Displaying items by tag: Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcoholes y Portland
Uruguayan cement production drops in 2023
15 February 2024Uruguay: Uruguay produced 27% less cement in 2023 than in 2022. Prensa Latina News has reported that state-owned Ancap, which operates two of the country’s four cement plants, reported a year-on-year drop in production of 29%, to 21,700t, in December 2023. The company’s least productive month in terms of volumes was June 2023, when it recorded 8570t.
ANCAP fails to find buyer for Cementos del Plata
15 September 2023Uruguay: The government has declared void its tender for offers for Cementos del Plata, the cement business of state-owned Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcohol y Portland (ANCAP). Montevideo Portal News has reported that no bids for the business were forthcoming before the end of the tender period on 12 September 2023. Cementos del Plata has debts of US$33m and made a loss of US$20m in 2022. It expects its losses to increase by 25% to US$25m in 2023. ANCAP president Alejandro Stipanicic said that the outcome marked the close of the latest stage in the efforts to rescue the business, but that “The search for a solution will not cease."
Stipanicic said “Perhaps in Uruguay we overestimated it. Perhaps in Uruguay we wanted to believe that we had something that was worth a lot, but the value of things is not set by those who own them, it is set by those who want something. That price is clearly less than zero." He added "Today is a sad day for ANCAP, because today the anguish of many good people working in the Portland cement business saw the illusion of having a clear and convincing future frustrated."
Uruguayan government invites bids for ANCAP
22 June 2023Uruguay: The government has tendered for offers to acquire state-owned Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcohol y Portland (ANCAP). The Caras y Caretas newspaper has reported that the board of directors approved the tender on 18 May 2023. The tendering process will run until 11 July 2023, and any resulting privatisation will require ratification by parliament.
ANCAP operates two 300,000t/yr integrated cement plants.
The tender can be viewed here.
ANCAP cement plant workers strike
17 February 2022Uruguay: Workers at Administación Nacional de Combustibles, Alcohol y Portland’s (ANCAP) Paysandú and Minas cement plants held two days of strikes without warning in early February 2022. The La República newspaper has reported that the Single National Union of Construction and Annexes (SUNCA) called the action to put pressure on the producer not to sell the businesses to private investors. The potential buyers are reportedly planning to visit the plants.
Union supports plans for the purchase of ANCAP
15 January 2019Uruguay: The union at state-owned oil firm Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcoholes y Portland (ANCAP), has supported government plans for the state to buy locally made cement. Under the proposal, half of the government’s requirements for cement would have to come from ANCAP, according to the El Pais newspaper. The initiative is intended to support local industry and jobs.
Strike at ANCAP hits cement sales in first half
30 August 2018Uruguay: An 88 day strike has reduced cement sales at Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcoholes y Portland (ANCAP). Its cement sales fell by 24.1% year-on-year to 0.12Mt in the first half of 2018 from 0.16Mt in the same period in 2017. Despite this, the loss from its cement business decreased to US$3.4m from US$6.06m. Its earnings were also negatively affected by rising petcoke prices. Overall, the oil and gas company reported a profit of US$52.6m across all business lines.
ANCAP in row over spare cement kiln
19 September 2017Uruguay: The Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcoholes y Portland (ANCAP) is reportedly unsure what to do with a spare kiln it owns. The state-owned oil and cement producer purchased the US$80m kiln for its Paysandú cement plant, according to the Uypress news agency. At present the parts and components are stored at the site.
ANCAP’s union would like the kiln to be installed to secure cement supply at the plant. However, the company’s cement division has built up a debt of US$207m over the past 15 years and it is expected to make a loss of US$15m in 2017. The cement producer plans to cut 60 jobs and make savings of US$20m by 2019.
Union accuses Cementos Charrua of dumping Turkish cement in Uruguay
08 November 2016Uruguay: Fancap, the workers union of the Administración Nacional de Combustibles, Alcoholes y Portland (ANCAP), has criticised imports of cement produced in Turkey by Cementos Charrua. It says that these imports have been dumped in the country at lower than the local price of production, negatively impacting the local industry, according to the El Observador newspaper. Cement is allegedly imported from Turkey and then it is repackaged in bags with the Uruguayan brand for resale. Fancap has asked the government to reassess tariffs for cement imports. It says that these imports are affecting operations at both ANCAP and Cementos Artigas.
CORRECTION: This story originally mentioned Turkey's Çimsa Çimento in relation to Cementos Charrua. Çimsa says it has never been involved in any commercial cooperation with this company in Uruguay.