Saudi Arabia: Al Baha Cement plans to build a 6000t/day plant that will manufacture sulfate-resisting Portland cement (SRPC). The company is looking for bids for a financial consultancy contract for the new plant, according to Inside International Industrials. The project is expected to cost US$100m, which will be raised from banks. The Minister of Commerce and Industry has approved the license for establishing the company. Tendering for engineering, procurement and construction is expected to occur in the second of half of 2018.

Germany: Italy’s Buzzi Unicem, though its German subsidiary Dyckerhoff, has signed a purchase agreement to acquire Portlandzementwerke Seibel & Söhne. The completion of the transfer of shares is subject to the clearance of the German Federal Cartel Authority and is expected within the next weeks. Portlandzementwerke Seibel & Söhne operates a cement plant in Erwitte, North Rhine-Westphalia. No value for the deal has been disclosed.

US: Japan’s Kuraray has completed its acquisition of Calgon Carbon. As a separate subsidiary, Calgon Carbon will be reported as part of the Functional Materials company of Kuraray, along with Kuraray’s Carbon Material business division. The Functional Materials company includes the Methacrylate division and Medical division. Calgon Carbon produces filtration technologies and systems for a variety of industries, including cement.

Jamaica: Caribbean Cement plans to raise the production of gypsum and limestone from its quarries. It intends to increase the size of its Halberstadt Gypsum Quarry to 200,000t/yr and build a new 800,000t/yr limestone quarry at Harbour Head, according to the Gleaner newspaper. Both quarries will be near to the cement producer’s plant at Rockfort in Kingston. The plan requires approval from the National Environment & Planning Agency.

Caribbean Cement says that the expansions to its quarrying operations are required to secure supply of these materials. It has not commented on the size of the investment required for the project. Its quarries are operated through a subsidiary, Jamaica Gypsum & Quarries.