Displaying items by tag: China
Elektroprivreda Srbije builds river terminal in Serbia
09 April 2019Serbia: Elektroprivreda Srbije, a government-owned power company, has completed a Euro14m terminal on the River Danube for its Kostolac B coal-fired power plant. The unit will be use to transport 105,000t/yr of synthetic gypsum and 157,000/yr of fly ash. It will also process limestone. The terminal was built as part of the first phase of a credit arrangement between Serbia and China.
Global Cement and Concrete Association expands membership to 36 companies and 15 affiliates
09 April 2019UK: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has expanded its membership to 36 companies with its number of affiliates organisations rising to 15. The new members include Corporacion Moctezuma in Mexico, Unión Andina de Cementos (UNACEM) in Peru, JSW Cement in India and West China Cement in China.
The new affiliates include Oficemen (the Spanish Cement Association), the Cement Manufacturers Association of India, the Japan Cement Association, the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association in the US, the European Concrete Platform and the Federacion Iboamericana del Hormigon Premezclado (FIHP) which covers Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula
“The continuing and rapid growth of the association’s membership is very encouraging. With a strong work program now underway it’s important that our authoritative voice represents the growing list of cement and concrete manufacturers committed to our principles of enhancing industry sustainability efforts and driving innovation.” said GCCA chief executive officer (CEO) Benjamin Sporton.
The GCCA was launched in 2018. It aims to represent at least 50% of global cement production capacity.
China: Tianrui Cement has entered into a clinker supply deal with Ruiping Shilong. It will buy clinker from Ruiping Shilong from 1 April 2019 until 31 December 2021. The price and quantity will be set following negotiations, although a cap of around US$74m/yr has been set. Tianrui Cement’s chairman and his wife hold a significant minority share in Ruiping Shilonga.
Germany/China: Baltrader Capital has ordered the construction of two cement carriers from China’s Fujian Southeast Shipbuilding, who will deliver the new vessels from end of 2020. The ships will be intended for the European shortsea trade. Following the completion of the order, the Baltrader fleet will comprise 12 cement carriers with pneumatic self-discharging systems.
Each of the sister vessels, CemCoaster and CemClipper, measures 98m in length, 15.6m in width and carries 4650t at 6m draft. They will be equipped with a MaK main engine, allowing a future conversion into dual fuel operation. The ships will then be optionally run on liquid natural gas (LNG) or on marine gasoil.
The ships have been planned and designed in Germany by SDC Ship Design & Consult in cooperation with the project engineering department of the BRISE-Group. Dutch producer Van Aalst Marine & Offshore will supply the automatic self-discharging system, powered alternatively by the main engine’s shaft generator or the auxiliary generators. It can be used for the transportation of loose cement, ground granulated blast-furnace slag and fly-ash. It will have a loading capacity of 500t/hr and unloading capacity of 250t/hr. Additionally, these iceclass 1B ships are equipped with a ballast water treatment system (BWTS).
Timken buys the Diamond Chain Company
02 April 2019US: Timken has acquired the Diamond Chain Company from Amsted Industries for an undisclosed sum. The US-based chain manufacturer supplies a range of industrial markets, which include material handling, mining and aggregates.
"The acquisition of the Diamond Chain Company adds another strong industrial brand with a reputation for quality, reliability and performance to Timken's growing power transmission portfolio," said Richard G Kyle, Timken president and chief executive officer. He added that the purchase was an ‘excellent strategic fit’ with Timken’s drives chain business and that it would aid its manufacturing presence in Asia.
The Diamond Chain Company was founded in 1890 and it has its headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. It has manufacturing operations in the US and China. It employs approximately 370 people.
China/France: Song Zhi Ping, president of China National Building Material Company (CNBM), and Frédéric Sanchez, chairman of Fives, have signed strategic agreement towards climate change and cooperation in third countries. This agreement develops the collaboration plans drawn up in January 2019 between cement plant manufacturer CNBM the engineering group Fives. It forecasts a volume of business of at least Euro600m over three years, and forms part of CNBM’s stated strategy of developing in partnership with western companies. The agreement was signed at the Elysée Palace in Paris during a state visit to France by China’s President Xi Jinping.
The agreement focuses on upgrading CNBM’s cement plants in China, building new plants outside of China and creating a Joint Engineering Centre to implement these projects and share information. The Joint Engineering Centre was inaugurated on 28 February 2019 in Shanghai. With regards to modernising its cement production lines in China, Fives said that its technologies, in grinding in particular, would ‘significantly’ improve performance and return on investment with regards to modernising CNBM’s domestic cement production lines. Fives said that the agreement is in full alignment with the Paris Agreement. It added that the agreement also shows the ‘mutual trust’ between the two companies with respect to intellectual property.
Huaxin Cement grows sales by 32% to US$4.09bn in 2018
29 March 2019China: Huaxin Cement’s sales revenue rose by 32% year-on-year to US$4.09bn in 2018 from US$3.11bn in 2017. Its net profit grew by nearly 150% to US$772m from US$309m. Its cement sales volumes increased by 3% to 70.7Mt and its ready-mix concrete (RMX) sales increased by 11% to 3.56Mm3. By region is operating revenue grew in all domestic regions, except for Jiangxi.
During 2018 the cement producer completed its acquisition of Chongqing Lafarge Shui On Cantian Cement. Its Tibet Shannan Third Phase 3000t/day and Shigatse Second Phase 3000t/day project were put into operation. In total the group added 4.77Mt/yr of cement production capacity in 2018. In its future risk analysis it said that production capacity reduction in the cement industry is ‘yet to be improved and that the ‘fundamental contradiction’ of the overcapacity has not been solved.
Switzerland’s LafargeHolcim’s runs Huaxin Cement as a joint venture. The company operates almost 200 subsidiaries in nine provinces in China as well units in Tajikistan and Cambodia. It has a cement production capacity of 100Mt/yr, RMX capacity of 23.3Mm3/yr and an aggregate capacity of 25Mt/yr.
Dongwu Cement grows sales and profits on rising prices
29 March 2019China: Dongwu Cement sales rose by to US$77.4m in 2018 from US$53.3m in 2017. Its profit more than tripled to US$13.4m from US$3.7m. Its cement sales volumes grew by 5% to 1.45Mt. It attributed its sales and profit growth to increasing cement prices.
Singapore: International Cement Group is planning to build new cement plants in Central Asia, Africa and South-east Asia to complement China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The company, formerly known as Compact Metal Industries, has held a ceremony to mark its listing at the Singapore Stock Exchange, according to the Business Times Singapore newspaper.
The company holds a 65% stake in a 1.2Mt/yr cement plant in Tajikistan. This unit’s production capacity was recently upgraded to 1.35Mt/yr. In mid-2018 it said it was building a new plant in Kazakhstan. This project is scheduled for commissioning by the end of 2019. In late 2018 the group said it had failed to buy a majority stake in a partially-built cement plant at Salamanga in Mozambique. In March 2019 the group agreed to buy a majority stake in Namibia’s Ohorongo Cement from Schwenk Namibia for US$104m.
Prestige Cement inaugurates grinding plant in Abidjan
29 March 2019Ivory Coast: Prestige Cement has inaugurated a 1.2Mt/yr plant at Abidjan. The Chinese-Ivorian joint venture had an investment of around US$35m, according to the Agence de Presse Africaine. The unit has two 0.6Mt/yr production lines using vertical roller mills. Souleymane Diarrassouba, Minister of Commerce, Industry and SME Promotion, attended the event on behalf of the government. Chinese ambassador Tang Weibin was also in attendence.