Displaying items by tag: Upgrade

India: Dalmia Bharat subsidiary Dalmia Cement plans to increase its installed cement production capacity in Eastern India by a further 4.8Mt/yr. The Economic Times newspaper has reported that its remaining planned upgrades in the region consist of a 2.3Mt/yr capacity expansion at a grinding plant in Odisha and a 2.5Mt/yr capacity expansion at a grinding plant in Bihar. The Odisha upgrade is scheduled for commissioning in mid-2021 and the Bihar upgrade is scheduled for commissioning in 2023. When both completed, the new lines will increase the producer’s cement capacity to 40Mt/yr.

The company says that it plans to announce further capital expenditure (capex) investments. It said that its subsidiary Murli Industries requires US$47.7 - 54.5m-worth of capex spending. It acquired the company, based in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, in the 2021 financial year. Managing director Puneet Dalmia said that the company would wait for greater economic certainty before launching the next round of expenditure. He said that the company’s aim is to become a national producer.

Nigeria: Dangote Cement’s revenue grew by 35.5% year-on-year to US$874m in the first quarter of 2021 from US$655m in the same period in 2020. Cement sales volumes rose by 18.7% to 7.5Mt from 6.3Mt. Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 56% to US$468m from US$300m. Revenue and sales volumes increased fastest in Nigeria but earnings increased faster in the rest of Africa.

“We took the strategic decision to pause our clinker exports to ensure we meet the rapid volume growth in the Nigerian domestic market. We are improving the output of our existing and new assets and aim to recommence clinker exports in the second quarter,” said Michel Puchercos, the company’s chief executive officer. He added that the company had also ramped-up its new 3Mt/yr Obajana Line 5.

Argentina: Holcim Argentina, part of Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim, has completed a US$120m upgrade at its integrated Malagueño cement plant in Córdoba province. In a meeting with the Minister of Productive Development, Matías Kulfas, the cement producer said it was planning in inaugurate a newly refurbished 0.51Mt/yr production line at the site later in May 2021. The work also included adding a vertical roller mill and new bagging area with a capacity of 120,000bags/day. The project was originally announced in late 2017 and Germany-based KHD was awarded a related contract in early 2018.

Saudi Arabia: Arabian Cement has placed an order with Denmark-based FLSmidth for the supply of equipment for an upgrade of its Rabigh cement plant. The order includes new DDX top cyclones, a quenching chamber and an ABC Cooler Inlet. Installation and commissioning is expected to be during the fourth quarter of 2021.

Arabian Cement’s chief executive officer Badr Osama Johar said, “With FLSmidth having provided the original line, they were the obvious candidate for the upgrade - we wanted a trusted partner who knows the ins and outs of the plant and is able to secure the success of the upgrade.” The producer previously engaged the company for the supply of its Rabigh plant’s kiln in 2008.

Pakistan: DG Khan Cement recorded a consolidated net profit after tax of US$18.5m in the first nine months of the 2021 financial year, compared to a US$12.0m loss in the corresponding period of the 2020 financial year. Net sales rose by 8% year-on-year to US$213m from US$198m. Cement sales volumes fell by 5% to 4.09Mt from 4.32Mt.

The company praised Pakistan’s ‘smart lockdown’ as a mitigating factor of the damaging effects of the coronavirus outbreak. Clinker production was 94% of capacity, compared to 101% in the first nine months of 2020. Total kiln operational days fell by 8% to 813 from 883. Depending on on-going outbreak conditions, the company forecast continued momentum gains in housing and infrastructure. It expects to commission a new waste heat recovery (WHR) power plant in the fourth quarter, reducing costs.

Bolivia: Fábrica Nacional de Cemento (FANCESA) has increased the clinker capacity of its Cal Orcko cement plant to 2100t/day with the inauguration of a new clinker line. The La Razón newspaper has reported that the company launched the project in May 2018 at an investment cost of US$215m. The work employed 1390 people, and a further 4000 indirectly. The producer expects the expanded plant to reach full capacity by mid-2021.

Norway: Norcem, part of Germany-based HeidelbergCement, has awarded a contract to Denmark-based FLSmidth to provide modifications to allow for downstream CO₂ removal at its integrated Brevik cement plant. The supplier will begin work in the unit’s winter 2022 shutdown. Its upcoming carbon capture and storage (CCS) installation is scheduled for commissioning in September 2024.

Norcem project manager Tor Gautestad said, “We are very excited to have FLSmidth on board and to finally begin the construction of the full-size installation.” He added, “FLSmidth’s extensive process knowledge, and air pollution control in particular, will be critical to the success of the project.”

Saudi Arabia: Yamama Cement plans to transfer and install the seventh production line from its old plant in the south of Riyadh to the new plant’s location in Northern Halal in Al-Kharj governorate of the Riyadh region. The line has a clinker production capacity of 10,000t/day. Following the completion of the move by the end of 2024 the new plant will have a capacity of 30,000t/day. The cement producer said that cost of the move would be funded from the available company's resources.

Saudi Arabia: Yanbu Cement says that a two months modernisation project on Line 4 at its integrated Yanbu plant that was first reported in mid-February 2021 has been delayed. This has been caused by a hold up in receiving certain spare parts. The cement producer said that the financial impact would be limited to the increase in production costs only since the start of the shutdown date. It also stressed that sales would not be affected by the stoppage due to its existing clinker stocks.

France: LafargeHolcim France, part of Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim, plans to invest Euro6.2m in 2021 in upgrading its integrated La Malle cement plant in Bouc-Bel-Air, Bouches-du-Rhône department. The La Provence newspaper has reported that the plans include a Euro4.5m modernisation of the flue gas desulphurisation system of the plant’s Line 2 using equipment ordered from Italy-based Boldrocchi. The company said that it plans to maintain similar investment levels in the plant in 2022 and 2023.

The plant had reportedly received complaints about sulphurous smells in the local area. The producer attributed this to the high sulphur content in its clay, which is sometimes over 70%. It said that it is altering supply arrangement to include clay from its L'Estaque, Bouc-Bel-Air and Bellegarde, Ain quarries in its clinker mix in order to reduce sulphur content by 20%.