Germany: ThyssenKrupp has decreased its earnings forecast for its 2017 – 2018 financial year due to the poor performance of its Industrial Solutions division. The division is expected to report a negative adjusted earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) of Euro200m in the third quarter of the year due to higher expected total costs, particularly for a cement plant in Saudi Arabia and two other industrial projects. The group said that the number of major projects in the cement and fertiliser sector had decreased ‘considerably,’ partly due to the production overcapacity in the cement market.

"It is important to me to call it what it is. The results of our analysis at Industrial Solutions are anything but satisfying. The structure of plant construction must be adjusted to the changed market conditions in order to achieve a turnaround and finally become competitive again. We must act swiftly here," said Guido Kerkhoff, chairman of the executive board of ThyssenKupp. The group has proposed focusing its Industrial Solutions division on small and medium-sized projects and targeting plant construction on the higher-margin service business.

In mid-2017 the group announced plans to reorganised its Industrial Solutions division, including the decision to cut 1500 jobs in operational areas.

India: The Industries Department of Himachal Pradesh is preparing to allow construction work to start at a new cement plant at Sikridhar in the Chamba district in September 2018. The project is a long running scheme from the local government that was first mooted in 2002, according to the Times of India newspaper. The project has been linked to various companies previously including Jaiprakash Associates.

Pakistan: Lucky Cement’s profit has fallen as its cost of sales including coal, other fuels and packing materials have risen. Its standalone profit after tax fell by 10.9% year-on-year to US$98.3m in the financial year that ended on 30 June 2018 from US$110m in the same period in 2017. Its gross sales rose by 9.4% to US$543m from US$497m. Cement and clinker sales volumes rose by 9.3% to 7.82Mt from 7.15Mt with increases in both local and export sales.

Philippines: Big Boss Cement is considering procuring a mill for its new US$215m plant project from European equipment manufacturers including Denmark’s FLSmdith, Germany’s Gebr. Pfeiffer and Germany’s Loesche. Ishmael Ordonez, vice-president of the cement producer, said that a vertical roller mill would take up less space than the horizontal mill it was currently using from a Chinese supplier, according to Inside International Industrials. The company is set to start production at a new plant in Porac in Pampanga in August 2018. However, it is planning to expand the production capacity at the unit based on anticipated demand.