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Japan: Taiheiyo Cement says that an earthquake that took place in early September 2018 in Hokkaido has had a limited effect upon its business. No injuries to employees were reported. Cement production at its Kamiiso plant is continuing using in-house power generation although the unit is working on saving energy. The 6.7 magnitude earthquake has caused widespread disruption on the island, including knocking out local power generation.
Gabon: Morocco’s Ciments de l’Afrique (CIMAF) says it plans to start a new production line at its Cimgabon integrated plant by November 2018. The measure has been announced to meet a sudden surge in demand, according to the L’union newspaper. Cement prices have reportedly nearly doubled in the high construction season.
The cement producer first announced the new clinker production line in mid-2017. It will increase the plant’s production capacity to 0.85Mt/yr from 0.5Mt/yr at present. In addition the company has launched a Euro10m project for an admixture unit for completion by mid-2019.
Quinn Cement launches new cement range in Ireland 12 September 2018
Ireland: Quinn Cement has launched a new range of bagged cement products in Ireland following its launch previously in the UK. The company invested over Euro3m in their cement plant to bring the new range to the market, which includes three new cement products: General Purpose Cement, Master Grade Cement and Premium Grade Cement.
General Purpose Cement is intended to be a versatile cement product, suitable for general use, particularly in smaller jobs and repairs. Master Grade Cement is targeted at plastering and mortar due to its workability. Premium Grade Cement is a high-strength product at 42.5N.
“We’re delighted to bring the new range to Ireland, particularly given the success we’ve seen in the British market, where bagged cement sales have seen a huge increase since the range was launched earlier this year. News of the Irish launch has been very well received by our merchant customers, and the demand to stock the new products here has been growing since they were unveiled for the British market. In particular, we expect the weatherproof bags to be very popular across Ireland, as they have been in Britain,” said Quinn Building Products’ Irish Sales and Marketing Director, Seamus McMahon.
Clinker transport sinks in Bay of Bengal 12 September 2018
Bangladesh: A lighter vessel carrying around 1500t of clinker has capsized near Bhasanchar of Noakhali in the Bay of Bengal. Mohammed Selim, deputy director of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), Chittagong said that all the 13 crew members of MV Sheikh Parvin were rescued, according to the Daily Star newspaper.
CRH audit put out to tender 11 September 2018
Ireland: An Euro22bn audit of CRH has been put out to tender, as mandatory rotation rules require it to replace incumbent EY. The move was announced in CRH's 2017 annual report, which said EY would have to be replaced by 2021 in order to comply with European Union (EU) rules designed to increase the independence of auditors.
Ireland has adopted a strict interpretation of the EU rules by requiring financial institutions and listed companies to replace auditors every 10 years. This contrasts with the UK's more liberal regime, which only requires audits to be put out to tender every 10 years, leaving companies free to reappoint their existing auditors. EY is based in the UK. It is possible that CRH may be seeking to reappoint a non-UK firm prior to the UK’s departure from the EU on 29 March 2019.