Global Cement News

Philippines: Holcim Philippines improved its profit in the third quarter of 2019 by 158% year-on year to US$9.00m from US$3.48m. Its sales in the quarter fell by 2.7% year-on-year to US$163m from US$167m in 2018. The company sustained price increases in spite of lower demand causing a fall in volumes. Nine-month sales fell by 13% to US$465m from US$536m in the corresponding period to 30 September 2018. Upgrades to its La Union and Davao cement plants in previous quarters dragged on nine-month profit, which rose by 7.9% year-on-year to US$36.9m from US$34.2m in the corresponding period of 2018, but paid dividends in the third quarter, bolstered by the resumption of government infrastructure spending.

Denmark: FLSmidth has recorded a third-quarter profit of Euro25.4m in the three months to 30 September 2019, up by 17% year-on-year from Euro21.7m in the corresponding period of 2018. Its revenue over the period rose by 9.3% to Euro634m from Euro580m. FLSmidth CEO Thomas Schulz noted the delivery of supply operations to the cement industry on expected profitability.

Russia: Eurocement Group’s subsidiary Kavkazcement has installed a gas-piston power plant at its 4Mt/yr clinker production plant in Karachay in the Karachay-Cherkass republic. The US$20.4m project forms part of a US$39.2m investment in the plant by the company and regional government, which includes the construction of an automated packing and shipping facility. Eurocement Group president Mikhail Skorokhod spoke of the impact of the power plant in terms of ‘improving energy efficiency and environmental friendliness, as well as cutting production costs.’

Japan: Taiheyo Cement’s 1.4Mt/yr integrated Saitama cement plant is to receive a 53,000MWh/yr waste heat recovery (WHR) unit. The company says that the installation, which will become operational in September 2022, will reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by roughly 27,000t/yr.

Saudi Arabia: Najran Cement has reported a net profit after tax in the three months to 30 September 2019 of US$3.77m, compared to a loss in the third quarter of 2018 of US$6.33m. Its earnings rose by 81% year-on-year to US$25.9m from US$14.4m. The company, whose total capacity at its Najran integrated cement plant is 5.6Mt/yr, made operational and personnel changes over the period, including appointing Mohammed Bin Manaa Bin Sultan Aballa as its new chairman in September 2019.