Cement News tagged: International
Zuari Cement recognised for ‘outstanding’ performance, India
Zuari Cement, part of the Italcementi group, has been recognised as an 'Outstanding Company’ in the Indian cement sector at the 4th EPC World Awards 2013, having previously received the accolade in 2011. Zuari Cement was rewarded for its industry performance, originality and state-of-the-art operations. The EPC World Awards acknowledge the achievements of the companies and individuals from t...
Philippine cement sales advance 6% in 2013
Philippine cement sales increased by 5.9 per cent YoY on the back of increased infrastructure activity, the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CeMAP) has said. Local cement producers saw sales grow to 19.4Mt from 18.4Mt the year before, according to Ernesto M. Ordoñez, president of CeMAP. In the fourth quarter alone, cement sales advanced by 2.1 per cent to 4.5Mt from 4.4Mt...
Port-Daniel cement investment, Canada
Canada is expected to contribute CAD350m (US$313m) to build a 2Mta cement plant in Port-Daniel. The investment, will take the shape of repayable loans and participation, Pauline Marois, premier of the Québec government, is expected to announce on Friday. The balance of the CAD1bn project will be financed by Ciment McInnis and the Beaudier group. Construction work is expected to start late...
Lafarge Republic gets go-ahead for plant expansion
Lafarge Republic has secured approval from its board of directors to expand its plant in Norzagaray, Bulacan, to keep up with continuing growth in the domestic cement market. In a disclosure released yesterday, the country’s second-largest producer, said: "Please be advised that at the regular meeting of the board of directors of Lafarge Republic, Inc held on January 28... the board of direct...
Semen Indonesia plans IDR4trn capex in 2014
Semen Indonesia plans to spend IDR4trn (US$328.81m) to construct two plants in Rembang (Central Java) and Indarung (West Sumatra), the company’s CEO, Dwi Sutjipto, has said. Indonesia’s largest cement producer also plans to improve its distribution capabilities by establishing packaging factories in Balikpapan, Pontianak and North Sulawesi. Last year the company registered a net profit of m...
JP Morgan Cazenove upgrades Holcim
JP Morgan Cazenove has upgraded Holcim to 'neutral' from 'underweight' and raised its price target to CHF71 from CHF58 as the outlook for cement makers is turning positive. "Construction materials is one of the few emerging markets exposed sectors that offer attractive risk-reward at present," say analysts. "It's time to reverse our relative negative stance, especially for cement stocks, and w...
Indonesian demand expected to rise by 6-7%
Indonesian cement consumption is expected to grow at a similar rate to 2013 despite cement price increases, as producers look to compensate for higher electricity costs and lower growth forecasts. Widodo Santoso, chairman of the Indonesian Cement Association, told the Jakarta Post that cement demand is expected to rise to 63Mt this year, a YoY increase of 6-7 per cent. Around 1Mt of demand ...
PPC expansion on track
PPC has said its expansion remains well on track and commissioning of its Rwanda plant is anticipated at the end of 2014. Construction work has also commenced at sites in Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it added. As part of its local 'Keeping the Home Fires Burning' strategy, in December 2013, PPC acquired a 69.3 per cent stake in Safika Cement Holdings for ZAR377m. "Add...
Lafarge seeks government nod for limestone approval, India
Lafarge has warned that it could be forced to shut its Indian flagship plant in Chhattisgarh as limestone reserves are fast running out. The cement major is now urging the government to speed up approvals so that it can expand the area of its limestone mine in the state. "Any further delay in the clearance… will raise a huge risk on the survival of the plant operation," Lafarge India said in...
Bolivia: gas deal for Yacuses plant
A cement plant in Yacuses, Bolivia, being constructed by Itacamba has received government authorisation to take delivery of natural gas to fire its new kiln line. Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) will deliver 250,000m3 as well as a US$15m-long pipeline which will be connected to Brazil, according to the agreement with YPFB. Construction of the US$200m cement line is expect...
National Cement Co elects James E Rotch chairman of the Board, USA
The Board of Directors of National Cement Company, Inc, a subsidiary of the Vicat Group, has elected James E Rotch of Birmingham, Ala, as chairman of the Board of National Cement Company, Inc. Mr Rotch will continue in the practice of corporate law with the firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, a regional law firm with offices throughout the Southeast, including Birmingham, Alabama, in ...
Martin Marietta in talks to buy Texas Industries - report
Martin Marietta Materials Inc, the fourth-largest US aggregates producer, is in advanced talks to buy construction material supplier Texas Industries Inc, Bloomberg yesterday reported, citing people familiar with the matter. An all-stock deal could be announced as early as next week, the report said. Bloomberg reported last month that Dallas-based Texas Industries had put itself up for s...
Swiss cement industry to solve future raw materials shortage
Five out of six cement plants in Switzerland are expected to run out of limestone and marl over the next 10-15 years. As their existing quarries border areas with protected status as landscapes of national significance, they can not be readily expanded. “We have to find a solution that enables a reduction in these areas,” says Georges Spicher, director of cement association cemsuisse. How...
Vietnam's Jan cement output increases
Vietnam is estimated to produce 4.8Mt of cement in January, up three per cent YoY but down 13.24 per cent from December 2013, the government General Statistics Office said in a monthly report. The office revised down the country’s cement output in December 2013 to 5.5Mt the earlier estimated figure of 5.7Mt. In 2013, Vietnam’s cement output hit 56.84Mt, according to the revised figure.
Fitch Ratings raises GCC outlook
Fitch Ratings has revised its outlook for Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua (GCC) from 'Stable' to 'Positive.' The upward revision reflects Fitch's view that GCC's operations could gain momentum resulting from US construction spending expanding in 2014 driven by continued strength in residential construction, and to a lesser extent in modest recovery in commercial and public construction spending. ...
Morgan Stanley maintains Cemex rating
Morgan Stanley has maintained its 'Overweight' rating on Cemex, raising its price target to US$14.00 from US$13.00. It believes that the Mexican cement major could be turning the corner in its domestic market where demand will be driven by infrastructure in the first half of the year, and by retail and housing projects in the latter half. Morgan Stanley analysts Nikolaj Lippmann and Lilli...