10 July 2015
India: According to the Times of India, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has served closure notices on the three cement plants in Malwani, Maharashtra. The plants have 48 hours to close.
Nearby residents had protested against the air pollution caused by the plants. An investigation by the MPCB showed that particulate matter (PM) emissions exceeded the allowed standards in February and March 2015. "This is among the swiftest action taken by the MPCB and we are very grateful to the board for taking up the matter so fast," said Godfrey Pimenta of Watchdog Foundation, a non-governmental organisation that had taken up the matter on behalf of the residents.
Philippines: According to BusinessWorld, San Miguel Group plans to invest US$2bn to build two cement facilities and a nickel processing plant as part of its diversification efforts into new growth areas.
San Miguel has allocated US$800m for the two 2Mt/yr cement facilities, according to San Miguel president Ramon S Ang. Construction has already begun. One of the facilities is located at Northern Cement's plant in Pangasinan, while the other is being built in Quezon. In 2013, San Miguel paid US$77.5m for a 35% stake in Northern Cement, which is owned by the conglomerate's chairman, Eduardo M Cojuangco, Jr. The facilities, which are expected to be completed in 2017, will be funded by 50% debt and 50% equity.
San Miguel's venture into the cement business comes as it participates in major infrastructure projects. San Miguel-led Optimal Infrastructure Development won the contract for the US$351m second stage of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway Project. San Miguel is also building the US$591m third stage of the Metro Manila Skyway and the Tarlac- Pangasinan-La Union Expressway, as well as expanding the South Luzon Expressway.
China: According to Reuters, Chinese cement companies, including Huaxin Cement, covered by the carbon market in Hubei Province will likely be forced to spend millions of Chinese Yuan on permits before the compliance deadline on 10 July 2015 after authorities rejected their pleas for leniency.
In June 2015, the companies asked regulators to let them borrow some permits from the 2016 quota, saying that they could not afford to buy permits to cover their obligations for 2014. However, their requests were rejected, easing market concerns that big emitters would be let off the hook.
Huaxin Cement, Hubei's biggest cement producer, has been under particular pressure to buy over the last few trading days as it has a shortfall of 1.15 million permits. "Local officials have talked through the consequences of non-compliance with cement plants, so Huaxin Cement approved a US$6.44m budget to pay for permits," said a trader who did not want to be named as he was not authorised to speak to media.
Trading volumes on the Hubei carbon exchange have surged ahead of the deadline in the absence of any indication that the compliance date, initially set for 31 May 2015, would be pushed back for a second time. As of 9 July 2015, 44 companies, or 32% of the total 138 firms, did not have enough permits to cover their obligations. Of these, 26 were cement producers. A manager with Gezhouba Cement Group, Hubei's second-largest cement producer, said that its permit allocation had been miscalculated.
Companies covered by the Hubei exchange are only obliged to buy a maximum of 200,000 permits, regardless of how much they overshoot their cap. However, Gezhouba has eight subsidiaries in the scheme, bringing its total permit demand to more than a million. "The scheme is punishing big producers, but not inefficient competitors," said the Gezhouba manager. "We pleaded with the government to re-issue permits and narrow the gap, but we have not got any reply. How can we spend tens of millions on carbon?"
Namibia: All Africa has reported that the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) plans to increase its stake in Ohorongo Cement, Namibia's only cement producer, in July 2015.
Foreign minority shareholders Development Bank of Southern Africa (which owns a 7.3% stake) and IDC of South Africa (which owns 20%) are in the process of selling their shares to Namibian institutional investors such as pension funds.
According to sources who preferred to stay anonymous, since the official announcement will only be made later this month, Germany's Schwenk Zement is the majority shareholder with a stake of around 60%. The official announcement is expected to be made on 29 July 2015 during the ground-breaking of the composite cement production plant and the inauguration of a training centre at Otavi, where the company's operations are based.
Final public exchange offer results published for LafargeHolcim merger, Bernard Fontana steps down as Holcim CEO 10 July 2015
Europe: The Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) has published the final results of the public exchange offer initiated by Holcim Ltd for the shares of Lafarge SA.
Following the settlement-delivery of the offer expected to occur on 10 July 2015, Holcim Ltd will hold 252,230,673 Lafarge SA shares, representing 87.46% of the share capital and at least 83.94% of the voting rights of Lafarge SA based on the total number of shares outstanding as of 8 July 2015. In accordance with the AMF general regulations, the offer will be re-opened during at least 10 trading days according to a timetable that will be published by the AMF.
Holcim has announced that in connection with the successful public exchange offer and the expected closing of the merger with Lafarge, Bernard Fontana will step down from his position as CEO of Holcim Ltd with the completion of the merger. He will also resign from all mandates in all Holcim Group entities.
"It has been a pleasure and honour to work with remarkable and passionate people throughout the past years at Holcim. I wish the new company LafargeHolcim and the entire team all the very best for the future," said Fontana. The board of directors has thanked Fontana for his leadership and achievements for the group, and in particular for the successful implementation of the Holcim Leadership Journey.
Andreas Leu, currently responsible for the Americas, will also leave Holcim with effect from 1 August 2015. Bernard Terver, currently responsible for Africa and the Middle East as well as South Asia, will assume the position as head of India for LafargeHolcim from the date of the closure of the merger. In this capacity he will continue his mandates in the boards of Ambuja Cements and ACC Limited in India. Holcim's board of directors and the executive committee have thanked Leu for his contributions to the success of the group and wish him all the very best for his future.