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Dungsam Cement targets North-east India 12 February 2014
Bhutan/India: Bhutan's Dungsam Cement has announced that it is targeting markets in the Indian states of North-Bengal and East Bihar. The subsidiary of the Royal Government of Bhutan sells cement currently under the brand name of Dragon Cement.
Dungsam Cement plans to sell 70 – 80% of its cement to the Indian market due to its high production capacity and its home nation's small market size. "We are producing 4130t/day. We obtained the necessary license to market cement in the Indian market in January 2014," said Dorji Norbu, Managing Director of Dungsam Cement to local media.
ACC commissions cement blending unit in Udupi 11 February 2014
India: ACC has commissioned a cement blending unit at Padubidri in Udupi district.
An ACC company spokesman said that the unit uses fly-ash from the thermal power plant of Udupi Power Corporation in Udupi. The unit is capable of blending 30,000t/month of cement. Clinker from ACC's plant at Wadi in Gulbarga district is used for cement production at the blending unit in Udupi district. The Udupi plant caters to the cement requirements of Karnataka and Kerala states.
PPC to enter Algerian cement market 10 February 2014
Algeria: South African cement firm PPC has announced that it will buy a stake in an Algerian cement company as part of its drive to boost sales outside its home market.
PPC said that it will buy a 49% stake in Hodna Cement, which plans to construct a US$350m plant in the country. PPC did not disclose how much the deal will cost, but said that it will be funded on a project finance basis, with 80% of the debt to be sourced from local Algerian banks.
"This project sees us entering yet another African country and gives us confidence that by 2017, 40% of PPC revenues will be earned outside of South Africa," said PPC CEO, Ketso Gordhan. PPC is also constructing cement plants in Ethiopia, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Dangote commissions new cement depot in Ogun State 10 February 2014
Nigeria: Dangote Cement plc has commissioned a new 72,000 bag capacity cement depot in Idi-Iroko, Ogun State.
Regional director of Dangote Cement, Akin Adesokan, said that the firm would ensure constant supply of the product to ease transportation problems. "We will ensure that the depot is always stocked with cement,' said Adesokan, adding that the cement to be sold in the depot is 42.5 grade.
He said that with the commissioning, the firm is delivering on its main objective of bringing its product nearer to the people. "We are ensuring that Nigerians have access to the major component in building, which is cement. We are ensuring that houses in Nigeria stand strong. We are ensuring that Nigerians have the ability to build their personal houses."
The depot was built by Jimmy Azeez Enterprise, one of Dangote Cement's major distributors, which will also manage the facility. Adesokan described the collaboration with Jimmy Azeez as; "another milestone in our mutually-beneficial business relationship with our distributors."
Ambuja Cements and ACC to see top-level rejig 10 February 2014
India: Ambuja Cements and ACC, the Indian arms of Holcim, are likely to see top-level management changes in the coming months. Managing director (MD) of Ambuja Cements, Onne van der Weijde and MD of ACC, Kuldip Kaura, have offered to resign, according to industry sources. Additionally, the sources revealed that Sumit Banerjee, the former MD of ACC who had quit to join Reliance Cement, is likely to re-join ACC as the MD.
The management changes at ACC and Ambuja Cements have resulted from restructuring of the parent company, Holcim, which has been underway since July 2013. Holcim has appointed Bernard Terver as the head of Asia, replacing Paul Hugentobler, who retired in February 2014. Terver, a member of the Holcim Executive Committee, has been appointed to head of a region that encompasses Africa, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent.
While van der Weijde is said to be unhappy with these management changes, Kaura is said to have been uncomfortable with the new structure, in which ACC will become a subsidiary of Ambuja Cements. Under the restructuring programme, an India management committee that is headed by van der Weijde, was to oversee the integration between the operations of Ambuja and ACC. The two MDs of Ambuja and ACC had to report to van der Weijde, which did not go down well with Kaura, according to unnamed sources. However, it's unlikely that Holcim will take any decision in haste, especially before the restructuring is approved by the Gujarat High Court, which is expected by April 2014.
Only after the court approval can Holcim receive full approval from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), as currently it is only a conditional approval that is subject to legal clearances. Any management change at this juncture will lead to a lot of questioning, which will put the spotlight back on the entire process.