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Pakistan: Cement sales, including exports, in the fiscal year that ended on 30 June 2015, grew by 3.5% year-on-year to 35.4Mt, according to Topline Securities. On a month-on-month basis sales grew by 9% to 3.3Mt in June 2015.
Domestic sales grew by 8% year-on-year to 28.3Mt in the 2015 fiscal year, better than the average 5% growth seen in the last five years. This was due to an increase in private sector expenditure on construction and housing, an improved security situation, improving macroeconomic indicators and higher government infrastructure spending. On month-on-month basis, domestic sales grew by 12% to a record 2.8Mt in June 2015.
Export dispatches in the 2015 fiscal year fell by 12% year-on-year to 7.2Mt, which was attributed to falling exports to Afghanistan, due to competition from low-priced Iranian cement and political instability in the country. In June 2015, export sales declined by 4% month-on-month to 540,000t.
Cement demand in the 2015 fiscal year, which started on 1 July 2015, are expected to improve further on the back of higher development spending, the initiation of projects due to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, favourable macroeconomic indicators and lower interest rates. Additionally, higher disposable income due to lower inflation will also boost private sector expenditure on construction and housing.
Russian plant elects board chairman 03 July 2015
Russia: The Board of Directors of Verkhnebakanskiy Cement Works elected Lev Kvetnoy as Chairman of the Board of Directors on 1 July 2015.
India: Dalmia Cement Bharat says that it is engaging with dealers in the Maharashtra region to market its new 'superior grade' Dalmia Ultra Cement. "Dalmia Cement is engaging with over 800 dealers in the region, who will be supported with marketing, technical and logistics support," said the company in a statement. Group CEO Mahendera Singhi said that the launch would 're-define product quality parameters,' in the market.
Dalmia Cement Bharat started operations at its greenfield cement plant in Belgaum district, Karnataka in March 2015. The US$205m plant has a total capacity of 2.5Mt/yr and caters to the needs of customers in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Cemex to expand social responsibility schemes 03 July 2015
South America/Asia: Mexican cement company Cemex has confirmed plans to expand its social responsibility programme to Guatemala, Bangladesh and the Philippines by 2016. The firm intends to installed self-employment production centres (CPA) in these countries to help low-income families renovate their houses.
The initiative, developed in collaboration with authorities and non-governmental organisations, provides construction training and teaches how to manufacture concrete blocks. Half of the production obtained at these centres is used in the construction or renovation of the participants' houses and the other half is bought by local governments to develop infrastructure projects. The income achieved by the initiative is then reinvested by Cemex in the centres.
Cemex already operates 80 CPAs in Mexico and expects to open 20 additional centres in 2015. It has also developed the initiative in Colombia since 2010.
Pioneer signs waste heat recovery deal with CITIC 03 July 2015
Pakistan: Pioneer Cement has signed an agreement with CITIC Heavy Industries, China to purchase a 12MW Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) system. The company's plant is located at Chenki, District Khusshab, in the heart of Punjab Province, 250km from Lahore. According to the company notice sent to the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE), the total estimated cost of the plant is US$14.7m.