14 September 2016
Loma Negra to spend US$17.5m on upgrades for Catamarca cement plant 14 September 2016
Argentina: Loma Negra, a subsidiary of Brazil’s Intercement, is to spend US$17.5m towards upgrading the baghouse at its Catamarca cement plant in Catamarca province. Work is scheduled to start in September 2016 and continue for 12 months, according to the El Cronista newspaper.
Nepalese standards agency bans cement products 14 September 2016
Nepal: The Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology (NBSM) has temporarily banned several brands of cement following tests in which they failed to reach minimum standards set by the government. The bureau has required cement producers to recall the affected brands as ‘soon as possible,’ according to the República newspaper.
Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and Pozzolanic Portland Cement (PPC) Super Advance and Infratech cement produced by Shree Araniko Cement, Reliance Super Shakti and Reliance Cement produced by Reliance Cement and PPC Kalash Gold Cement produced by Shree Cement have been banned for failing to meet compressive strength level standards. In addition the PPC brand of Bajra Shakti, Tri Shakti Supper and JBC cement produced by Jaya Bageshwori Cements, PPC brand of Yeti, Rock Strong and Gaurav Cement produced by Jay Mangalmaya Cements have been banned for exceeded the 28% insoluble residue level set by the government.
Steppe Cement reduces loss in first half of 2016 14 September 2016
Kazakhstan: Steppe Cement has reduced its consolidated loss after tax to US$1.5m in the first half of 2016 from US$2.2m in the same period in 2015. Its turnover fell by 47% year-on-year to US$23.7m from US$44.7m due to a devaluation of the Kazakh Tenge. Despite this, it increased its sales of cement by 6% to 0.76Mt from 0.72Mt.
The cement producer reported that the Kazakh cement market decreased by 10% during the first half of 2016. It expects a market of about 9Mt in 2016, down from 9.6Mt in 2015. Steppe Cement has increased its market share to 18% year-on-year in the reporting period from 16% and it expects to reach a share of 19% for the full year. Imports of cement into Kazakhstan have decreased by 63% in 2016 as the Russian Rouble exchange rate has returned to its historical level against the KZT. Imports represent 5% of the market down from 12% in 2015.
W&H renames BSW Machinery as W&H Machinery 14 September 2016
Austria: Windmöller & Hölscher (W&H) has renamed BSW Machinery as W&H Machinery. This follows the integration of BSW Machinery, a woven packaging equipment and bag producer, into W&H over the last decade.
BSW Machinery was originally founded in Austria in 2005 focusing on the polypropylene woven market. Meanwhile, another W&H company at the same production plant in the Czech Republic concentrated producing sub-assemblies and components for the group. Both operations have now merged forming W&H Machinery. Expansion is planned for the plant and the newly named company employs over 400 workers.