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Philippines: The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines has warned that so-called ‘technical’ smuggling is on the rise. CEMAP president Ernesto Ordoñez claimed that the declared freight costs for nine out of 12 imported cement shipments that it inspected were undervalued at only US$3 – 10/t. These compared to the average freight costs of US$19/t for shipments from Vietnam or China. He added that the difference in the freight costs meant that the government could be losing at least US$175,000 in value added tax (VAT), according to the Philippines Daily Inquirer.
Based on the sample, Ordoñez estimates about 75% of the 161,000t of imported cement that entered the country in the first quarter of the 2016 were technically smuggled. CEMAP have called for inspection of other shipments that entered the country in last quarter of 2015 and in the first quarter of 2016. They added that unchecked smuggling might lead to violations such as cement misclassification and substandard cement that in turn might endanger public safety.
CEMAP data shows that imports of cement grew from 4000t in 2014 to 314,000t in 2015. Cement imports of 161,000t were recorded for the quarter of 2016.
Europe: The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that a Greek law that requests employers to receive approval by the Labour ministry before making bulk redundancies is incompatible with European Union law. The judgement was made in relation to the layoff of a group of workers at the Halkida cement plant when Lafarge purchased the plant from AGET Heracles in 2013, according to the Athens News Agency. The Labour ministry blocked the request, citing conditions in the labour market, the financial situation of the company and the interest of the national economy. Lafarge then appealed to the Council of State, which then referred the case to the ECJ.
KCP to expand production at Muktyala cement plant 10 June 2016
India: KCP plans to expand the production capacity of its cement plant at Muktyala in Andhra Pradesh to 3.5Mt/yr from 1.8Mt/yr. The company said in a statement that the upgrade is expected to cost US$60m. KCP operates two integrated cement plants in Andhra Pradesh.
Flexco launches PTEZ Belt Trainer 09 June 2016
US: Flexco has added the PTEZ Belt Trainer to its line of belt trainers. Designed with the Flexco ‘Pivot and Tilt’ feature, the new PTEZ Belt Trainer is targeted at
applications that requires tracking to prevent damage to the belt or conveyor structure, including single-direction and reversing belts.
“The PTEZ Belt Trainer is an advanced solution over typical low-cost wobblers or pivot-only trainers,” said Kevin Fales, marketing specialist for Flexco. “With our unique pivot and tilt technology, the PTEZ will pivot away from and increase tension on the mistracked side in order to quickly guide the belt back to the centre.”
The PTEZ belt trainer can be used on vulcanised or mechanically-fastened belts for most medium-duty applications, including wet and dry conditions, belts with edge damage or wear, and belts that are mistracking to one or both sides. The line’s ‘Pivot and Tilt’ feature keeps the belt away from the structure and the material stays on the belt without the use of sensor or edge rollers. The tapered ends on the roller drive the pivot and tilt mechanism, allowing the two forces to quickly move the belt back to the centre. The PTEZ Belt Trainer also features a polyurethane roller cover to prolong its lifespan.
Savannah Cement partners with Kenyatta University 09 June 2016
Kenya: Savannah Cement has signed an agreement with a Kenyatta University run student work induction programme. Acting Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Wainaina signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ronald Ndegwa of Savannah Cement to confirm the arrangement, which will include student internship, joint research and other activities. As part of the arrangement both undergraduate and postgraduate students will gain access to the business.