Global Cement News

Russia: Sibirsky Cement has announced that it expects its sales to decrease by 7% year-on-year in 2015, according to first vice president Gennady Rasskazov. "We are making budget plans for next year, but I think that sales will stand at 4 - 4.1Mt," said Rasskazov. In 2014, Sibirsky Cement aims to sell 4.3Mt of cement.

Brazil: Holcim and Lafarge are actively negotiating an agreement with Brazil's anti-trust council, Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (Cade), to gain approval for their merger.

The deal involves divestitures of 31% or 3.6Mt/yr of Lafarge and Holcim's joint cement production capacity in Brazil. The assets could be sold to single company or several bidders. Holcim is still bound to pay Cade a US$197m fine that was imposed due to cartel practices. Lafarge paid US$16.7m to Cade in 2007 to end the investigation into its practices.

US: The PCA board of directors has elected Lafarge North America's CEO John Stull as its 2014 - 15 chairman. He succeeds American Cement Co's Cary Cohrs.

"This is an important time for the PCA to champion resilient construction and advocate for critical national infrastructure funding, both of which will ensure the vitality of the cement industry," said Stull, who in addition to being a long-standing director has co-chaired the PCA Manufacturing Technical Committee.

Over a 22-year Lafarge Group career, Stull has progressed through vice president and regional president roles for US, Latin American and Sub-Saharan African businesses. He holds a chemical engineering degree from the University of Akron and is a Harvard Business School executive management programme graduate.

Tanzania: The Tanzania Portland Cement Company (TPCC) and the Tanzanian government have agreed to start producing limestone from mines within Boko prison territory in early 2015. Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Home Affairs Mbaruk Abdulwakil, Commissioner General of Prisons John Minja and TPCC Managing Director Alfonse Rodriguez have announced that a final agreement on the partnership will be sealed by the end of 2014.

"In principle, the government has approved this public private partnership, which is part of reforming and modernising the prison services," said Abdulwakil. The government will receive 1200 cement bags and US$58,000 to build Boko prison staff quarters and office facilities. In return TPCC will mine limestone within the Boko prison premises for use as raw material at its Wazo hill plant.

India: The Bihar state cabinet has approved a US$54m cement grinding plant planned by Shree Cement planned in the Aurangabad district of the state.

"The company had proposed to set up a cement plant with a production capacity of 2Mt/yr. It will also have a 12MW biomass-based captive power plant," said B Pradhan, Principal Secretary of the Cabinet Secretariat.

The state government agency Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA) has provided 27 hectares of land on lease for the project. The project will provide employment to 300 skilled and unskilled persons.