Displaying items by tag: Upgrade
Loma Negra rides weakening demand to grow earnings
09 November 2018Argentina: Loma Negra’s net revenue grew by 42.3% year-on-year to US$435m in the first nine months of 2018 from US$305m in the same period in 2017. Its adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 46.5% to US$113m from US$77.3m. Overall, its cement masonry and lime sales volumes remained stable at 5.1Mt but sales in Paraguay fell by 4.2% to 0.42Mt. Sales volumes fell in both Argentina and Paraguay in the third quarter of 2018.
Sergio Faifman, Loma Negra’s chief executive officer (CEO), said, “Our core Argentine Cement business, delivered both revenue growth and adjusted EBITDA margin expansion notwithstanding the challenging macro backdrop in the country in which our volume declined at a mid single-digit pace year-on-year in line with overall industry performance.”
The subsidiary of Brazil’s InterCement said that it is moving ahead with building a new US$350m production line at its L’Amalí plant. The new line will have a clinker production capacity of 5800t/day. The project is being built by China’s Sinoma International Engineering and it is expected to be completed by early 2020. Main equipment is expected to arrive at the site by the end of 2018 and the steel structure is under construction.
BUA Group completes upgrade at Obu plant
09 November 2018Nigeria: BUA Group has completed an upgrade at its Obu plant at Okpella in Edo State. The new 3Mt/yr production line has increased the plant’s production capacity to 6Mt/yr, according to the Punch newspaper. The completed project follows the inauguration of the company’s new 1.5Mt/yr production line at its Kalambaina cement plant in Sokoto State.
LafargeHolcim Paulding cement plant to build wind turbines
08 November 2018US: LafargeHolcim plans to build three wind turbines at its Paulding cement plant in Ohio to power the unit. Jamie M Gentoo, chief executive officer (CEO) of US cement operations, said that using distributed wind energy at the plant would be a first for the company in North America.
Constructing turbines will begin in December 2018 in partnership with One Energy. The three Paulding turbines are expected to generate more than 12MkWh/yr and should eliminate the equivalent of more than 9000t/yr of CO2.
As part of a community outreach project in conjunction with the turbine build, LafargeHolcim will create three US$5000 Megawatt Scholarships (one per turbine for a total of US$15,000/yr) to be awarded each year the turbines are in operation. The Megawatt Scholarships will be awarded annually to local high school graduates pursuing a two-year or four- year STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) degree. Additionally, One Energy will pay US$27,000/yr annually in local property taxes.
Penna Cement prepares for US$211m initial public offering
05 November 2018India: Penna Cement has filed for a US$211m initial public offering (IPO) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). It plans to use the funds for expansion and to reduce its debts, according to the Economic Times newspaper. the cement producer is planning to increase its production capacity to 16.5Mt/yr by 2020 with projects in Odisha and Kolkata. At present it holds a capacity of 10Mt/yr in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra.
Udayapur Cement Industry resumes production following upgrade
31 October 2018Nepal: Udayapur Cement Industry has resumed production at its integrated plant in Udayapur after a month-long upgrade period. The project cost around US$0.75m, according to the República newspaper. The state-owned cement producer used its own technical team for the maintenance although engineers from India were employed. Following the upgrade the unit has a production capacity of up to 900t/day.
HeidelbergCement signs upgrade project with CTP Team in Ukraine
31 October 2018Ukraine: HeidelbergCement has signed a contract with Italy’s CTP Team to upgrade its Kryvyi Rih plant. The project includes replacing the existing filtering system and relevant dust handling for drying drum four. CTP Team will supply a new baghouse equipped with SWAP technology for the cleaning of bags with low-pressure compressed air. The new filter is intended to comply with new local environmental regulations. It will be designed specifically to fit with the existing electrostatic precipitator housing. No value for the deal has been disclosed.
RCCPL approves expansion to Kundanganj cement grinding plant
30 October 2018India: RCCPL, a subsidiary of Birla Corporation, has approved an expansion to its cement grinding plant at Kundanganj in Uttar Pradesh. A new 1.2Mt/yr third line at the unit will increase the plant’s total production capacity to 3.2Mt/yr, according to the Press Trust of India. The upgrade is expected to cost around US$34m and be completed by the end of the 2020 – 2021 financial year. The cement producer is building the new production line to meet demand in central India.
Mexico: Cruz Azul has launched the construction of a fifth production line at its Oaxaca cement plant in Lagunas. State governor Alejandro Murat Hinojosa presided over the ceremony. The new line has an investment of over US$130m and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2020. It will also be able to co-process alternative fuels up to a rate of 40%. Previously, Germany’s Loesche and France’s Fives sold grinding mills for the upgrade.
Thatta Cement approves waste heat recovery project
18 October 2018Pakistan: Thatta Cement has approved a waste heat recovery project with its associated company, Thatta Power, at its annual general meeting. The two subsidiaries of the State Cement Corporation of Pakistan have ratified a waste heat utilisation agreement. The cement producer operates a 0.6Mt/yr plant at Thatta near Karachi.
Cemex Philippines signs CBMI for Solid Cement plant upgrade
18 October 2018Philippines: Cemex Philippines says that its subsidiary Solid Cement has chosen China’s CBMI as the main contractor for an upgrade project at its plant in Antipolo, Rizal, according to ABS-CBN News. The new US$225m production line will increase cement production by 1.5Mt/yr to 3.4Mt/yr.