Cement News tagged: International
Nigeria: producers hit by falling prices now face naira devaluation
The devaluation of the naira – agreed in principle by the Central Bank of Nigeria in May – will hit Nigerian producers’ revenues, Bernstein warns. The decision to revalue marks a reversal of course by the government, which had for some time faced calls to allow the currency to depreciate. Bernstein’s analysis focusses mainly on the implications for LafargeHolcim as the only major with a sig...
India: cement volume growth
Volume growth in the Indian cement market increased by 12-18 per cent in the quarter ending March 2016 compared to the 4.7 per cent drop seen in the corresponding quarter last year. This level of growth is the largest seen in the last six quarters, and the only growth to reach double digits, as reported by The Economic Times, India. Due to lower petcoke and coal prices the cost of producing...
Ghana: bulk cargo jetty for Tema port
A newly-built bulk cargo jetty has become operational at the Tema port, Ghana, possessing the capacity to hold hour larger vessels at any given time. The jetty will prevent bulk cargo vessels having to stay on anchorage for long periods due to inadequate space. The facility financed by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) cost US$132m and has increased the port’s vessel berthing ca...
Cement sales in Cyprus rise 15% in May
The sale of cement on the domestic market rose 15 per cent in May to 43,887t compared to the respective month of 2015 after rising 40 per cent in April, the statistical service said. In January to May, total sales of cement on the domestic market, which reflects construction activity, rose 33 per cent to 170,684t, Cystat said in a statement on its website.
Thailand: SCG improves customer convenience
SCG Cement-Building Materials, a unit of Siam Cement Group, has revamped its key online and offline customer contact points as part improving its customer services. "The main purpose is to enhance convenience for our customers, rather than for sales," said Nithi Pattarachoke, vice president for the domestic market of SCG Cement-Building Materials. Previously, SCG only manufactured and s...
Cameroon: Government hopes Mintom quarry will bring down cement prices
The government of Cameroon has called on investors to help develop the Mintom limestone deposit, located in the country’s southeast, in the hope that this would lead to lower cement prices. According to Business in Cameroon, the Director of the Institute of Geological and Mining Research told business leaders last week that a quarrying operation in Mintom would lead to a fall in cement pric...
Pakistan: cement dispatches rise 10.6% YoY in year to May 2016
Cement dispatches in Pakistan totalled 35.5Mt in the period July 2015 to May 2016, up 10.55 per cent on the corresponding period of last fiscal year, the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) has announced. The APCMA reports that the growth in consumption is solely due to higher domestic demand. Overall domestic dispatches from plants in northern Pakistan increased by 16.6 p...
Iran: cement exports exceed 15Mt
In the year March 2015-2016 Iran produced more than 60Mt of cement, resulting in 15.9Mt of exports to Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar. Iranian cement production accounted for approximately two per cent of global production in the given year, making the country the seventh-largest cement producer in the world, slipping from fourth position in the previous year. Iran aims to increase its...
Romania: sales and profits increase
For the year 2015 three major cement producers in Romania saw an increase in both sales and profits. Holcim Romania increased its sales by 15 per cent in 2015, achieving a turnover of EUR253m (US$287.5m). The company also reported a net profit of EUR29m, 81 per cent higher compared to 2014. HeidelbergCement reported sales of EUR118m and a net profit of EUR25m, up 19 per cent from the pre...
Nigeria: Nigercem to begin production in Ebonyi
Nigercem will soon commence cement operations at the Nigeria Cement Company in Nkalagu, Ebonyi State. A deed was signed to settle terms between Nigercem and representatives from four host communities - Nkalagu, Nkalaha, Umuhuali, Amaezu and the Ebonyi State Government. With the signing of this pact any previous legal battles affecting the reopening of the cement company have been put to res...
Colombia's market expands 5.9% in April
Cement dispatches in Colombia rose 5.9 per cent to 1.05Mt in April 2015, according to the country’s statistics office, Dane. Cement production in April reached 1.1Mt, up five per cent YoY and the highest output for April in the past eight years. By region, the department of Córdoba saw the highest increase in cement demand at 27.8 per cent, followed by Risaralda, with 20.8 per cent. Ant...
Sri Lanka: AFKO group may revive KKS plant
AFKO Group GMEX has expressed interest in reopening the Kankesanthurai (KKS) cement plant in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, according to the country’s Industry and Commerce Ministry. “We are keen to partner in the Kankesanthurai Cement Project and are ready to enter with US$450m as a start. We shall also bring in all the necessary machineries and technology and can start from scratch,...
Mongolia explores export to Russia
With Mongolia’s cement production on the rise, the country may start exporting its surplus to countries such as Russia. National producers are currently studying the possibilities, according to local news reports. Demand in the country has risen with growing housing and infrastructure requirements. Mongolia’s cement production currently meets about 90 per cent of the domestic demand, which ...
Pakistan cement industry's US$1bn expansion
The steady growth of Pakistan’s cement industry saw the sector attract investment of US$1bn in the current financial year, an economic survey has revealed. Economic Survey 2015-16, released today by Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance, finds that the cement industry is focussing on capacity expansion in view of ever-growing domestic demand and a focus on exports to African markets. Four companie...
Pakistan: new federal budget to increase cement demand
Pakistan’s new federal budget, set to be announced in the next few weeks, looks set to provide a fillip for the country’s cement producers by boosting demand. Through the federal and provincial Public Sector Development Programmes (PSDPs) the government has allocated PKR1675bn (US$16bn) for infrastructure projects, including roads and dams. However, the budget might also change the way in w...
Cherat Packaging introduce polypropylene sacks
Cherat Packaging Pakistan and BSW Machinery have introduced 65g polypropylene sacks to hold 50kg of cement. This new sack technology offers a potential reduction in weight of 20 per cent compared to standard sack weight. BSW said that more than half of the cement factories in Pakistan have trialled and approved the polypropylene sacks, and now use them commercially.