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US: Holcim US plans to invest US$100m to modernise its Ada cement plant in Oklahoma State, according to Robin DeCarlo, vice president of Holcim's corporate communications. The company submitted an application for a permit to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in June 2014 and expects to begin upgrading the plant between October and December 2014.
"We can't start without a permit from DEQ," DeCarlo said. She didn't release specific details about the modernisation but indicated that it would include upgrading the kiln line. DeCarlo noted that the modernisation of the kiln line will meet 'all known environmental regulations and reduce all major regulated emissions,' even with the increased plant capacity.
"We are expecting that there will be approximately 250 temporary jobs during the modernisation phase, which will have a direct and positive impact on the Ada economy," said DeCarlo. "The modernisation will increase our plant's capacity by about 20%." Holcim's plant in Ada currently employs about 120 people.
Government loan of US$67m would help Industria Nacional del Cemento to reactivate contracts 11 June 2014
Paraguay: The Paraguayan Congress is set to approve a US$67m loan to state-owned cement producer Industria Nacional del Cemento (INC) to resume investment in its Villeta and Vallemi cement plants. The funding will allow INC to continue its US$25.7m contract with FLSmidth to convert its fuel from fuel oil to coke as well as its US$6.3m contract with Claudius Peters, according to Esmerk news service. Other contracts are with Haver & Boecker, for US$7m to install two bagging facilities, and with Daca to optimise an agricultural lime plant, which is suspended due to legal issues, for US$5.9m. Overall, the investments that will be made with the loan will save INC US$30m/yr.
Kazakhstan: Karaganda Cement has started the operation of its No. 5 cement production line, the administration of the Karaganda Region has announced. The project cost US$67m and it has created 115 jobs. The cement plant will reach its design cement production capacity of 1.5Mt/yr in 2015. Karaganda Cement is owned by Steppe Cement Holding, a subsidiary of Central Asian Cement.
Polish cement sales to grow to 15.5Mt in 2014 11 June 2014
Poland: Gorazdze Cement has forecast that sales of cement in the country will grow by up to 7% year-on-year in 2014 to 15.5Mt up from 14.5Mt in 2013. Similar sales growth is expected in 2015, provided more projects co-financed by the European Union are started. The Institute for Market Economics (IBnGR) expect sales to reach 15.2Mt in 2014 and then 16.4Mt in 2015. The research institute attributes the sales growth in 2014 to an improving situation in the rail, energy, residential and road construction sectors.
India: UltraTech Cement Ltd is in talks to buy cement assets from Jaiprakash Associates Ltd. The two companies are in discussions about projects, including Jaiprakash's Rewa cement plant in central India, which has a 7Mt/yr cement production capacity.
Selling additional assets would help Jaiprakash to reduce its debt, which jumped more than four-fold in the five years through March 2014 to US$10.3bn. In 2013 UltraTech agreed to buy a Jaiprakash cement unit based in Gujarat State.
Jaiprakash is also looking for buyers for cement assets in Himachal Pradesh State, where it owns two plants with a combined production capacity of 3.5Mt/yr. Jaiprakash sold its 74% stake in Bokaro Jaypee Cement Ltd, a joint venture with the Steel Authority of India Ltd, to Dalmia Bharat Ltd for US$194m in March 2014.
After its recent divestments, Jaiprakash has a cement production capacity of 26.4Mt/yr, according to a company presentation in May 2014. The company plans to sell assets valued at about US$1.35bn by March 2015.