Cement News tagged: International
Mauritius opens LafargeHolcim merger inquiry
The Competition Commission of Mauritius (CCM) has opened an inquiry to determine whether the merger of Holcim and Lafarge will have a negative impact on the competition in the island's cement market. If the merger is completed successfully, Lafarge and Holcim have said they will both sell their holdings in Holcim (Mauritius) Ltd to a third party. "We appreciate that the merger parties hav...
Kathmandu prices rise on higher production costs, Nepal
Prices of most building materials including cement have increased in the Kathmandu valley since last year, according to local traders. Binod Keshari Upadhyaya, president of the Federation of Construction Materials Association told local press that construction materials have been rising due to costlier raw materials and various government policies. Higher transportation costs and wages have ...
Zarkalis takes the helm at Titan America, USA
Titan America has announced that Bill Zarkalis will serve as company CEO effective 1 August 2014. Mr Zarkalis joins from parent organisation Titan Cement SA, where he served as Group Chief Financial Officer since 2010 and Executive Director of Business Development and Strategic Planning prior to that. "It was a great learning opportunity and a privilege to take a detour from a long career in ...
MPA: positive 2Q14 sales point to second-half construction improvement
Following the significant improvement in UK sales volumes of mineral products from mid-2013, the latest Mineral Products Association (MPA) data indicate further improvement in the first half of 2014. Compared to 2Q last year, crushed rock was the fastest growing market (up by nine per cent), whilst both asphalt and sand and gravel were four per cent higher. Ready mixed concrete sales fell 3.2...
Cherat Cement to increase capacity, Pakistan
Cherat Cement plans to invest PKR12bn (US$121.5m) in expanding capacity at its Pakhtunkhwa works, according to a company official. The company will be investing in a new 1.3Mta line, said Abid A Vazir, executive director of Cherat Cement. The decision to raise capacity is due to an expected rise in domestic consumption. The move will effectively double Cherat's capacity which currently stand...
Argos plans innovation centre, Colombia
Cementos Argos is planning to develop an innovation centre in Colombia, covering an area of 4807m2, at a cost of COP23.70bn (US$12.73m). The centre will be carried out in partnership with the Universidad EAFIT in Medellín, where it will be located. The new facility, which will test new cement and concrete products as part of Argos' innovation drive, is expected to be completed next year.
Holiday slowdown affects Pakistan & Bangladesh
Imports and exports of cement and raw materials through some of Pakistan and Bangladesh’s key ports have been disrupted since 25 July 2014 due to the Eid ul-Fitr festival and seasonal holidays. Both governments have officially declared 4-5 days holiday for the Eid festivities but offline periods have been stretched due to weekly holidays as well. Pakistan The partial suspension of load...
Hanson plans Padeswood expansion, UK
Hanson Cement has submitted plans for expansion of its packaging facilities at its Padeswood cement works in north Wales, UK. Just two years ago, the plant faced the threat of closure due to depressed construction levels. However the company decided to run the Padeswood works at half capacity in the hope the situation would improve. “We have three plants – one in Padeswood, one in Lancashire...
China's first-half output growth slows
Cement output rose 3.6 per cent YoY to 1.14bnt in the first half of 2014, slowing 6.1 percentage points from the expansion seen during the same period last year, according to latest data from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) posted on its website.
PPC Zimbabwe set for Harare plant construction
PPC Zimbabwe said that preliminary work for a new plant in Harare is complete and construction is scheduled to begin next month. The country’s leading cement producer has reportedly secured approximately US$18m for the construction of the grinding facility, managing director, Njombo Lekula, told The Herald Business last week. Road access network to the Harare plant has been completed and a...
Talks held on proposed Russian Karachay-Cherkessia plant
Rashid Temrezov, the head of Karachay-Cherkessia Republic, and Filaret Galchev, a member of the board of directors of Eurocement Group, are in talks for the construction of a cement factory in Karachay-Cherkessia. The new plant is slated to have a capacity of 4Mta. (Source: Vestnik Kavkaza)
Adelaide Brighton acquires Penrice quarry, Australia
Adelaide Brighton has acquired the Penrice limestone quarry in Angaston for an undisclosed price. The quarry, which had been placed into voluntary administration in April, will now become a key raw materials supplier to Adelaide Brighton’s lime and cement plant in Angaston. “The quarry acquisition represents a strong strategic fit for Adelaide Brighton by securing a high quality marble depo...
Double-digit rise in Colombian dispatches
In the first half of 2014, national cement demand in Colombia reached 5.690Mt, up 11.2 per cent when compared with the equivalent period of 2013, according to the country's statistics office, Dane. Consumption in Norte de Santander rose by 50.2 per cent, followed by Magdalena (30.8 per cent) and Huila (24 per cent), Cundinamarca (20.4 per cent), Antioquia (16.7 per cent) and Bogotá (4.7...
Pakistan export revenues down in FY14
Pakistan reported a decline in export revenue in FY14, due in part to lower sales to Afghanistan and a decline in average export prices. Encouraging trends were, however, noted in exports to India and other parts of the world. Data from the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association shows that total dispatches increased by 2.52 per cent YoY to 34.273Mt. Exports totaled 8.73Mt on revenu...
Egypt cement volumes hold firm
Egypt’s cement volumes demonstrated resilience over the Jan-May 2014 period with the pricing environment also positive. During the first five months of the year, volumes totalled 21.7Mt – an increase of 1.8 per cent compared to the same period of 2013 which was impacted by interruptions in energy supplies and exceptional political events, writes CM-CIC Securities. Lafarge posted a partic...
US Jan-May cement shipments up 6% YoY
Total shipments of Portland and blended cement in the United States and Puerto Rico for the year through May 2014 were 31.2Mt, up by around six per cent compared to the same period of last year, latest data from the US Geological Survey shows. In May alone, shipments rose by around six per cent to 8.1Mt. The leading Portland cement-producing states during the month were Texas, Missouri, Cali...