Global Cement News

Armenia: Tigran Khachatryan, the Minister of Economic Development and Investments, plans to implement tariffs on imported cement to protect local producers. A rate of around US$45/t will be imposed, according to the Arkan News Agency. In a cabinet session Khachatryan said that imports of cement had increased three times in the last year due to a ‘significant’ fall in the price of electricity in neighbouring countries and state subsidies to cement plants. He added that, subsequently, two local cement plants, with a combined production capacity of 2Mt/yr, were unable to sell even a third of their products.

India: The Cement Manufacturers' Association (CMA) of India has signed a four-year wage settlement agreement with federations of major central trade unions, giving a raise of around US$70/month and other benefits. The agreement was signed with Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), according to the Press Trust of India. It will last from 1 April 2018 until 31 March 2022 and it is expected to apply to around 20,000 workers in the sector. The CAM represents 21 cement companies and it covers 60% of the country's total cement production capacity.

Trinidad: Austria’s Unitherm Cemcon has been awarded the contract for a rotary kiln burner for kiln 3 at Trinidad Cement’s 1230t/day plant. The burner for the wet process unit will be designed for natural gas and liquid alternative fuel. No value for the order has been disclosed.

The scope of supply includes: one MAS/5/EGSO model rotary kiln burner; a flame monitoring device for the rotary kiln burner; a gas electric ignition burner with control box and touch screen; kiln burner trolley engineering and main components for local manufacturing; primary air fan with sound protection housing; and an emergency cooling air fan.

Other recent projects from Unitherm Cemcon include the commissioning of a firing system for BUA Cement’s new plant in Edo State, Nigeria and delivery of firing equipment for a project in Argentina in late 2018.

Jamaica: Caribbean Cement’s revenue rose year-on-year by 6% to US$133m in 2018 from US$125m in 2017. Its profit more than doubled to US$18.7m to US$8.4m.

Philippines: Holcim Philippines has completed an upgrade at its La Union cement plant in Bacnotan. The unit now has a cement production capacity of 1.8Mt/yr from 1Mt/yr previously, according to the Manila Times newspaper. The improvements have been completed two months ahead of schedule. The upgrade is intended to support the development of North Luzon.

The expansion is part of a US$300m production capacity drive at its plants in the country. It plans to increase its national production capacity by 30% to 13Mt/yr by 2020. The second phase of the project involves installing new kilns, mills and a waste-recovery system at its plants in Bulacan and Misamis Oriental provinces.