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Nigeria: Lafarge Cement WAPCO, Ashaka Cement and Unicem have started court action against the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) regarding its plan to limit the application of 32.5 grade cement. The action follows a publication by SON restricting the application of 32.5R grade cement to plastering use only.
"We have instituted a suit against the SON over its recent pronouncement and plan to implement a new mandatory industrial standard order for cement manufacturing, distribution and usage in the country," said the three cement producers at a briefing in Lagos. The producers added that 32.5 grade cement is a widely used multi-purpose product and has 'never' been associated with building collapses.
India: The Himachal Pradesh state government has cancelled the 2Mt/yr cement plant project that was allotted to Jaiprakash Associates in Chamba District. The state cabinet cancelled the memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the project in February 2014. Another of Jaiprakash Associates' cement plants in Solan District is under investigation for overproduction.
The Chamba District cement plant was proposed at an estimated cost of US$136m near the Baroh-Sindh limestone deposits in Churah Tehsil, Chamba District. When the MoU was signed on 1 February 2007 it was claimed that the plant would provide direct employment to over 1000 people and indirect jobs to over 5000.
Finding that many cement companies have failed to set up their projects, the state cabinet in May 2013 decided to issue notices to Harish Cements, Lafarge India, India Cements and Jaiprakash Associates for failing to set up cement plants, despite the government having granted approvals. Following the cabinet decision the industries department issued show-cause notices to the companies. The industries department examined the replies and forwarded them to the state government. Finding the reply submitted by Jaiprakash Associates unsatisfactory, the cabinet cancelled the MoU in February 2014.
Industries minister Mukesh Agnihotri confirmed the cancellation of the proposed Jaiprakash Associates cement plant. Some other cement companies in Himachal Pradesh State are also under investigation due to reports of violations. The minister said that Jaiprakash Associates' cement plant in Solan District was allowed to produce 2.05Mt/yr of cement but that the company was actually producing 3.46Mt/yr.
"All these years, the company was making additional production without having the requisite permission," said Agnihotri. "When we started investigations the company approached the government seeking permission to regularise additional production." Agnihotri said that the order for an energy audit of Jaiprakash Associates has already been issued and that strict action would be initiated if violations are found on the part of the company.
Guatemala: Cementos Progreso will open a new cement plant, called San Gabriel, in San Juan Sacatepequez in the first quarter of 2017. The firm is investing US$700m on the 2.2Mt/yr capacity cement plant.
Saudi Arabia: Saudi cement producer City Cement Company has announced that it intends to invest US$29.7m to boost its cement grinding capacity to 265t/hr. The company said that it would use its own funds to finance the expansion. Construction will start on 1 June 2014, with completion expected in February 2016. Commercial production is expected in March 2016.
Canada: Community leaders and St Marys Cement Inc. executives were on hand on 29 May 2014 to celebrate the company's Bowmanville plant receiving the Gold Award Certification in Energy Excellence. Certification in Energy Excellence is a programme that tests an organisation's energy management processes. Over 160 energy management criteria, based on world-class best practices, are assessed. The programme is independently moderated and validated by the UK's National Energy Foundation.
The Bowmanville plant was recognised for its energy conservation performance and its success at energy management. To date, the plant's approach to energy management has saved US$10m. In 2014 it is on target to again reduce its energy bill by US$1m. These savings are achieved though an integrated and balanced approach of smart energy buying, matching energy-intensive plant operations with off-peak rates, common sense energy conservation practices and other plant-based energy initiatives.
John Pooley, Chief Assessor for the Certification in Energy Excellence, presented the plant with the award. "The Bowmanville facility is one of the largest cement plants in North America with a rated capacity of over 1.8Mt/yr," said Pooley. "Cement plants consume significant amounts of energy, but few other industrial operations in the world have come close to achieving the same level of integration in energy savings."
Marty Fallon, CEO of St Marys Cement, Celso Martini, VP Cement Operations, and Fabio Garcia, Manager of Plant Operations, accepted the award on behalf of St Marys. "St Marys is extremely proud of the effort, ingenuity and technical expertise deployed by the men and women working here to achieve the direct savings and establish systems to keep our energy purchase prices as low as possible," said Fallon. "The energy reductions at this plant are getting more and more attention as a benchmark in sustainability criteria for the entire sector. In fact, in 2015 the plant will be the featured site visit during the 2015 IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Industry Technical Conference."
The Bowmanville plant manager Fabio Garcia said, "I want to especially commend the energy management and conservation committee, which we call E=MC2. With representatives from finance, human resources, environment, quality control, maintenance, mining and production departments, the committee identified and acted upon over 100 separate energy efficiency initiatives. The magic of the E=MC2 approach was many of the energy savings required little capital expenditure or were done at no cost."
Since the E=MC2 committee's inception, the plant has reduced its energy usage by a total of 171,429MW and has lowered CO2 emissions by 31,886t.