Cement News tagged: International
USA: Lafarge Bath plant applies to burn railroad ties and shingles
Three years after backing off on a plan to burn tyres at its cement plant in Bath, Lafarge is applying to introduce railway ties and asphalt shingles into its kiln. The “low-carbon fuel demonstration project” would run for three years and incinerate up to 75t of construction and demolition debris each day. The application for compliance approval, written by the consulting firm Golder Associa...
Irish Cement are ‘starving’ workers
Management at Irish Cement have been accused of attempting to “starve people to go back to work”, as some 50 men in Limerick maintain their picket for the fourth week of the official strike. Staff locally say they are now attempting to freeze their mortgage payments with the banks, as they are living on less than €200 strike pay per week. The staff at the Castlemungret plant are owed betwee...
China: cracks begin to appear
With a downturn looming, major cement companies in China are using various strategies to weather the tough times, such as consolidation and a push for greener technologies. Today, cement production capacity per capita in southwest China is one of the highest in the world. Overcapacity in cement production, because of China's sizzling economy and its heavy investments in infrastructure, has s...
India: cement prices falling pre-monsoon
Apart from in eastern India, cement prices are on a downward spiral across the country, suggesting the monsoon-time weak cycle has set in early this year. Dealers and industry sources said prices have corrected in the range of INR5-15/bag, or around 2%, of late as supply outstripped demand. The earlier price uptrend since February corrected from INR314-308/bag (US$5.80-5.70) in mid- to end-...
India: Malkhed plant receives government approval
The state government has, in principle, given approval to a proposal by Vasavadatta Cement, owned by Kesoram Industries Ltd, to establish a cement plant with a capacity of 4.5Mta with a provision to establish a 50MW power plant at Malkhed in Sedam taluk of Gulbarga district. Vasavadatta Cement has already established a major cement plant on the outskirts of Sedam town. Now it proposes to inv...
Cemex UK's Barrington plant to be demolished
Cemex UK confirms that it will not be bringing its cement plant at Barrington, Cambridgeshire back into production, but is moving to a phased demolition of the facility. Originally mothballed in November 2008, Cemex UK has concluded there is no economic case to re-start production. Commenting on the decision, Jesus Gonzalez, president Cemex UK operations said: "Regrettably we have come to...
Energy price falls may increase 2H12 margins
Industry analysts predict a recovery in cement margins in 2H12 as a consequence of falling international energy prices and the continued strength in cement prices, as highlighted in last week’s newsletter. The squeeze on cement markers' profit margins was widely felt during 2011, driven in the main by rapidly-rising energy costs that impacted on companies' bottom lines. Key energy prices ro...
Oman cement output rises
Until recently, Omani cement manufacturers were victims of the cheap inflow of cement from UAE, but the Oman Daily Observer has reported that domestic cement producers are ramping up production to meet rising local demand and that in export markets such as Yemen and some East African nations. In 2011, imports met 25% of cement demand in Oman, mainly from UAE where a weak construction secto...
Philippines: Holcim to reopen Batangas grinding station
Holcim Philippines is reopening its grinding plant in Mabini, Batangas, next year because of the strong local demand for cement. Holcim said it is optimistic that demand for cement will continue to flourish, especially with the government's infrastructure projects and boom in housing. Upon its reopening in 2013, the grinding plant with an existing capacity of 7.7Mta Holcim will spend around...
Kenya: cement makers gamble on growing demand
Cement makers in Kenya are hoping demand from the housing sector, infrastructure and exports will sustain steady growth in consumption of the commodity in the local market. Despite reports of a slowing real estate sector, manufacturers say consumption of the cement increased in the 1Q12, driven by the other two segments. "This is driven mainly by three sectors: housing, infrastructure and e...
USA: Illinois Cement workers rally as strike looms
Conditions are ripe for a walkout at Illinois Cement Company in La Salle. Contract negotiations between Illinois Cement and the local United Steel Workers (USW) began in December. Since early March the union’s 114 members have been working without a contract, said local USW vice president T “Boo” Herndon. Members of USW Local 657 have begun meeting daily during lunchtime in the employee par...
Taiwan: cement and steel firms abort price hike plan
With a power-rate hike to be carried out in three stages, major Taiwan cement and steel firms have decided to shelve their plan to raise prices. Taiwan Cement announced yesterday that its cement prices will remain unchanged in May, as it already has sufficient time to cope with the increased cost. The government originally planned to hike power rates in one fell swoop, posing heavy press...
Breedon targets acquisitions from Lafarge and Anglo-American UK sales
Breedon Aggregates is eyeing the quarry assets of Lafarge and Anglo American PLC that need to be sold for their British joint venture to succeed. The aggregate company is likely to bid on the quarries up for sale after the Competition Commission ruled yesterday that a merger between Lafarge and Anglo American’s UK subsidiary, Tarmac, could go ahead only after substantial disposals. This m...
Nigeria seeks affordable cement and more home-skilled workers
The Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga, has echoed the federal government's worry over the rising cost of cement and the importation of skilled workers for construction projects in the country. He spoke during an interactive session at the recent Lagos Economic Summit and remarked that Nigeria has moved from a country that produced 2Mt of cement in 2000 to a country that no...
Credit Suisse sees “headwinds” for Indian cement sector
Credit Suisse sees near-term "headwinds" for the sector due to a slowdown in rural and urban housing, despite the "attractive long-term rural story. "The investment bank re-starts coverage of the Indian cement sector with an "underperform" rating on ACC and Ultratech Cement and a "neutral“ rating on Ambuja Cement. Credit Suisse says margins will also "deteriorate" due to an expected 13% rise...
Commission demands Lafarge/Anglo asset sale, UK
The UK’s Competition Commission (CC) has said Anglo American PLC and Lafarge must sell a significant portfolio of operations before their proposed construction materials joint venture can go ahead. A nglo American, through its UK subsidiary Tarmac, and Lafarge are both global firms that supply construction materials in the UK. The parties proposed to establish a 50:50 joint venture, to whic...