Displaying items by tag: Peru
UNACEM drives profit in 2017 on higher cement prices
29 January 2018Peru: UNACEM’s profit in 2017 rose due to a higher selling price of cement. Its net profit rose by 47% year-on-year to US$143m in 2017 from US$971.1m in 2016. Its income increased by 2.5% to US$595m from US$580m but its cement production fell slightly to 5.01Mt from 5.14Mt. Clinker production and cement despatches also fell. The cement producer blamed poor weather in the first half of 2017 that affected shipping at its Condorcocha plant as well as a general slowdown in the construction sector. It also reported that clinker exports more than doubled in 2017 to 0.55Mt from 0.21Mt.
Peruvian cement industry finishes 2017 with strong second half
18 January 2018Peru: The Peruvian cement industry finished 2017 with rises in production and despatches in December 2017. Production rose by 13% year-on-year to 0.898Mt from 0.886Mt and total despatches rose by 1.5% to 0.88Mt from 0.86Mt, according to data from Asociación de Productores de Cemento (Asocem).
Overall, the year couldn’t overcome a poor first half negatively impacted upon by flooding caused by El Niño Costero in early 2017. Production fell by 1.1% to 9.98Mt from 10.1Mt and despatches fell by 1.2% to 9.92Mt from 10Mt. Despite this imports rose by 21% to 0.62Mt from 0.51Mt leading to a slight total increase of despatches and imports.
Peruvian sales increase in October 2017
21 November 2017Peru: A total of 925,000t of cement was sold in Peru in October 2017, an increase of 12.1% compared with sales in October 2016 and 3.3% above sales in September 2017, according to data from Asocem. Cement production stood at 922,000t, 6.3% higher than October 2016 and 4.4% higher than September 2017. Domestic sales stood at 873,000t, 5.8% higher than in October 2016 and 4.4% compared to September 2017. Cement production hit 8.19Mt in the first 10 months of 2017, 2.1% down year-on-year. Domestic cement sales reached 7.85Mt in the first 10 months of 2017, 1.5% down year-on-year. Total sales, including exports, reached 8.15Mt in the first 10 months of 2017, 1.9% down year-on-year.
Invercem to open modular cement plant in April 2018
07 November 2017Peru: Invercem plans to build a cement grinding plant in Ica for US$20m. The modular plant will have a production capacity of 0.25Mt/yr, according to the Gestión newspaper. Construction is scheduled to start from December 2017 with completion planned for April 2018.
Previously, Invercem has imported cement from HeidelbergCement via the port of Salaverry. It then bagged and sold it locally under the Qhuna brand. As well as building its own plant the cement importer is also considering expansion plans in Ayacucho, Cusco and Iquitos.
Cempor fights legal action from UNACEM over Lima plant project
31 October 2017Peru: UNACEM has filed a lawsuit alleging environmental violations against Cempor. Cempor, a joint venture between Chile’s Cementos Bío Bío and Brazil’s Votorantim, plans to build a cement plant in Lima, according to the La Tercera newspaper. The legal move is the latest action in a long running battle between the cement producers over the project. Cempor has responded by alleging to National Institute for the Defence of Free Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (INDECOPI) that UNACEM’s conduct is contrary to the functioning of a free market.
Cementos Bío Bío and Votorantim originally formed Cempor in 2010 with each company holding a 29.5% stake. The other owners include IPSA and the World Cement Group with a 20.5% stake each. At this time Cempor planned to build a 07Mt/yr cement plant near Lima.
Peruvian cement production down so far in 2017
18 October 2017Peru: Cement production fell by 3% year-on-year to 7.3Mt in the first nine months of 2017 from 7.5Mt in the same period in 2016. Data from the Association of Cement Producers (Asocem) shows that the third quarter of 2017 is the first quarter where production rose so far during the year. This was due to a 4.3% increase to 0.88Mt in September 2017 from 0.85Mt in September 2016.
UNACEM profit up in second quarter of 2017
25 July 2017Peru: Union Andina de Cementos (UNACEM) recorded a profit of US$17.0m in the second quarter of 2017, an increase of 26.8% from a profit of US$13.4m in the same year-earlier period. The firm's profit for the first half of 2017 stood at US$120.2m, up from US$110.4m in the first half of 2016. Net sales totalled US$143.2m in the second quarter of 2017, almost the same level recorded in 2016. The company’s cement sales fell by 4.5% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2017.
Bolivia: Cement producers have called for a ban of cement imported from Peru. The producers met and then asked government for the measure in order to protect the local industry, according to the El Mundo newspaper. They have also suggested that import tariffs be raised at the very least as well as other measures.
Peru: The Association of Cement Producers (Asocem) has forecast that cement production will grow by 1 - 1.5% in 2017. This is based on predicted growth in the second half of 2017 following a decline in production of 5.5% over the last 12 months, according to the Gestión newspaper. Despite this production continued to fall in May 2017, by 6.4% year-on-year to 0.78Mt, although the rate has slowed since April. Cement demand is expected to rebound due to the reconstruction work after El Niño-related flooding and government infrastructure projects.
Grupo Gloria expands Cal & Cemento Sur lime plant
12 June 2017Peru: Grupo Gloria says that a US$80m upgrade project at its Cal & Cemento Sur lime plant at Caracoto-Juliaca near Puno is underway. Construction of a sixth line at the site scheduled for completion for the end of 2017, according to the Gestión newspaper. The new line will increase production by 1000t/day to 2000t/day. The investment follows a US$120m investment since 2012 that will see the plant’s production capacity rise to 1Mt/yr by the end of 2017 from 0.13Mt/yr in 2013.