Youssef says that his department “submitted a report on the impacts of the use of polypropylene packaging for cement to the Ministry of the Environment in May 2020 and received no reply,” but implemented the initiative because it was the only viable alternative to kraft bags, which he says are “overpriced due to monopolies in raw materials and assembly.” Ben Youssef said that polypropylene bags, which are permitted for use in food, lime, animal feed and fertilisers packaging, are “both recyclable and reusable,” and would enable the Tunisian cement industry to become self-sufficient in serving its bagging needs. As a further cost-cutting measure, Ben Youssef proposed that the government establish a solar power plant in order to reduce cement companies’ total energy bills by US$5.13m/yr.

The 16Mt/yr-capacity Tunisian cement sector, which includes international companies such as Carthage Cement and Brazil-based Votorantim Cimentos subsidiary La Cimenterie de Jbel Oust, produced 11Mt of cement in 2019 against a domestic demand of 7.0Mt.

Tunisia: Carthage Cement has announced the successful shipment of 4100t of cement from its 2Mt/yr integrated Jebel Ressas plant in Ben Arous Governorate. The shipment was postponed from March 2020 due to the coronavirus lockdown in Italy and Tunisia and is to be the first of a number of shipments of a total of 250,000t of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), in accordance with Carthage Cement’s contract with a local construction firm.

Spain: Coronavirus has forced the suspension of operations at all Cementos Molins facilities, in accordance with a royal decree. Europa Press has reported that the company began the progressive shutdown of the 1.6Mt/yr integrated line at its Sant Vincenç dels Horts cement plant in Barcelona, Catalonia, on 31 March 2020, and switched off the plant on 2 April 2020.

Cementos Molins said that it has already suspended production in Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, Colombia and Tunisia. It says it has ‘implemented the teleworking model in the areas of the company where its application is possible.’

Tunisia: Carthage Cement has submitted a statement to Tunisian police in which it alleges false testimony by FLSmidth’s lawyer who advised the Danish supplier in a criminal case which saw one employee sentenced to five years for illegal payments to Carthage Cement’s owners in 2017. Ritzau Finans newspaper has reported that FLSmidth’s management admitted to knowledge of the payments on 21 February 2020, something it had denied to authorities when under investigation prior to the trial, which concluded in November 2019.

Tunisia: Brazil’s Votorantim Cimentos has ordered a clinker cooler and clinker roller crushers from Turkey’s Fons Technology International for an upgrade to its 1.2Mt/yr integrated Jbel Oust plant. Votorantim has been present in Tunisia since 2012 where it sells cement under the Jbel Oust brand.

Tunisia: Carthage Cement has obtained CE marking for its products to help it penetrate the European market. It plans to start a 0.15Mt cement export contract in March 2020.

Tunisia: Carthage Cement has announced a general improvement in its financial indicators as it forecast a gross operating income of US$25m for 2019. This would represent a 123% improvement from US$11.2m in 2018. Ibrahim Sana, Carthage Cement’s CEO anticipates a gross operating income as high as US$55m in 2023, with a targeted turnover of US$140m.

The company also announced a 0.1Mt export contract for cement to be sent to Spain.