Cement News tagged under: chile

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Chilean research team doubles cement performance

15 August 2018, Published under Cement News

A group of researchers of the Department of Engineering and Construction Management at the Universidad Católica (UC) has reported doubled the performance of cement materials through an innovative use of solid waste extracted from copper mining tailings. The findings are a step towards the reduction of the environmental impact of cement production as well as the waste from copper mining activity. The team analysed the technical feasibility of creating these materials through innovative use ...

Cementos BSA signs renewable energy contract with Engie

08 June 2018, Published under Cement News

Chilean cement producer Cementos BSA has signed an agreement with energy firm Engie Energía Chile, which will supply 35GWh per year of renewable energy, according to business newspaper Estrategia. With the contract Cementos BSA becomes the first company in Chile to source its energy from solar and hydropower sources and achieve the international I-REC certification, which confirms efforts made by industry to reduce its carbon footprint. "For Cementos BSA, having the most modern cement p...

Cementos Bío Bío to start production at Arica grinding plant

07 June 2018, Published under Cement News

Chile’s Cementos Bío Bío is expected to start production at its Arica grinding facility by September of this year, according to Economía y Negocios. Guido Sepúlveda, manager of the company’s cement sector, confirmed that the plant will supply the markets of Tarapacá and southern Peru. "It is very important for us to get to Arica, an area we were attending from Antofagasta, and we are currently in the process of building the plant, and then starting the assembly work," he said. The wo...

Fancesa gears up for exports to Paraguay, Argentina and Chile

06 June 2018, Published under Cement News

Bolivian cement producer Fancesa will carry out market research in Paraguay, Argentina and Chile this year with a view to entering these markets as soon as the company’s new line is up and running in 2019. While the decision to export was taken in January last year, it was not until last February that the company’s President, Eduardo Rivero, confirmed that the negotiations with Paraguay were moving in the final lap. However, it was expected that exports would start this year. Four mon...

Melón sees 12% rise in 1Q earnings

24 May 2018, Published under Cement News

Chile-based Cemento Melón has increased its first-quarter earnings by 12 per cent to US$7m when compared with 1Q17, despite lower cement sales volumes, according to Diario Financiero Online. The company’s revenues edged up by one per cent to US$83m. Sales volumes fell by 6.5 per cent but the company attributed the higher earnings to “the implementation of operational excellence plans that have meant lower production costs in the different plants, a lower exchange rate and a greater focus o...

Cementos Bío Bío launches 2021 strategic plan

27 April 2018, Published under Cement News

As cement demand in Chile remains muted and the cement industry is restructuring its operations, Cementos Bío Bío is launching its “Transforma 2021” strategic programme. The plan is to develop improved commercial, operational and innovation capabilities and enable the company to maintain its status as a key player. “This transformation that we carry out challenges the traditional model for one that manages to turn the company into a company of the future that sustainably faces the current...

Cemento Polpaico slips into loss

06 March 2018, Published under Cement News

Chile’s Cemento Polpaico informed the country’s Financial Markets Commission (CMF) it registered losses of CLP1.042bn (US$1.74m) in 2017. The new income figure is a sharp reversal of the profit of CLP3.793bn reported in 2016. Sales reached CLP135.316bn in 2017, down 3.5 per cent YoY, when compared with sales of CLP140.187bn in 2016.

Hurtado Vicuña looking for merger support

05 March 2018, Published under Cement News

Chilean holding Grupo Hurtado Vicuña will seek support from small shareholders for a merger of its Cementos Bicentenario (BSA) with Cementos Polpaico. The merger is expected to create Chile’s largest cement company, overtaking Cemento Melon and Cementos Bío Bío. The group’s share in Cementos Polpaico currently stands at 57.1 per cent. Volcan and Megeve could complicate the merger, according to Esmerk. To enable the merger to go ahead Hurtado Vicuña has also had to agree to sell some B...

Cemento Melon reports 14% decrease in 2017 sales

20 February 2018, Published under Cement News

Chile’s Cemento Melon saw its sales decrease by 14 per cent to US$298m in 2017 from US$345m in 2016. The company’s profit declined 54 per cent to US$14m from US$30m in 2015 due to lower sales of cement and concrete. The company has attributed the slide by the poor performance of the country’s construction sector, which contracted by three per cent.

Invesa raises Bío Bío stake

18 January 2018, Published under Cement News

Following the launch of a public offer to buy 54,208,259 shares in Cementos Bío Bío (CBB) last month, Inversiones y Desarrollos (Invesa) has confirmed it has increased its stake in the Chilean cement producer to 39.5606 per cent. Invesa paid CLP847 (US$1.40)/share for the recently-bought 0.0448 per cent stake. In November it had acquired a 13.1 per cent share in CBB from Brazil-based Votorantim for around US$46m. Taking into account the shares held by other businesses of the Invesa fam...