Displaying items by tag: Uruguay

Uruguay: Spain-based Cementos Molins and Brazil-based Votorantim Cimentos subsidiary Cementos Artigas plans to invest US$40m in upgrading its integrated Minas clinker plant with the addition of a vertical roller mill and new cement silos in order to consolidate its clinker production and grinding capacity at the site. The El Periodico newspaper has reported that, as a result, the producer will shut its Sayago grinding plant, leading to a net reduction in production costs of 40%.

Work will begin by early 2021 and the company will commission the new integrated production line in 2022. Cementos Molins chief executive officer (CEO) Julio Rodriguez said, “With this new investment we continue to develop our strategy, in which sustainability and respect for the environment are the first priority. At the same time, it is also a clear sign of our long-term commitment to the Uruguayan market where we have been present since 1991.”

Uruguay: Cement producers sold 166,000t of cement in the second quarter of 2020, down by 3.9% year-on-year from 173,000t in the second quarter of 2019. The country exported 5600t of this (3%), up by 3.9% from 5380t. Domestic sales fell by 4.1% to 160,000t from 153,000t, corresponding to 84% of a domestic consumption of 190,000t, down by 4.2% from 200,000t. Imports rose by 8.8% to 30,000t from 27,400t.

Uruguay: The Federación Administación Nacional de Combustibles, Alcohol y Portland (FANCAP) and Construction Union (SUNCA) have rejected plans for the privatisation of the Administación Nacional de Combustibles, Alcohol y Portland’s (ANCAP) 0.3Mt/yr integrated Paysandú cement plant in Paysandú Department, according to the La Diaria newspaper.

ANCAP Coordinator of Trade Unions Gerardo Rodríguez said, “Any change in the cement industry must leave cement production in public hands and keep all three ANCAP cement plants open, as well as keeping all jobs. Management must provide the necessary levels of investment to complete upgrades to the Paysandú plant and the personnel necessary for its operation.” He added, “In the face of adversity, we show more unity, solidarity and struggle and in the face of an attempt to close Paysandú we will respond with more organisation and more struggle.” He said that an occupation of all workplaces would follow the closure of any plant.

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.’

Colombia: Empresa Colombiana de Cementos (EcoCementos), a 50-50 joint venture between Colombian multinational Organizacion Corona and Spanish-based Cementos Molins, has announced the start of production at its new 1.5Mt/yr integrated cement plant at Sonson, Antioquia province. The plant, which was constructed with an investment of US$380m, mines limestone from its own quarry and will produce Alion brand cement for the Colombian market. The unit is increases Cementos Molins’ first in Columbia. It already produces and trades cement via its subsidiaries in Argentina, Bolivia and Uruguay.

Uruguay: The union at state-owned oil firm Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcoholes y Portland (ANCAP), has supported government plans for the state to buy locally made cement. Under the proposal, half of the government’s requirements for cement would have to come from ANCAP, according to the El Pais newspaper. The initiative is intended to support local industry and jobs.

Uruguay: Cement sales rose by 4.6% year-on-year to 0.60Mt in the first nine months of 2018 from 0.57Mt in the same period in 2018. Exports and internal sales both rose by similar ratios to 87,700t and 0.51Mt respectively, according to data from the Chamber of Industries of Uruguay. Despite overall growth, exports in the third quarter of 2018 nearly halved. Most exports were sent to Paraguay, followed by Argentina and Brazil.

Uruguay: An 88 day strike has reduced cement sales at Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcoholes y Portland (ANCAP). Its cement sales fell by 24.1% year-on-year to 0.12Mt in the first half of 2018 from 0.16Mt in the same period in 2017. Despite this, the loss from its cement business decreased to US$3.4m from US$6.06m. Its earnings were also negatively affected by rising petcoke prices. Overall, the oil and gas company reported a profit of US$52.6m across all business lines.

Uruguay: Production has resumed at the Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcoholes y Portland’s (ANCAP) Minas and y Paysandú cement plants following a strike, according to the El Espectador newspaper. The disruption ended following negotiation between management, the union, the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. In April 2018 it was reported that production at the Minas plant had stopped for two months due to union action.

Uruguay: The Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcoholes y Portland’s (ANCAP) Minas cement plant has been shut for two months due to union action. The cement producer has been forced to supply cement from its Paysandu plant instead, according to the El Pais newspaper. If the situation continues then ANCAP may need to buy cement from its competitor Cemento Artigas.

ANCAP’s cement division has accumulated debts of US$207m since the early 2000s. Revenues have been reportedly lower than costs since 2004. ANCAP started a restructuring plan at the cement producer in 2017.