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Haver & Boecker launches Australian subsidiary 10 July 2013
Australia: Haver & Boecker has publicly announced the creation of its new subsidiary, Haver Australia. Started in early 2013 the four-man team led by René Dechange is based in Malaga near Perth, Western Australia.
In addition to supporting Haver's customer base, the subsidiary is focused on expanding into the mining industry of Western Australia. The new subsidiary offers Haver & Boecker's range of packing technology and Haver & Tyler's mineral processing technology. In addition to sales Haver Australia also covers servicing and spare parts.
Trade union leader to fast for cement worker rights 10 July 2013
India: Chandrashekhar Hiremath, trade union leader and president of the Shramajeevigala Vedike, will begin an indefinite fast from 15 July 2013 on behalf of worker rights at cement plants in Gulbarga and Koppal districts of Karnataka state. According to The Hindu newspaper, Hiremath is demanding that cement plants keep their word on payment of wages to over 8500 contract labourers at four major plants.
At a press conference Hiremath said that Vasavadatta Cements, Rajashree (Ultratech) Cements, Chettinad Cements and Ultratech Cements had failed to follow an agreement made in 2011 stating that they would regularise contract labourers and bring them under the cement wage board. Currently, contract labourers are paid a wage of US$65-180/month. Yet under the wage board they would gain a minimum wage of US$256/month at the four cement plants.
Zimbabwe: The Sino-Zimbabwe Cement Company has commenced its first phase of upgrading and refurbishing its Gweru factory. Work on the cement mill and rotary kiln is set to increase the clinker production capacity up to 0.2Mt/yr by the end of 2013. A second phase, also due for completion in 2013, will upgrade warehousing and storage facilities. Further upgrade work is planned for 2014.
"We are upgrading the capacity and efficiency of our cement mill so as to meet growing local and regional demand. The cement mill will be modernised with third generation technology that will immensely improve our efficiency and quality of product. This technology is also the first of its kind in Zimbabwe," said the company in a statement.
The Sino-Zimbabwe Cement Company is the product of a joint business venture between a Chinese foreign direct investment partner, China Building Material Industrial Corporation for Foreign Econo-Technical Co-operation (CBMC), and the Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe Limited. CBMC contributed 65% of the original funding in the form of modern technology and expertise while IDC provided land, civil works, manpower and local knowledge. The cement plant has been in operation since 2001.
Pakistan: Domestic cement sales in Pakistan reached 25.1Mt in the 2012 – 2013 fiscal year that ended on 30 June 2013, according to data released by All-Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association Pakistan (APCMA). This is the first time domestic sales of cement in the country have risen above 25Mt/yr. In 2011 – 2012 domestic cement sales stood at 24Mt.
Overall the industry despatched 33.4Mt of cement in the 2012 – 2013 year, with 8.3Mt exported. This is below the record of total cement sales set in 2009 – 2010 of 34.2Mt with 10.7Mt of exports. Data for June 2013 showed that construction activities slowed down, following the Pakistan general election in May 2013. Domestic cement despatches declined by 3% to 2.21Mt in June 2013 from 2.29Mt in June 2012. Exports fell by 9% to 0.67Mt from 0.73Mt.
A spokesman for APCMA hoped that the current fiscal year would lead the cement industry to high productivity as the new government is giving due importance to infrastructure and accelerated economic growth. He added that with proper planning and prudent economic policies, Pakistan has the capability to consume its entire installed cement production capacity of 44.7Mt/yr.
Shiva Cement plans US$45m upgrade 10 July 2013
India: Shiva Cement is planning to upgrade its cement production capacity to 1Mt/yr with an investment of US$45m. The cement producer currently has a capacity of 0.13Mt/yr at Rourkela in Odisha. The company has an agreement with ACC, who holds a 13% stake in Shiva Cement, to sell its entire production.
"Since we have the requisite land at our existing facility and all the approvals are in place, we expect the project to be completed by the first half 2015," said RP Gupta, chairman and managing director of Shiva Cement. In a second phase the company plans to further increase its capacity to 2Mt/yr.