Global Cement News

Ivory Coast: LafargeHolcim Ivory Coast has launched online sales of its products on the Jumia e-commerce platform. The online store is aimed at individual and small business customers, according to the Agence Ivoirienne de Presse. The project is starting in a pilot phase in Abidjan and Bingerville. Deliveries of orders made online are coordinated with the company’s Binastore network around the country.

India: Dalmia Cement and South Eastern Railways have inaugurated a freight train. The ceremony marked the start of an agreement whereby the cement producer will use its own locomotives with branded rakes of goods wagons, according to the Pioneer newspaper. The deal covers five such freight trains.Image

Argentina: Loma Negra has signed an agreement with the Asociación Obrera Minera Argentina (AOMA) union and the government to keep the Barker cement plant open. The deal follows three months of negotiations, according to La Nacion newspaper. The cement producer wanted to reduce the number of shifts at the grinding plant. It previously said it had started to close the plant in early-June 2019. The plant will continue to operate with 160 staff working a reduced workload amongst other concessions.

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement says it agrees with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). It is promoting research and development business strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The cement producer is also intending to publish a long-term plan to reduce its CO₂ emissions by 2050.

South Africa: Lafarge Africa has agreed to sell its full stake in Lafarge South Africa business to Caricement for US$317m. The deal is expected to complete in the third quarter of 2019 subject to regulatory approval. Proceeds from the transaction will be used to pay off Lafarge Africa’s shareholder loan of US$293m.

The subsidiary of Lafarge Holcim said that net sales fell by 2.6% year-on-year to US$218m in the first quarter of 2019 from US$224m in the same period in 2018. Its operating profit rose by 35% to US$23.4m from US$17.3m. Growth was driven by the Nigerian market and it described its cement volumes as ‘flat’ in South Africa. It also reported that its revenue rose by 3% year-on-year to US$855m in 2018 from US$829m in 2017. It reduced its loss to US$25.6m from US$43.7m.