Global Cement News

Tanzania: Tanga Cement Company has launched a US$160m expansion project that includes building a new clinker production line. Tanga board chairman Lau Masha said that the project was scheduled for completion by the first quarter of 2015.

"Apart from increasing our clinker manufacturing capacity to match the current cement grinding capacity, this project will also reduce cement manufacturing costs, improve quality and increase cement availability," said Masha.

He said that the first phase of the plant expansion project, which involved installation of cement mill number two between 2009 and 2010, increased the plant's cement grinding capacity by 73% to 1.3Mt/yr. However clinker production capacity remained at 500,000t/yr with the short-fall being covered by imports.

Russia: Eurocement Group intends that its Podgorensky cement plant will fight imports from Turkey and Iran. The Russian cement producer's plant in the Voronezh Region in the south of the country will help to replace 80% of imports from these countries, said Eurocement president Mikhail Skorokhod in a press conference reported upon by the Moscow Times.

"If you look at the southern ports, you'll see that the amount of incoming cement has fallen sharply," said Skorokhod. "That is because the Podgorensky plant came into being." He added that the customers agreed to switch to the more expensive Eurocement products after the company convinced them of their higher quality.

Imports accounted for almost 8% of the 65.2Mt of cement that the Russian market consumed in 2012, an increase from 5% in 2011. Skorokhod said Iran's state-owned companies were able to offer lower prices because they receive subsidies from a government that is under US-led trade restrictions. Eurocement may also turn to the World Trade Organization for an antidumping investigation.

Turkey: Turkish cement producer Aslan Çimento said its parent company Oyak has proposed to sell its 24.24% stake in Aslan Beton to Aslan for US$4.52m.

After the acquisition, Aslan Beton will become a wholly-owned unit of Aslan Çimento while Aslan Beton, As-san Insaat, Birtas Birlik Insaat and Marmara Madencilik will be merged under the control of Aslan Çimento, Aslan Çimento said in a bourse filing. The managing board of Aslan Çimento will now assess the proposed move.

China: Taiheiyo Cement Corp. has been ordered by the Chinese city of Nanjing to close a local production facility by the end of 2014 according to The Nikkei. Closing the Nanjing plant would reduce Taiheiyo Cement's Chinese cement output capacity by 30 - 40%.

Nanjing cited air pollution as the reason and issued the same mandate to local cement manufacturers as well. It has not said whether or not there will be any compensation. The Japanese firm has said that it will ask the city to reconsider. If Taiheiyo Cement does not follow the order, the local partner with which it has a joint venture will likely be punished, with those in charge to be dismissed from the company.

Indonesia: Indocement has ordered seven Loesche vertical roller mills for a new production line at the Citeureup cement plant, south of Jakarta. Citeureup currently comprises nine kiln lines with a total cement capacity of 11.9Mt/yr, making it one of the largest cement plants in the world.

Two type LM 56.4 mills have been ordered to grind raw materials for cement. Each will have a capacity of 400t/hr at a product fineness of 10% R 90 µm. Two type LM 28.3 D mills are intended to grind coal and have a capacity of 40t/hr at a product fineness of 12 % R 90 µm. Indocement has ordered three type LM 56.3+3 mills to grind clinker. Each mill will be producing 240t/hr of PPC cement with a fineness of 19% R 32 µm.

In addition to supplying vertical roller mills, Loesche will also be responsible for the cyclones, dedusting filters, fans and corresponding hot gas generators for the cement mills. Delivery for Citeureup plant will start at in August 2014.