Global Cement News

China: West China Cement has announced that its profit attributable to owners of the company was US$108.8m in the six months to 30 June 2020, a year-on-year decrease of 5.2%. The improvement in profit came despite a 9.1% fall in revenue to US$440m. This trend follows a number of other Chinese producers that have seen markedly increased profitability in 2020 on the back of the Chinese government’s supply side reforms.

India: Shiva Cement has reported a standalone net loss of US$365m for the first quarter of the current fiscal year (1 April 2020 – 30 June 2020). However, the loss was 33% lower than the US$556m that it lost in the corresponding quarter of the 2019-2020 fiscal year. Shiva’s net revenue also declined substantially, by 22.6%, to US$1.11bn during the quarter, compared to US$1.43bn a year earlier. The company’s operating profit slipped to a loss of US$273m, as against a profit of just US$12,000 a year ago.

India: JSW Group has announced the combination of the distribution and supply chain of its cement and steel businesses under an integrated JSW One initiative to make it easier for customers to source its products. JSW One has commenced operations in eastern India and will be scaled-up across the country over the next couple of years.

“JSW One will derive synergies to benefit both the steel and cement businesses by streamlining and maximising the depth and expanse of JSW Group’s sales and supply chain network,” said the group in a statement. “It will also combine the group’s expertise across product portfolio to provide comprehensive service capability to its customers.”

Peru: Cementos Pacasmayo subsidiary Cementos Selva has begun shipping 2550t/yr of cement produced at its 0.4Mt/yr integrated Rioja, San Matrín plant to the city of Iquitos via the Huallaga, Marañon and Amazon rivers following refurbishment of its Port of Yurimaguas cement terminal. The company said, “The facilities provided by the Port of Yurimaguas with its modern infrastructure and equipment, together with a coordinated logistical operation with the Rioja plant, has made it possible to considerably reduce reception and shipment times, demonstrating that good practices in the jungle are possible,” according to the Diario Gestión newspaper.

UK: Mexico-based Cemex has published plans for the redundancy of its entire South Ferriby, Lincolnshire logistics team. A total of 26 jobs are at stake. The Lincolnshire Today newspaper has reported that “it is no longer financially viable for Cemex to continue to operate the fleet at South Ferriby” following the mothballing of its 0.8Mt/yr integrated South Ferriby cement plant, according to the company. Its Rugby, Warwickshire fleet, Tilbury, Essex fleet and Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire fleet will pick up the remaining footprint.

Cemex said, “We understand that this news will be a further disappointment to the local community following the previous announcements about mothballing the South Ferriby plant. Thank you for your on-going support – we remain proud to have been such a valued part of the community. We would like to reiterate that all commitments to the local community will be maintained, including the work agreed as part of the Environment Agency flood protection project.” The South Ferriby plant was devastated by a tidal surge and resulting flooding in December 2013.