Cement News tagged: International
Strike threat at Holcim Bulacan cement plant eased
Potential disruption at Holcim Philippines’ Bulacan plant has eased following fruitful conciliation talks facilitated by a team of conciliators from the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) and the Office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz. In a report filed yesterday to Baldoz, NCMB executive director Reynaldo, R Ubaldo, said th...
Venezuela: IMIDRO starts tests at its Caracas plant
Iranian Mines & Mining Industries Development & Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) has started test production at its Iran-built plant in Venezuela, a project that saw the start of its implementation eight months ago. The opening ceremony of the 1Mta plant was attended by Iranian Industries, Mines and Trade Minister, Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh as well as the head of IMIDRO's Board of Directors, M...
New FLSmidth Service Centre in Zacatecas, Mexico
FLSmidth recently opened its newest service centre in Zacatecas, Mexico. The official opening was attended by Zacatecas state governor, Miguel Alonso Reyes; Patricia Salinas, secretary of economy and social development; Ingeniero Horacio Franco, Mayor; representatives from the state government administration and the Mexican mining community, and the press. FLSmidth was well represented with ke...
GCC appoints new American division CEO
The Board of Directors of Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua (GCC) announced that Enrique Escalante will become the chief executive officer effective 1 January 2015. Current CEO, Manual Milan, announced he will retire at the end of this year. Escalante said, “It’s a privilege to be selected to lead GCC and I look forward to continuing to grow the organisation. We remain committed to delivering high...
Spain’s cement market contracts 3% in August
Spain’s cement consumption fell by a further three per cent in August 2014 to 819,249t. In the first eight months of 2014 domestic demand registered a two per cent YoY fall to 7.1Mt. “With these data we can talk about record lows, with figures even more daunting in regions such as Catalonia, with a cumulative decline of 15.8 per cent in the first eight months of the year,” said Oficemen CEO,...
Saudi August dispatches rise 29.8% YoY
Saudi cement dispatches for August 2014 climbed to 3.96Mt, an increase of 29.8 per cent YoY and 47.8 per cent MoM, AlJazira Capital has stated in a report citing the data issued by Yamamah Cement Co. The YoY increase in dispatches is primarily due to the fact that part of Ramadan and the holiday season fell in August 2013. The significant MoM growth is attributed ti cement demand recovering a...
Suez Cement diversifies fuel sources
Suez Cement, part of the Italcementi group, is working towards diversifying its fuel sources with coal to be used in one of its factories before year-end. The company will begin using coal next November at its factory in Suez, company CEO Omar Mehanna said. Two of its other factories in Tora and Helwan will start in two years, "We will begin using coal to generate energy for cement produ...
DG Khan full-year profit up 8% YoY
Pakistan-based producer DG Khan reported an eight per cent YoY rise net profit to PKR5.96bn (US$58m) for the full fiscal year ending 30 June 2014. The increase in earnings was primarily supported by lower distribution costs and financial charges, according to Global Research. Revenues rose by seven per cent to PKR26.54bn as prices rose 12 per cent YoY to PKR506/bag despite a decline in sa...
Fujairah factory operations suspended for environmental violations
The UAE’s Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW) has ordered the suspension of operations at a cement factory in Fujairah for one month due to violations of Cabinet Resolution No 24 (2011) for environmental protection, according to reports by Gulf News. “The ministry is strictly implementing laws and regulations that promote environmental protection and sustainability, a press release issu...
Tororo Cement joins Uganda’s Chamber of Mines and Petroleum
Tororo Cement has become the latest member to join Uganda’s Chamber of Mines and Petroleum (UCMP). Through joining the UCMP, whose members’ main objectives are to encourage and foster responsible exploration and participation in the mining and petroleum sectors, the Uganda-based cement producer will benefit from improved relations with the government. “We have strived to stay at the very t...
Morocco’s market demand falls 5% in August
The Moroccan cement market is not about to recover. The latest figures indicate a third-consecutive year of contraction, according to APC, the Moroccan cement producers' association. The cement market has contracted at the end of August by 4.98 per cent to 9.3Mt, the latest data shows. The fall in sales, which started in 2012, has been due to a low residential housing demand, attributed t...
Semen Indonesia eyes Papua plant construction
PT Semen Indonesia is considering the possibility of constructing a cement plant in Papua to meet demand potential in the country’s eastern-most province and reduce distribution and logistic costs. Dwi Soetjipto, Semen Indonesia president director, told local press that the plant would either be located in Jayapura or Manokwari, the two largest cities in proximity to a limestone quarry. ...
Peru August cement sales slip 0.75% YoY
In August domestic dispatches in the Peruvian cement market edged 0.75 per cent down to 908,553t when compared with the same month of 2013, according to Asocem, the country’s cement producers’ association. Cement exports reached 30,083t during the period. Production advanced 2.44 per cent to 958,712t. Sales were 0.27 per cent down to 6,698,788t in the first eight months of the year from 6...
PCA recognises outstanding safety records
On 25 August, the PCA recognised 10 cement plants with the Chairman’s Safety Performance Awards for outstanding safety records at its autumn meeting in Chicago, USA. PCA honoured plants in three categories designated by the number of hours employees collectively worked in 2013 for achieving superior safety records. The plants were: • Lehigh Hanson Inc, Bellingham, Washington – less than 200,...
Cementos Argos to boost Colombian capacity with new 2.3Mta line
Cementos Argos is to expand its Sogamoso cement plant, located in the Boyacá department of Colombia, with a new 2.3Mta line, involving an investment of US$450m. The strategic location of the Sogamoso plant will enable the Colombian cement market leader to serve the Bogota market as well as growing demand in the centre of Colombia where around 70 per cent of cement consumption for the country...
Morocco: Lafarge turnover slips 2.1% in 1H14
Lafarge’s Moroccan subsidiary, Lafarge Ciments, saw turnover in 1H14 slip by 2.1 per cent to MAD2.56bn (US$298m) as prices and a favourable product mix only partially offset by 3.6 per cent a 4.4 per cent decline in sales. Consolidated net income was down 5.1 per cent to MAD725m. For the second part of the year, cement demand is expected to remain weak and Lafarge is forecast to see its turn...