Global Cement News

South Korea: The South Korean Fair Trade Commission has started an investigation into major cement companies including Ssangyong Cement Industrial and Hanil Cement for suspected price fixing. The companies had notified ready-mixed concrete operators that they would raise their cement prices by 9-10% in 2012.

On 9 April 2013 the commission sent investigators on a two day probe to seven cement producers: Ssangyong Cement Industrial, Hanil Cement, Tongyang Cement, Sungshin Cement, Lafarge Halla, Asia Cement and Hyundai Cement.

An industry source said, "Lately cement producers and ready-mixed concrete operators are at loggerheads over cement prices. It appears that the Fair Trade Commission is looking closely into the matter. In 2003, the commission had imposed penalties of US$22.5m for restricting the supply of cement to ready-mixed concrete makers in order to prevent them to use slag powder in place of cement."

Slovenia: Lafarge Cement plans to try again to obtain an environmental permit for a highly disputed waste-burning furnace at its Trbovlje plant, local media has reported. The move follows the second time Lafarge's request was rejected by Slovenia's Environment Agency in March 2013.

India: Local villagers have been accused of setting fire to the JK Lakshmi Cement plant at Malpuri Khurd in Durg district on 4 April 2013. Police arrested 50 people following the disturbance.

Villagers of Malpuri Khurd, located around 50km from the state capital, were staging demonstrations in demand for jobs at the cement plant in exchange for their farmland. According to police reports the protest turned violent as around 200 protesters set fire to infrastructure including the cement plant, cars and tractors on the on the 80-acre site.

A company official for JK Lakshmi Cement estimated the loss in the fire to be around US$92m to US$128m, stating that almost 50% of the plant was gutted in the fire. The plant 's employees and officers also alleged that they were attacked by the mob.

However, villagers claim they did not set fire to the plant. Some villagers have been reported as having left their homes fearing police retaliation and local media has reported claims of intimidation by the plant management.

India: Chettinad Cement has proposed setting up a 100MW captive power plant (CPP) as a part of its 4Mt/yr cement plant in Solapur district in Maharashtra.

The proposed CPP, comprising two units of 50MW each, would require 600,000t/yr of coal. Of the total requirement, 70% would be imported coal and the remaining 30% would be indigenous coal procured from the open market. Until the 100MW CPP is commissioned, the 34.4MW power requirement of the cement plant will be met by the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB).

The US$121m project is has been conceived by Chettinad Cement with a view to entering the western and central markets of the country and in turn have a pan-Indian presence.

India: Jaiprakash Associates has asked the Himachal Pradesh government for permission to start land acquisition for its cement plant in the state, according to the Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri. He said that the company required 212 hectares, including 158 hectares of forest land, for the plant at Malokhar in Bilaspur district. "The company has now sought permission to start acquisition of 172 hectares," said Agnihotri.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the government and the company for the project was signed on 18 August 2010. The forest clearance for the project was given by the state on 10 October 2011.