Global Cement News

China/Russia: Eurocement plans to sign three contracts worth a combined US$280m at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing. The contracts cover the construction of dry-process cement lines at the Kavkazcement, Belgorodsky Cement and Oskolcement plants. Each line will have a clinkcer capacity of 6200t/yr or a cement capacity of 3Mt/yr. Each contract is for US$93.3m and the contractor is Sinoma International Engineering.

In May 2014 Eurocement signed six contracts to build new plants with Sinomach, CNBM and Sinoma for a total of US$580m. All of the projects are being carried out as part of a programme to switch to dry-process cement production. Overall investments in the programme will exceed US$2bn.

"We plan to switch our enterprises to the new technological platform in three years, between 2014 and 2017," said Eurocement president Mikhail Skorokhod. By 2018, Eurocement intends to produce 100% of its cement using the dry-process. This will boost capacities by 5Mt/yr to 45Mt/yr, according to Skorokhod.

Eurocement has calculated that the programme will pay for itself in 7 - 10 years. Cost of production is planned to fall by 35% - 40%. The debt/equity ratio of financing for the programme is 70%:30%. In May 2014, Eurocement signed a strategic agreement with Sberbank to finance its investment programme.

Armenia: Mika Cement has stopped production at its cement plant until February 2015. It reported to local media that it had produced the necessary volume of cement for sales and had now stopped for annual technical work. The company also said that it had paid the bulk of wage arrears and that the remaining debt will be paid before the end of 2014.

"The company repaid the biggest part of the arrears of wages to workers. In the period of the plant's suspension, the workers will be receiving salary in line with the legislation of the Republic of Armenia," said Mika Cement's press office.

Previously plant director Naira Martirosyan told Arminfo that the plant would produce 100,000t of cement by the end of 2014. The plant resumed production in September 2014 when salary and electric debts were settled. Production volumes at Mika Cement declined following the global economic recession in 2009. Although the company didn't publish financial results in 2013 its debt rose to over US$5.5m in 2012.

Russia: Lafarge's Voskresensk cement plant has set up a continuous environmental monitoring system analysing cement furnace emissions. Siemens has designed and delivered the equipment. The monitoring system controls standard parameters like the content of dust, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide, oxygen, pressure, gas flow rate and organic content. Lafarge also has an environmental monitoring system installed at its Ferzikovo Cement Plant.

Oman: Raysut Cement Company (RCC) intends to build a distribution terminal in Duqm and additional silo capacity at its Salalah cement plant. The company is also building an offshore unloader and blow pump system in the north of the country to facilitate bulk cement handling.

"The work is in a progressive stage and the company will reap benefits from these starting from the new facilities from the early part of 2015," said Ahmed bin Alawi bin Abdulla Al Ibrahim, chairman of Raysut Cement.

Venezuela: The governor of Yaracuy, Julio Leon, has revealed that the government is developing a 600t/day cement plant in Peña under an agreement between Venezuela and India. The plant is due to start operation in late 2014. The area contains high-quality limestone deposits with applications for other industries other than cement.

The new plant will employ 200 people directly. It is part of a proposal made by the governors of Yaracuy, Cojedes and Portuguesa states to build three mini plants, with each having been allocated US$15m. Each plant will produce 4.5 million bags of cement per year. A distribution network will be set up to allow communities to access the cement at affordable prices.