Displaying items by tag: GCW176
EAPCC begins US$11.1m upgrade at Athi River plant
11 November 2014Kenya: The East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC) has begun the process of upgrading its Athi River cement plant, a project that is expected to cost approximately US$11.1m. The upgrade will halt the plant's normal operations for six weeks.
According to EAPCC head of production, Joseph Kombo, the upgrade targets the kiln and the packing plant. "In the packing plant, we are upgrading the mechanical and electrical components of the packers as well as improving the bag conveying system, all geared towards improved the loading process and quick turnaround thus ensuring customer satisfaction," said Kombo. "We are installing a bag house to replace the electronic precipitators, retrofitting the raw-mill gear box, replacing three sections of the cement kiln shell and installing a radio link into the raw material handling sections, among others."
EAPCC plans to improve reliability, increase production and improve energy-efficiency. The bag house will reduce emissions from the plant to insignificant levels, complying with international emission standards.
Dangote Cement launches 32.5 grade cement
11 November 2014Nigeria: Dangote Cement has introduced 32.5 grade cement, intended only for plastering, into the Nigerian market. Dangote's managing director, Devakumar V G Edwin, said that Dangote has ventured into the production of 32.5 grade of the product because the regulatory agency, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), has clearly spelt out the different uses of the various grades of cement which must be complied with by the cement manufacturing companies.
Edwin said that Dangote had resisted requests from its customers to produce 32.5 grade cement and sell at a cheaper price because it didn't want the product to be misapplied. "Now the SON has stepped in. SON has taken controlling measures and they have re-emphasised that anybody producing the 32.5 grade cement must design their bags in a specific manner and the bags should carry clearly that this cement is meant for plastering only and not for any other application," said Edwin. "With these regulations in place, we have the confidence that we can now go into the production of 32.5 for plastering only."
According to Edwin, about 80% of cement produced by Dangote will still be 42.5R grade, which will remain Dangote's flagship product because of its 'superiority' and varied uses.
Oman: Raysut Cement Company has announced an increase in its profit by 8% to US$60.2m during the January - September period of 2014, compared with US$55.7m during the same period of 2013. Revenue was US$183m for the period, compared to US$182m for the same period of 2013.
"While there are positive signs of growth in Oman market, the same is not being translated into cement demand due to severe competition from UAE suppliers. The competition is also being experienced in the Yemen and east African markets," said Raysut Cement.
2.83Mt of cement was sold during the first nine months of 2014, compared with 2.79Mt during the corresponding period of 2013. Some 2.46t of clinker and 2.81Mt of cement was produced during the period, compared with 2.47Mt of clinker and 2.79Mt of cement produced during first nine months of 2013.
LafargeHolcim to retain Cauldon cement plant
10 November 2014UK: In January 2014, the UK Competition Commission (CC) instructed Lafarge Tarmac to sell one of its two cement plants to enable a new company to compete in the industry. In light of the LafargeHolcim merger, Lafarge plans to sell Lafarge Tarmac and all of its assets in the UK, with the exception of the Cauldon cement plant in Staffordshire, to a new market entrant. Following the merger, the newly-formed LafargeHolcim would retain the Cauldon cement plant.
The Cauldon plant would remain under the management of Lafarge Tarmac until the merger. "There is unlikely to be much change for employees," said a Lafarge Tarmac spokesperson. "Until the LafargeHolcim merger is completed, the plant remains part of Lafarge Tarmac and will be managed as such with no change for employees, customers or suppliers." The decision was made by the company's shareholders.
Italcementi’s third quarter 2014 revenues down by 3%
10 November 2014Italy: Italcementi has reported that in the third quarter of 2014 its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell to Euro469m, down from Euro472m in the third quarter of 2013. Revenues fell by 3% year-on-year to Euro3.12bn. Italcementi confirmed that it still expects to report a higher recurring EBITDA for the full year.
Mexico: Cemex plans to create an energy division to participate in power generation using natural gas and wind power for self-supply and sale to Mexico's state utility company CFE. Cemex wants a stake in up to seven power generation projects similar to the two it currently relies on, according to CEO Fernando González.
The Monterrey-based company announced in September 2014 that it would seek to increase its power generation capacity, without mentioning specific projects. In April 2014, Cemex completed financing of the US$650m 252MW Ventika wind farm in Nuevo León State, in which it holds a 5% stake. The facility is slated for completion in the second quarter of 2016.
Ventika is expected to supply power to beverage bottler Femsa, steel products firm Deacero, Tecnológico de Monterrey University and Cemex, with more off-takers likely to come onboard in the future. AWS Truepower, a New York-based renewables consulting and engineering services firm, will act as independent engineer to support the construction of Ventika, which will comprise two 126MW parks.
González said that Cemex was exploring project possibilities and searching for partners with the requisite plant management knowledge. "We have already developed energy generation projects in Mexico and in other countries under the self-supply model, because cement production demands a lot of power and there is not enough electricity available," he said.
Bua Group spends US$500m on 3Mt/yr greenfield cement plant
07 November 2014Nigeria: Bua Group International has invested US$500m in a 3Mt/yr capacity greenfield cement plant in Okpella, Edo State. The Obu Cement Plant will take Bua's cement capacity to 5.3Mt/yr when it is commissioned in February 2015.
Bua Group already operates a 0.5Mt/yr capacity cement plant in Sokoto State via its subsidiary, Sokoto Cement. The plant currently operates at 100% capacity. Bua Group is also constructing a new 1.5Mt/yr capacity in the same state. In Edo State, Bua Group currently owns the 0.3Mt/yr capacity Edo Cement Plant.
The Obu plant is planned for conclusion and commissioning within the first quarter of 2015, and is predicted to hire over 1000 direct labour and thousands of indirect labour, according to Yusuf Binji, executive director, project and technical, Bua Group, Okpella, Edo State.
Tasek Corp suffers third quarter earnings drop
07 November 2014Malaysia: Tasek Corp reported a 7.1% drop in earnings to US$6.4m in the third quarter of 2014 amid stiff competition. Earnings declined despite a 3.3% rise in revenue to US$44.4m during the three month period. Tasek said that it suffered lower margins from the cement segment due to intense price competition on the market. For the nine months to the end of September 2014, earning were 16.3% higher at US$23.2m, with revenue climbing by 14.5% to US$144m. Tasek said that the outlook for the fourth quarter of 2014 was expected to remain positive.
Colombia: Wärtsilä, a supplier of power plant and ship power solutions and services, has renewed its asset management agreement with Cemex Colombia. The agreement was signed during summer 2014 and it is valid for five years. It is a continuation of an earlier asset management agreement that was signed in 1998.
With this new agreement, Wärtsilä continues to operate and maintain the power plant at Cemex Colombia's cement plant. The agreement covers day-to-day operation of the power plant and the natural gas station (city gate), preventive and predictive maintenance services, management of parts logistics and technical support services. This agreement is a long-term operational partnership with a common goal to ensure maximised lifetime, guaranteed performance and predictable life cycle costs for the power plant.
"We have worked with Wärtsilä for 15 years," said Jairo Guerrero, energy director from Cemex Colombia. "During these years, Wärtsilä has showed excellent performance in ensuring the reliability and availability of our cement factory in Ibagué. Wärtsilä has also introduced innovative upgrades that will further improve the performance and reliability of our power plant. We are happy to continue our long-term partnership with them."
Cemex Colombia's cement plant is powered by five Wärtsilä 34SG engines, with a total capacity of 25MW. The plant is located near Ibagué, a municipality in the Department of Tolima.
Terra Cement partners with Ore Mines International
06 November 2014Australia: Terra Cement, a sustainable cement technology company, has signed a joint venture agreement with Ore Mines International (OMI) in South Australia to form a new company, called Terra Cement Australia (TCA). TCA will engage in the marketing of Terra's proprietary process (patent pending) for producing sustainable cement using ash in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
"As collaborators with a global reach and local market knowledge, industry leaders such as OMI play a significant role driving innovation to market," said Henry Val, CEO at Terra. "OMI's expertise enables rapid commercialisation by freeing us to focus on the development of our core technology. Likewise, our technology gives OMI access to a large, new market that would not exist without Terra."
TCA will convert existing cement plants and mixing facilities to produce hydrogel made from fly ash in Australia. When organic proprietary liquids are added, sustainable cement is produced, which is stronger, more durable and cures faster than Ordinary Portland Cement. No thermal energy is used and no carbon dioxide emissions are produced during the manufacturing process.
OMI has conducted preliminary testing of the ash available in Australia and has determined it to be suitable for the production of its cement. OMI has ordered the design for the conversion process for its existing facilities and will complete the process in the near future. TCA, as a joint venture, will begin its operations by the end of 2014.