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Egypt: Minister of Trade and Industry Mounir Abdel Nour has announced that cement companies can start using coal from September 2014. He added that using coal will save 12.7Mm3/day of natural gas.
In a separate announcement, an official source at the Petroleum Ministry said that the amount of natural gas supplied to cement factories during January and February 2014 dropped by 35% from contracted levels. Total natural gas and mazut (heavy duty fuel oil) levels fell by 23% during the same period. During the second half of 2013 the amount of natural gas supplied fell by 17% from contracted levels with compensation from the use of mazut.
Zambezi Portland ups output 12 March 2014
Zambia: Zambezi Portland Cement (ZPC) increased its cement production by 5% to 475,000t/yr in 2013 from 452,000t/yr in 2012. ZPC sales and marketing manager Isaac Ngoma said that ZPC had seen its output grow by 25% year-on-year to nearly 70,000t for the first two months of 2014. ZPC has expansion projects planned for 2014 and the company also intends to increase its mining and aggregate sales.
Italcementi considering Myanmar market move 12 March 2014
Myanmar: Italcementi is considering entering the Myanmar market in the next few years, its chief executive has said. Carlo Pesenti said that the Italy–based international cement producer was negotiating with a local partner in Myanmar and studying the country's foreign investment law, in an interview with The Nation.
Italcementi is already active in Southeast Asia through its Jalaprathan Cement and Asia Cement subsidiaries in Thailand. In 2013 the country helped shore-up Italcementi's annual results with a rise in turnover of 18.1% year-on-year to Euro269m and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 58.8% to Euro51.5m. Italcementi Thai cement shipments increased by 13.8% as an additional kiln was brought back on-stream.
China: China Resources Cement (CRC) saw its net profit rise by 43.6% year-on-year in 2013 to US$430m from US$299m in 2012. Its turnover rose by 15.8% to US$3.78bn from US$3.27bn. The southern Chinese cement producer attributed the rise to improving market conditions since April 2013.
CRC increased its sales volumes of cement by 20% to 67.1Mt in 2013 from 55.9Mt in 2012. Sales volumes of clinker fell by 11% to 7.78Mt from 8.74Mt. By province sales volumes of cement increased by 29% to 23.2Mt in Guangdong, 13% to 23.5Mt in Guangxi, by 29% to 9.4Mt in Fujian, by 1% to 4.0Mt in Hainan, by 20% to 3.8Mt in Shanxi and by 15% to 3.1Mt in Yunnan.
During the year CRC increased its clinker production capacity by 1.4Mt/yr and its cement production capacity by 2Mt/yr due to the completion of a 4500t/day clinker line and two cement grinding lines at Changzhi, Shanxi province. Two 1200t/day clinker lines in Shanxi ceased operation due to their likely lack of compliance with new environmental emissions standards, reducing the group's cement production capacity by 1Mt/yr.
In its annual report CRC also mentioned that it had accelerated its NOx reduction upgrades at its production lines. As of 31 December 2013 37 clinker lines had been upgraded with two outstanding scheduled for the first half of 2014. The group has also completed upgrades for dust collection systems at five clinker lines with upgrades for eight other lines scheduled. At the end of 2013 CRC had a total cement production capacity of 75.5Mt/yr and a total clinker production capacity of 51Mt/yr.
New construction projects CRC started during 2013 included a 1.6Mt/yr clinker line with two cement grinding lines with a combined capacity of 2Mt/yr at Jinsha County, Guizhou costing US$171m; a 1.2Mt/yr clinker line and two cement grinding lines with a combined capacity of 2Mt/yr in Midu County, Yunnan costing US$142m; a 1.6Mt/yr clinker line and two cement grinding lines with a combined capacity of 2Mt/yr at Hepu County, Guangxi costing US$168m; and a 1.9Mt/yr clinker line and three cement grinding lines with a combined capacity of 3Mt/yr in Lianjiang County, Guangdong costing US$218m.
CRC chairman Zhou Longshan said that the state-owned company plans to increase production capacity through its own projects and through acquisitions focused on Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and Fujian in 2014. He expects demand for cement in China to grow by 6 – 8% in 2014.
Cementir Holding reports sluggish revenue in 2013 12 March 2014
Italy: Cementir Holding has reported a revenue of Euro989m in 2013, a 1% increase year-on-year from the Euro976m reported in 2013. Sales of grey and white cement fell slightly by 1% to 9.74Mt in 2013. Despite this, net profit rose by 144% to Euro40.1m and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 22.9% to Euro170m.
"Despite the modest increase in revenues, profitability improved significantly. Cementir Holding ended 2013 with EBITDA above the target set at the start of the year, despite the sharp downturn in the Turkish and Egyptian currencies," said Francesco Caltagirone Jr, Chairman and CEO of Cementir Holding.
By region the Italy-based cement producer reported revenue rises in Scandinavia, Turkey and in the Far East. Revenues fell by 15% in Egypt and by 13.6% in Italy.
In its outlook Cementir Holding expects to see continued revenue growth in Scandinavia, Turkey and the Far East in 2014 and an improvement in profitability in Italy amidst continued market weakness. It does not expect the situation to improve in Egypt during 2014.