Global Cement News

South Africa: Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC) has seen its sales volumes drop by 3% year-on-year in the first half of 2012, which ended on 31 March 2012, mainly due to weak demand from Botswana and the Western Cape region of South Africa. However, the overall group revenue rose by 8% over the same period of 2011 from US$395m to US$427m, due to positive pricing of cement and lime products.

"Our results improved despite being tempered by weak demand in the Western Cape and Botswana and fierce competition on cement prices in all our regions," said PPC CEO Paul Stuiver.

PPC's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 5% in the half-year, from US$126m to US$132m. Operating profit rose by 4%, from US$99.3m to US$104m. However, costs of sales were 11% higher than in 2011. The group said that it continued to be significantly affected by higher electricity and diesel prices, which both rose by 30% in 2011.

Australia: The board of Australian building products firm Boral Ltd has removed the company's chief executive Mark Selway saying that a new leader was needed who could 'harmonise' the company after a two-year restructuring process.

Selway, who has headed Boral since January 2010, oversaw a turnaround involving the sale of about US$986m in assets and cutting capacity in manufacturing plants as the company battled weak housing and construction markets both in Australia and the United States. In April 2012 Boral posted net profit below its own forecast and made an unexpected cut in full-year profit guidance because of heavy rain and wet weather across eastern Australia.

"The board has decided that the stewardship of the company going forward requires a chief executive with a leadership style suited to harmonising the changes that have occurred over the last two years throughout the company," Boral said in a statement. The board said Selway would step down from his role effective immediately, although he would remain employed until 31 July 2012 to help with the transition.

Australian-born Selway, aged 52, started his career in the automotive sector before becoming the international marketing director of Britax International plc at the age of 28. After working for the company in different postings around the world he later joined the board. In 2001, Selway was appointed chief executive of Weir Group plc, a Scottish based engineering equipment company for the oil, gas, mining and power and industrial sectors.

Tanzania: Tanga Cement, Tanzania's second-largest cement maker, has reported that its full-year profit in 2011 fell by 31% to US$13.8m due to higher production costs. Its revenue rose by 8% to US$101m in the same period. However, Tanga Cement has also announced plans to invest US$165m into a plant upgrade in order to boost output and exports. FLSmidth has confirmed that it is currently in negotiation to supply the upgrade.

Tanga Cement, which trades as Simba Cement, said it planned to increase exports to member states of the East African Community (EAC) trade bloc, and would build a second kiln, to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2015. Once completed, the second kiln will increase the company's clinker production capacity by 0.6Mt/yr, more than doubling the current capacity. The new kiln will increase the production capacity of clinker from 0.5Mt/yr to 0.6Mt/yr. Simba Cement increased its cement production capacity in 2010 from 0.75Mt/yr to 1.2Mt/yr after commissioning a second cement mill.

US: Eagle Materials Inc. has reported its financial results for the 2012 fiscal year and the fiscal fourth quarter that ended on 31 March 2012. Its results showed that the group's revenue was up by 7% for the fiscal year, to US$495m and cash flow from operations was US$60.2m, up by 37%. In the quarter ending 31 March 2012, the company netted revenues of US$116.8m, a 22% year-on-year increase.

Eagle said that its low cost operations continued to execute well during the 2012 fiscal year and that it was beginning to see improving construction activity across most of its markets. Eagle's earnings began to improve during the second half of fiscal 2012 and accelerated during the fourth quarter.

The company saw improved cement revenues, which were up by 8% for the full fiscal year to US$244m. Operating earnings from cement were up by 3% to US$46.9m. In the fourth quarter its cement operating earnings were US$7.5m, a massive 60% increase from the same quarter of the 2011 fiscal year.

Eagle said that the increase in its cement earning primarily reflected improved sales volumes and sales prices offset by US$2m of additional maintenance costs incurred in the quarter versus the prior year quarter. Cement revenues for the quarter, including joint venture and intersegment revenues, totalled US$49.8m, 23% greater than the same quarter of 2011. Cement sales volumes for the quarter were 0.53Mt, 20% higher than the same quarter of 2011.

Denmark/US: FLSmidth has been awarded a contract worth approximately US$136m by an un-named customer in the US for the modernisation of its cement production facility.

The purpose of the engineering, procurement and construction project is to convert one of the plant's existing wet process kilns to a dry preheater/precalciner kiln. As a result, the customer will be able to better fulfil its key environmental objectives, namely reduction of emissions and achieving lower energy consumption.

The equipment includes an FLSmidth drier crusher, modification of the existing kiln, a new 1-stage preheater with calciner, a kiln bypass system, an FLSmidth Cross-Bar cooler, a coal dosing system by FLSmidth Pfister and an ATOX solid fuel mill with an FLSmidth MAAG Gear reducer.

With the installation of three new FLSmidth fabric filters, the project will significantly improve the plant's ability to reduce the particulate emissions. Similarly, an FLSmidth control system will optimise operational efficiency. The scope of supply also includes a new HOTDISC reactor that will allow the plant to increase its consumption of whole car tyres, thus increasing its use of alternative fuels.

FLSmidth said that the award of this contract demonstrates the company's ability to help US cement producers prepare for the anticipated National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) regulations. "The United States cement industry is facing a number of challenges, ranging from a slowly recovering economy to significant regulatory changes in plant emission standards. We are very pleased to work with one of our much valued customers as it takes a leading role in investing in the future of this industry," said Group CEO Jørgen Huno Rasmussen. The order will contribute beneficially to FLSmidth's earnings until mid 2014.