Global Cement News

Canada: CEMSI, a subsidiary of Kontrol Energy, has received an order worth US$0.8m for an emissions analyser for an unnamed ‘global’ cement company. The product offers on-going regulatory compliance and process data to meet government requirements and reduce fuel and energy costs associated with production. The company said that it has withheld the name of the customer due to ‘industry competitive purposes.’

CEMSI, Is an integrator of turnkey continuous emissions and process monitoring equipment solutions, serving the Canadian and US market. Currently, up to 40% of CEMSI’s revenues are recurring under multi-year service agreements. It was acquired by Kontrol Energy in September 2018.

“This is a significant new order for the CEMSI operating team and adds to a growing vertical line of business in emissions compliance,” said Paul Ghezzi, chief executive officer (CEO) of Kontrol Energy.

Germany: Haver & Boecker has restructured its domestic sales division and all national activities into Haver & Boecker Deutschland. The new company started operation in July 2018 based at its headquarters in Oelde. Burkhard Reploh, formerly the head of the Building Materials and Minerals Division at Haver & Boecker, leads the subsidiary.

"The German customers are rather special. With their technical enthusiasm, these customers in particular inspire many of our innovations. Therefore we aim to further intensify our activities in Germany and as a result have founded a company which focuses exclusively on the requirements of our German customers,” said Florian Festge, managing partner of Haver & Boecker. He added that the restructuring is intended to strengthen the German market, which is the group’s largest single market, even considering its export share of 75%.

Haver & Boecker Deutschland represents the entire product and service range of Haver & Boecker and the technology brands of Haver & Boecker Niagara, IBAU Hamburg, Sommer, Feige Filling Behn, Behn + Bates and Newtec. This includes machines, systems and service products in the field of processing technology, silo technology, mixing, filling and packing technology as well as palletising and loading technology and automation in the cement, construction materials, chemicals, food and processing sectors.

China: Germany’s Refratechnik has signed a joint venture contract with Haicheng Guotian Mining and Yingkou Jinlong Refractories for the production of high-grade caustic calcined magnesia (CCM) and dead burned magnesia (DBM) at a new plant at Pailou near Haicheng in Liaoning. Yingkou Jinlong Refractories is a long-standing partner of Refratechnik in China and Haicheng Guotian Mining is an existing CCM and DBM producer in Haicheng with long-term secure access to magnesite ore.

Construction of the new plant has started and production at the site is scheduled to begin in 2019. The unit will manufacture 0.1Mt/yr of DBM and over 0.1Mt/yr of CCM. The joint venture is intended to secure supply for Refratechnik’s worldwide refractory production and to diversify and strengthen its international industrial minerals business.

Germany: Aucotec is building a new head office near its current site in Hanover. The new 3700m² office has an investment of nearly Euro12m and is planned for opening in February 2020. However, it is located outside the state capital in neighbouring Isernhagen. The decision to expand the head office follows continued growth at the company and its subsidiaries in Europe, Asia and the US.

Switzerland: LafargeHolcim’s net sales rose by 2.7% year-on-year to Euro18.bn in the first nine months of 2018 from Euro17.7bn in the same period in 2017. Sales volumes of cement rose by 1% to 165Mt from 164Mt. Its recurring earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 0.1% to Euro3.83bn.

“Despite headwinds from steep cost inflation, we delivered stronger net sales and our earnings grew even faster. I am very satisfied with our growth in volumes, our solid pricing and the impact of our cost and efficiency programs,” said chief executive officer (CEO) Jan Jenisch.

By region the group reported net sales and cement sales volume increases in most regions with particular growth in Europe and North America. However, cement sales volumes fell in Asia Pacific and net sales fell in Latin America. Net sales also fell particularly, by 9.2% to Euro2.03bn, in Middle East Africa.