Global Cement News

Kyrgyzstan: President Sooronbai Jeenbekov has opened a cement plant in Aravan as part of a trip to the Osh region, according to the 24 Kg News Agency. The US$88m project was previously reported as having a cement production capacity of 2500t/day.

Uzbekistan: 80% of local cement sales were made through the Uzbek Commodity Exchange in the first nine months of 2018. Local sales fell by 4.7% year-on-year to 5.6Mt from 5.9Mt, according to the Trend News Agency. 4.5Mt of this total was sold through the commodity exchange. Falling sales have been blamed on rising natural gas and electricity prices. Tariffs for gas and electricity have increased by at least 60% during 2018 for industrial users in the construction industry, including cement producers.

Jordan: Jordan Cement Company is in a legal dispute with local landowners over land ‘illegally’ acquired near its Fuheis plant. The plaintiffs argue that forgery was used by the company in acquiring land, according to Roya TV. The subsidiary of Switzerland’s LafargeHolcim operates two integrated plants, at Fuheis and Rashadiyah.

Uzbekistan: An event marking the laying of the foundation stone at the Angren cement plant has taken place. Construction work is scheduled to be completed by November 2019. The project is a joint venture between Russia’s Eurocement Group and UzQurilishMateriallari.

Myanmar: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MNREC) is seeking expressions of interest from foreign and local investors to run a feasibility project ahead of building a new cement plant at Hakha Township in Chin State. Early studies suggest that the area has sufficient limestone reserves to support a 5000t/day plant, according to the Myanmar Times newspaper. A new unit in the region is expected to boost the local economy as Chin State has no cement plants.