20 December 2017
Carthage Cement goes on sale 20 December 2017
Tunisia: The government and Bina, the controlling shareholders of Carthage Cement, are selling a majority stake in the cement producer via public tender. The two investors own a 50.52% stake of the company. The cement producer operates a 2.2Mt/yr plant at Djebel Ressas. Expressions of interest are being accepted until 16 February 2018.
Cruz Azul orders two mills from Fives 20 December 2017
Mexico: The Cooperativa La Cruz Azul has ordered two raw meal grinding mills from France’s Fives. The first grinding unit, with a capacity of 280t/hr of raw meal, will be dedicated to the new clinker line no. 10 project to be installed at the Cruz Azul Hidalgo plant. The second one, with a capacity of 300t/hr of raw meal, will be installed in the Oaxaca Lagunas plant, as part of the new clinker line no. 5 project. Each grinding plant will be fitted with one FCB Horomill 4000mm grinding mill and one FCB TSV Classifier 6500mm. The deal, including the engineering, supply, construction and commissioning of the mills, was agreed in November 2017.
Eurocement launches packaging and logistics unit at Lipetskcement 20 December 2017
Russia: Eurocement’s subsidiary Lipetskcement has launched a new production and logistics unit at its cement plant at Lipetsk. The cement producer has spent around Euro9m on the upgrade that allows the plant to ship up to 10,000t/day of cement. Features of the new unit include an automated weighbridge and lines for road and rail transport with a capacity of 800t/hr and 1600t/hr respectively.
Xella acquires Macon Group including lime plant 20 December 2017
Romania: Xella has signed an agreement with two Polish private equity funds managed by Enterprise Investors (EI) to acquire the Macon Group. The Romanian building materials producer operates the Simcor Var lime plant as well as producing concrete and tile products. The transaction is subject to approval by the relevant competition authorities. The deal is expected to be completed in the first half of 2018. No value for the acquisition has been disclosed.
"With the acquisition of Macon, Xella becomes one of the market leaders in the Romanian building materials market and Romania’s main manufacturer in autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC). Xella becomes a major player in lime and precast concrete,” said Xella Group chief executive officer (CEO) Jochen Fabritius.
Lafarge Zambia fined for market abuse 20 December 2017
Zambia: The Board of Commissioners of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has fined Lafarge Zamiba over US$19,000 for abusing loyalty discount schemes, price discrimination and excessive pricing. The fine represents 10% of its annual turnover in 2012, according to the Times of Zambia newspaper. It follows an investigation in the cement producer from mid-2013 following accusations of ‘persistent’ price rises.
The CCPC says that Lafarge Zambia’s pricing policy discriminated the domestic market against the export market and particularly distorted the sector in Lusaka. It has ordered the company to cease and desist such behaviour and to report to the board in early 2018 regarding how it is complying with the ruling.
Lafarge Zambia operates two cement plants in the country. It says it made revenues of US$171,000 in 2016.
Nigeria: Workers at Lafarge Africa’s Mfamosing cement plant have complained about an alleged dominance of expatriates at the company. The workers say that most of the departments have been ‘taken over’ by foreign staff, according to the Punch newspaper. Affected divisions include utilities, security, logistics, finance and safety departments. However, Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, the director for Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development at Lafarge Africa, has denied the claims. She said out of the 95 expatriate allocations approved by the Ministry of Interior for the Mfamosing plant only seven of the positions are occupied by foreign workers, a figure less than the 10% approved expatriate allocation rate.