Global Cement News

Benin: A local government department covering the Atacora and Donga regions has started forcing the closure of shops and depots that are not following central government-mandated price controls. Other infringements include failure to issue purchasing invoices or display the price properly, according to La Nouvelle Tribune newspaper. The government has implemented controls on certain commodities, including cement and vegetable oil, in reaction to rising prices.

Germany: Menzel Elektromotoren has launched construction work for its new plant in Hennigsdorfon, on the outskirts of Berlin, with the laying of the foundation stone. More than 200 guests and employees attended the event. The new headquarters will be erected on a 24,000m² plot. All administrative and production workplaces are to be relocated by January 2024.

When complete, the new motor plant with an effective floor space of 8500m² will increase the manufacturer's production capacities, allow the expansion of the workforce and add efficiency gains through an optimised floor plan. The production area of about 3800m² will accommodate the assembly, metal processing, fabrication and winding workshops, paint shops and three test fields. In addition, there will be offices, logistics zones and storage areas. The new property is intended to allow for future expansions.

Egypt: South Valley Cement more than tripled its sales year-on-year in the first quarter of 2022, to US$11m from US$3.31m. The company’s net loss during the quarter was US$1.66m, down by 13% year-on-year from US$1.9m in the first quarter of 2021.

Zimbabwe: Fossil Mines plans to keep Lafarge Zimbabwe publicly traded and to recapitalise it through investments after it completes its acquisition of the company. The Insider newspaper has reported that this will lead to an increase in the company’s cement production.

Zimbabwe consumed 1.4Mt of cement in 2021, of which 560,000t (40%) was imported. Switzerland-based Holcim agreed to sell its 76% stake in national number two producer Lafarge Zimbabwe to Fossil Mines earlier in June 2022.

India: The Tamil Nadu Federation of Panchayat Presidents, an overarching organisation for local government leaders, has begun a protest against unlawful cement plant practices in the state. The New Indian Express newspaper has reported that the federation’s president Sellam Kadamban said that limestone mines and trucks are operating illegally, creating pollution and traffic collisions.