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Sinoma to build US$500m cement plant in Uganda 31 July 2017
Uganda: China National Materials Group (Sinoma) has signed an agreement with Tian Tang Group to build a US$500m cement plant at the Mbale Industrial Park. The project is part of a wider investment package to develop the site, according to the Daily Monitor newspaper. Sinoma requires assurances from the government that the site has sufficient reserves of limestone and a research trip has been scheduled for August 2017 to survey the proposed location of the plant.
Chettinad Cement wins investment proposal approval from Odisha state government to build grinding plant 31 July 2017
India: Chettinad Cement has received approval from the Odisha State-level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) for an investment proposal to build a 2Mt/yr cement grinding plant at the Kalinga Nagar Industrial Complex in Jajpur district. The project is budgeted at US$36m, according to the Press Trust of India.
Nepal: FLSmidth has signed a contract to build a cement grinding line for Nepal Shalimar Cement. The agreement includes the engineering, procurement and supply of equipment for a 35t/hr ordinary Portland cement grinding unit (3200 Blaine) at the company’s existing plant at Simara, Bara District.
The contract comprises a range of equipment, including an FLSmidth OK 19-3 vertical mill, bag filters, weigh feeders, truck loading machine, OK mill gear reducer and plant control systems. Completion is scheduled for the second quarter of 2018.
"The project is an example that world class energy-efficient technology can be applied even for smaller capacity grinding units. Our technological competences and a strong local presence allow us to support many emerging markets, including Nepal," said Country Head of FLSmidth India, Carsten Riisberg Lund.
US: Eagle Materials’ revenue has risen by 23% year-on-year to US$366.1m in the first quarter of its 2018 fiscal year, which runs 1 April – 30 June 2017. Its first quarter earnings before interest and income taxes increased by 22%, reflecting improved sales volumes and net sales prices across nearly all businesses and the financial results of the recently acquired cement plant in Fairborn, Ohio with related assets.
Cement revenues for the first quarter, including joint venture and intersegment revenues, came to US$183m, a rise of 26% year-on-year. The average net sales price rose by 6%. Total cement sales volumes increased by 21% to 1.5Mt. Like-for-like average net cement sales prices and sales volumes increased by 4% and 7%, respectively.
Operating earnings from Eagle Materials’ cement activities for the first quarter were a record US$43.2m, 37% higher than the same quarter of the 2017 fiscal year. The earnings improvement was driven primarily by improved average net cement sales prices and cement sales volumes and earnings from its Fairborn Business. During the quarter, its Nevada cement plant experienced reduced production in connection with the installation of certain pollution control equipment to enable the plant to burn solid-waste fuels. The ability to use solid-waste fuel will lower energy costs in the future. The reduced production negatively affected the absorption of operating costs at the cement plant during the quarter. The project is expected to be completed in the autumn of 2017.
Greece: The US market has continued to drive Titan Group’s sales in the first half of 2017. Its overall turnover rose by 6.9% year-on-year to Euro774m in the first half of 2017 from Euro724m in the same period in 2016. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 18.9% to Euro142m from Euro120m. Over half of its turnover came from the US where the group noted rises in residential and infrastructure construction following economic growth and increased employment.
In the group’s other territories the situation was mixed, with the Greek construction market remaining depressed. Here cement consumption declined in the first half of 2017 following the end of several larger scale infrastructure projects during the early months of the year. Markets in Southeastern Europe delivered higher turnover but profits were hit by raising energy costs. Egypt continued to be negatively affected by the devaluation of the Egyptian Pound, although the group did manage to recapture sales volumes by increasing its fuel grinding capacity. Local competition arising from the start up of two new plants near to where its Adoçim subsidiary operates decreased sales volumes in Turkey and the construction market continued to decline in Brazil.