Cement News tagged under: international
Spain: Oficemen and unions sign wage agreement with government17 January 2014, Published under Cement NewsSpain’s cement association, Oficemen, and the country’s largest unions CCOO and UGT have sign a IV agreement with the state, setting the annual minimum wage in the cement sector at EUR18,600 for the first year of service. A normal working day represents 1752h on an annual basis. The signing also included the renewal of the agreement, signed a decade ago, for the sustainable use of resources, environmental protection, people’s health and improving the competitive of the Spanish cement sec... |
Southern Province posts flat full-year profit17 January 2014, Published under Cement NewsSouthern Province Cement posted a SAR1.006bn (US$268m) net profit in 2013, almost flat from SAR1bn the year before. Earnings per share stood at SAR1.013. Operating profit for the Kingdom’s largest cement firm by market value, fell from SAR1.008bn in 2012 to SAR973m last year. |
Kazakhstan set to see the launch of two new plants in 201417 January 2014, Published under Cement NewsTwo new plants are set to be launched in Kazakhstan's southwestern and northern regions this year, helping the central Asian country achieve its aim of self-sufficiency in cement supply. “The launch of new production facilities — Caspiycement in the Mangistau region (1Mta) and Kokshecement in the Akmola region (2Mta) — will allow to completely refuse from cement imports, increase cement export, and curb seasonal price increases for cement in the west and north of Kazakhstan,” a spokespers... |
EUR16m investment in Quinn SRF project16 January 2014, Published under Cement NewsAventas Group, formerly Quinn Manufacturing Group, is to invest EUR16m in an alternative fuels project at its Quinn Cement plant in Ireland. Aventas said it is to convert the 1.4Mta Ballyconnell plant to use solid recovered fuel (SRF) so it can reduce reliance on more expensive high-quality South African coal. According to plant manager, Barry King, the project will reduce carbon emissions by about 20 per cent. Aventas Group chief executive, Paul O'Brien said: "This is the first significan... |
Steppe Cement revenue rises as Kazakh demand rises 13%16 January 2014, Published under Cement NewsKazakhstan producer Steppe Cement said its 2013 revenue was 8.7 per cent higher YoY, as demand in the central Asian country increased by an estimated 13 per cent to 8.1Mt during 2013. The company generated revenues of KZT19.47bn during the year, up from KTZ17.91bn in 2012. Cement sales reached 1.37Mt, up from 1.35Mt in 2012m an increase of 1.3 per cent. Steppe said this gave it a market share of 17 per cent. The average price for delivered cement, excluding VAT, was KZT14,425/t, comp... |
Kenyan prices hiked on new mining levy16 January 2014, Published under Cement NewsKenyan producers have raised cement prices following a new levy imposed by the Ministry of Mining. Najib Balala, the Cabinet Secretary for Mining, announced a KES140/t mining levy on cement on 18 December 2013, which translates to KES7/50kg bag. The decision has come much to the displeasure of some producers who have called the levy ‘unfair’ and ‘illegal.’ Due to the new levy, National Cement has increased its ex-factory prices from KES600 to KES625/50kg – after having reduced pri... |
Sephaku launches production at Delmas plant16 January 2014, Published under Cement NewsSephaku Cement began commercial production at its Delmas grinding plant on 6 January 2014 following a successful commissioning phase, Sephaku Holdings has announced. The Delmas plant, situated in east of Gauteng, is expected to ramp up capacity to 1.4Mta by mid-2014. CEO, Dr Lelau Mohuba, said: "This has been a nine-year journey and we are pleased to finally have our cement brand in the market. We are proud of SepCem's highly experienced operational team for attaining this key milestone in... |
Cemex responds to CC report15 January 2014, Published under Cement NewsCemex has responded to the Competition Commission’s (CC) final report into the aggregates, ready-mix concrete and cement market in Great Britain, saying that the CC’s conclusion that there is insufficient competition in the cement market is “incorrect and therefore the remedies are disproportionate to the alleged harm which is itself unproven.” The watchdog criticised current cement market conditions in the country, where Lafarge Tarmac, Cemex and Hanson are the three largest producers. ... |
Carpatcement to invest EUR15m this year15 January 2014, Published under Cement NewsCarpatcement Holding, part of HeidelbergCement, plans to invest around EUR15m this year in energy efficiency, environmental projects and staff development. "Regardless of difficulties on the Romanian market, which we have considered, we have always pursued developing our presence in Romania in the long run. Although at times we have had to reduce activity, investments have remained a priority in terms of business growth and sustainable development," company general manager Florian Aldea sa... |
Saudi Cement 4Q13 profit down 8% YoY15 January 2014, Published under Cement NewsSaudi Cement reported an eight per cent fall in fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday, attributed to lower sales and rising raw material costs. In the three months to the end of December the company posted a net profit of SAR256m (US$68.3m), down from the SAR278m in the same period of the year before, according to a statement to Saudi Arabia’s bourse. Saudi Cement attributed the profit drop to a decrease in sales during the quarter and the high cost of imported clinker. |