Global Cement News

Nepal: The Nepalese Ministry of Industry (MoI) has allocated US$3.3m towards providing electricity connections to nine cement factories under its infrastructural development programme for manufacturing industries.

According to the Kathmandu Post, the cement plants chosen for the grant are Shivan Cement, Dang Cement, Laxmi Cement, Rolpa Cement, Ghorahi Cement, United Cement, Maruti Cement, Sarbottam Cement and CG Cement.

"A total of 23 cement factories have been selected for the infrastructure development programme for the current fiscal year, out of which nine will receive funds for electricity connectivity while another 14, including the nine, also will get incentives to construct access roads," said Industry Secretary Krishna Gyanwali.

The allocation follows the announcement in July 2013 of government plans to spend US$4m on building access roads to 14 cement plants as part of a wider US$11.3m infrastructure development scheme for the local cement industry. Cement plants that produce clinker using local limestone are eligible for the scheme.

Portugal: Cimpor has reported that its sales rose by 19.6% year-on-year to Euro1.30bn for the first six months of 2013 from Euro1.09bn in the same period in 2012. It attributed the rise to increased sales of cement and clinker from business expansion in South America following assets brought in by owner InterCement.

The subsidiary of Brazil's InterCement saw its volumes of cement and clinker rise by 4.1% to 13.5Mt from 12.9Mt. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 6.3% to Euro284m from Euro267m. It decreased its net loss by 63.5% to Euro74.8m from Euro204.8m.

Iraq: Sinoma (Suzhou) Construction has placed an order for an MPS 5000 B vertical roller mill for cement raw material grinding from Germany's Gebr. Pfeiffer SE. The grinding plant will be located near Sulaymaniya in northern Iraq and is the fifth MPS 5000 B in a row which will be installed there.

The vertical roller mill sold is designed for a capacity of 500t/hr at a product fineness of 10% R 80 µm and will come equipped with a 4000kW gear unit.

In addition to the supply of the core components for the grinding plant, the order includes engineering services to enable the local manufacture of mill components and the supervision of manufacture at Chinese workshops.

Honduras: Lafarge has sold its cement operations in Honduras to Cementos Argos for Euro232m. Sold assets include a 1Mt/yr cement plant and a 0.3Mt/yr grinding plant. The sale is subject to regulatory approval.

The transaction had a total enterprise value of Euro435m based on a 2012 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) multiple of 8.6. Lafarge owns 53.3% of its Honduran subsidiary, Lafarge Cementos SA de CV.

China: A subsidiary of National Materials Group (Sinoma) is buying a 59.1% stake in German mining equipment firm Hazemag & EPR for US$137m. The Chinese state-owned cement equipment manufacturer and cement producer made the announcement in a statement filed to the Hong Kong stock exchange.

"It will improve the technique, strengthen the management and establish the channels for the purpose of rapid expansion of Sinoma International to the field of mining equipment and generate more return for the group when Hazemag makes more profit in the future," said Sinoma chairman Liu Zhijiang in the statement.