Global Cement News

Nigeria: A group of investors from the US have visited Ibeto Cement’s Nigercem plant in Nkalagu. The visit was part of an assessment to prepare Ibeto Cement for a listing on a stock exchange in the US, according to the This Day newspaper. Cletus Madubugwu Ibeto, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Ibeto Group said that Chinese contractors were due to work on upgrading the plant to a production capacity of 6000t/day with a 45MW waste heat recovery unit. In May 2018 Beta Cement signed an investment deal with US-based private equity firm Milost Global for US$850m.

Ethiopia: Ethiopia has failed to meet its cement export target for the 2017 – 2018 financial year that ended on 7 July 2018. It planned to raise US$42m in revenue from cement exports, according to Cement and Related Industry Research Development Technology Director Simegn Degu, who was quoted by the Ethiopian Herald newspaper. However, its exports only rose by 47% year-on-year to US$25m from US$17m. Degu blamed the shortfall on shortages of input materials and a lack of foreign currency.

China/US: China’s Ministry of Commerce has proposed placing retaliatory tariffs on products from the US, including cement. The list covers 5207 items and proposes adding import taxes of up to 25% on them. It includes clinker, white cement, limestone, quicklime, slaked lime, gypsum, refractory products and cement packaging machinery. The ministry said that the new tariffs will take effect at a date to be announced later on.

India: The board of Birla Corporation has confirmed plans to build a new 3.9Mt/yr cement plant at Mukutban in Maharashtra. The unit will also include a 40MW captive power plant and a 10.6MW waste heat recovery system. The project has an investment of US$356m and it is intended to be completed by early 2022.

The cement producer says it has acquired land, mineral concessions and environmental clearance for the plant. It added that the proposed site has good railway and road links. The project is also eligible for an ‘attractive fiscal incentive’ from the state government of Maharashtra.

Birla Corporation operates a grinding plant at Butibori in Maharashtra through its Reliance Cement subsidiary.

India: Penna Cements is close to starting operations at its new terminal at Cochin Port in Kochi, Kerala. The 0.8Mt/yr unit at Ernakulam wharf includes a bagging plant and it has an investment of just under US$9m, according to the Hindu newspaper. Once it opens it will join Zuari Cement, Ambuja Cement and UltraTech Cement, which also operate from the port.