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Athi River Mining to double production 13 November 2013
Tanzania/ Kenya: Athi River Mining (ARM) will spend over US$400m on the construction of new cement plants in Tanzania and Kenya.
Pradeep Paunrana, the company's chief executive, said a new plant in Tanga, Tanzania, would have a capacity of 1.2Mt/yr and will be completed within five months. "The entire Tanga project coupled with the Dar es Salaam grinding plant that has been in operation since 2012 has cost US$150m," he said. ARM aims to increase its market share in Tanzania from 17% to 25% by the end of 2014.
In 2014 ARM will embark on the construction of a US$250m clinker factory in Kenya to boost its cement production capacity to 5Mt/yr.
"We are looking at doubling our cement production in Kenya within a four-year period from 2.5Mt in 2012," said Paunrana. He added that ARM expect immense growth in the Kenyan cement industry in the second half of 2013 due to the thriving real estate industry.
According to a 2013 Kenyan market update report by CW Group, a US-based cement consultancy company, despite the low rates reported in 2012, cement demand is projected to increase by 10%/yr and exceed 6.3Mt/yr by 2017. Kenya's cement consumption per capita is also forecast to reach an important milestone in 2014 when it will surpass, for the first time in its history, 100kg per inhabitant.
Canada: A new report by the Winnipeg-based International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) on the implications of climate change on Canada's infrastructure has been published with the support of the Cement Association of Canada.
'Climate Change Adaptation and Canadian Infrastructure' summarises current literature dealing with the challenge of adapting to climate change in Canada. Intended to serve as stimulus for further discussion around planned adaptation to climate change in Canada, the report explored climate impacts and risks to key infrastructure by region and by type. The report also introduced a number of key policy, regulatory, and financial tools for consideration.
"The cement and concrete industry is committed to being a proactive partner in addressing the challenges of mitigating and adapting to climate change," said Michael McSweeney, President and CEO of the Cement Association of Canada. "We are in an age of massive re-investment in our basic infrastructure in Canada, and this presents an enormous opportunity to both mitigate climate change through reduced CO2 emissions as well as prepare ourselves for the changes in our climate that are already underway."
ESSROC and EPA waste unit dispute deferred until February 2014 12 November 2013
US: Lawyers for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and ESSROC are in talks to settle a legal dispute pending before the Environmental Appeals Board (EAB). The EAB had scheduled the case for 7 November 2013 but on 6 November 2013 EAB Judge Leslye Fraser stayed the case until 20 February 2014 to allow time for settlement talks. The order requires ESSROC and EPA's Region V to report to the EAB on the status of negotiations by 9 January 2014.
The case began 8 July 2013 when the ESSROC Cement Corporation petitioned the EAB to review Region V's decision requiring an SSRA at ESSROC's hazardous waste combustor facility in Logansport, IN, during the 2012 renewal of the facility's Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permit. In a 25 September 2013 order, the EAB granted oral argument in the case, and asked that during the proceedings the two sides revisit arguments from industry's past challenge to a 2005 EPA rule setting maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards under the Clean Air Act for the combustion facilities.
Lafarge Pakistan Cement intends to invest in Tajikistan 12 November 2013
Tajikistan: A Lafarge Pakistan (LP) delegation, led by CEO Amr Ali Redahas, met with the Ministry of Energy and Industry (MoEI) to discuss trade and economic cooperation. They agreed that the cement production issue would be tabled to the agendas of the commission's sessions. While in Tajikistan, the LP representatives intended to meet with senior representatives of Tajikistan's largest cement producers Tojikcement (Dushanbe cement plant) and Huaxin Gayur Cement.
A 1Mt/yr Greenfield cement plant, built by Huaxin Gayur Cement in Yovon, Tajikistan, started operation in August 2012. Cement demand in Tajikistan is currently well ahead of production levels and imports continue to play an important role. However, the Tajikstan government has attracted foreign investment to expand its cement production base.
Saudi Arabia: Saudi cement producer Southern Province Cement (SPC) has signed a US$190.1m contract for the installation of a second production line at its plant in Bisha.
The contract will be executed over a period of 20 months. SPC said it will use a combination of Islamic financing and its own funds to finance the project.
In May 2012 the Saudi firm signed a US$188.5m turnkey contract with China's Sinoma for a third production line at SPC's plant in Tuhama. The project is expected to take 24 months to complete.