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Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine to start building US$250m cement plant in 2015 01 April 2014
Uzbekistan: The Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine (AMMC) is planning to build a 1.5Mt/yr cement plant in the Surkhandarya region of southern Uzbekistan in 2015. The contract is being negotiated with Turkey's Dal Teknik Makina with a completion date set for 2015, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti. The US$250m project will be financed by equity funds of the AMMC, credits from the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan and local Uzbek banks.
In late March 2014 the AMMC completed construction of a cement plant in Jizzakh region with a value of US$114m. The plant has a production capacity of 0.75Mt/yr of grey OPC and 0.35Mt/yr of white cement. The general contractor of the project was also Dal Teknik Makina.
Sanghi Industries to invest US$41.8m in cement business 31 March 2014
India: Sanghi Industries Ltd (SIL) will invest US$41.8m in the next 18 months to increase its cement production capacity by 30%, to acquire ships and construct sea terminals.
Of the US$41.8m, SIL will use US$25.1m to acquire new ships and to construct new sea terminals and the remaining US$16.7m will be used to raise cement production capacity from 2.6Mt/yr to 3.5Mt/yr by the end of 2015.
"Currently, clinker production is higher than cement production at our plant. To correct the mismatch, we are investing US$16.7m to increase the grinding capacity. This will take 14 months before commissioning," said Alok Sanghi, SIL director. The debottlenecking will increase the grinding capacity by 30% of the Abdasa plant in Kutch.
SIL will acquire six vessels in the next five years for the transportation of its products into newer markets to reduce fuel costs and increase distribution capabilities. "We currently charter ships from market for distribution. We will acquire two vessels immediately and then two vessels every 18 months," added Sanghi.
SIL is also in the process of setting up terminals at Navlakhi port in Gujarat and at Mumbai port in Maharashtra. SIL exports 20% of its total production, mainly clinker to the Middle East, Africa, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
SIL has invested over US$334m on the Abdasa plant that began production in 2003."We will have debts of US$75.1m by the end of the current financial year," added Sanghi.
UK: Saxlund International Ltd, a subsidiary of Opcon AB, is preparing to commence construction on the materials handling contract won late in 2013 for Hope Construction Materials' Hope Valley cement plant in Derbyshire, UK.
As part of Hope's move to replace fossil fuels with more sustainable solutions, Saxlund will provide an alternative fuel system for the use of Solid Waste Fuel (SWF). Saxlund's scope includes supplying the design, manufacture and delivery of a push floor storage system, reclaim conveyor, process tower with drum magnet, star screen and feed into the weighing and pneumatic injection system to the main burner on both kilns.
"We've worked hard to expand our portfolio in this sector and to provide clients with some of the best solutions in the market," said Rob Leighton, business development manager for Alternative Fuel Systems at Saxlund. "It's good to work with clients like Hope, who are doing as much as they can to run their businesses as efficiently and sustainably as possible. With increasing costs of fossil fuels and the increasing range of waste-derived fuels available, Hope is keen to use more and more alternative fuels in order to reduce their energy costs and improve environmental performance where possible."
Slovakia: Technology provider A TEC, in collaboration with raw materials company Ferro Duo GmbH and Holcim's Rohožník plant in Slovakia, are now able to provide a complete solution for the recovery of bypass dust in the cement industry for various conditions.
In recent years, A TEC has engaged in technologies for the use of alternative fuels, chlorine bypasses and the re-use and recycling of bypass dust in cooperation with Holcim. Ferro Duo has specialised in the recovery and processing of cement and steel industry dusts and has developed a patented process for treatment and recycling of bypass dust.
Ashaka Cement faults plan to ban 32.5 grade cement 28 March 2014
Nigeria: Ashaka Cement plc has come out against the Nigerian government's plan to ban the production of 32.5 grade cement in Nigeria. The Chairman of Ashaka Cement, Alhaji Umaru Kwairanga, said that rather than ban 32.5 grade cement, it should be produced alongside 42.5 grade cement. This would not only provide consumers with the freedom of choice, but also assist in securing jobs that have already been created through the production of 32.5 grade cement.
There had been arguments that the use of the 32.5 grade cement in the construction sector was a major reason for the increase in building collapse, which resulted in the formation of a technical committee to review cement standardisation by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
"Cement is not responsible for building collapses in Nigeria," said Kwairanga." So much research has already been done and we have seen that building collapse is more related to issues other than the cement itself. It's either from the professionals or consultants that are handling the building jobs, who have not followed the specifications."
Kwairanga added that Ashaka Cement has approved plans to expand its operation with a US$606m investment in cement production in Gombe. The amount would increase the cement production capacity of the company to 2.5Mt/yr. Barring any last minute change, the ground breaking ceremony for the project will be performed by the Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan in early April 2014.
Kwairanga said, "We are taking our US$606m investment to the north-eastern state of Gombe. The total value of setting up the 2.5Mt/yr cement plant and a power plant is US$705m.