Global Cement News

Latvia: Cemex Latvia will be renamed as Schwenk Latvija following its acquisition by Germany’s Schwenk in February 2019. In Sweden Cemex’s operations will be renamed to Schwenk Sverige, in Norway to Schwenk Norge and in Finland to Schwenk Suomi, according to the Latvian News Agency.

The Euro340m deal included one 1.7Mt/yr integrated cement plant in Broceni, Latvia, as well as four aggregates quarries, two cement quarries, six ready-mix concrete plants, one marine terminal and one land distribution terminal in that country. The assets divested also include Cemex’s approximate 38% indirect interest in a 1.8Mt/yr cement plant in Akmene in Lithuania. In addition, the exports business to Estonia is also included as part of the divestment.

Spain: Endesa sold 0.3Mt of fly-ash from its Carboneras power plant in Almeria to cement companies in the UK and North America in 2018. The energy company also sold fly-ash to the nearby LafargeHolcim Carboneras cement plant, according to La Voz de Almería newspaper. The company has also sold 30,00t of slag and 60,000t of gypsum from its limestone plant.

Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement has completed a new cement silo at its Kochi plant. The upgrade is part of a long-term plan to focus on exports to Southeast Asia. The cement producer intends to establish an overseas business presence outside of Japan.

Cameroon: Cimencam has inaugurated its 0.5Mt/yr Nomayos cement grinding plant. The company also launched a new logo, according to the Ecofin Agency. The new unit will manufacture the company’s MultiX CEM II 32.5 R Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and its Sublime white cement products.

The subsidiary of LafargeHolcim is planning to regain lost market share in the country since Dangote Cement started operating locally. It is planning to build a new kiln at its Figuil integrated plant in Garoua, which is due for commissioning in 2020.

The Gambia: Bai Lamin Jobe, the Minister of Trade, says that the country has a cement capacity utilisation rate of 23%. Local producers have a capacity of 1.9Mt/yr but national demand is only around 0.4Mt, according to the Foroyaa newspaper. He added that the country imported 0.39Mt in 2018 in answers to members of the National Assembly.

It was also revealed that Jah Multi Industries is building new silos at its import terminal. Jah Cement is also planning to upgrade its terminal into a grinding plant. Construction work started in 2018 and it is expected to be completed by late 2019.