30 August 2019
DongWu Cement reports on first half profits 30 August 2019
China: DongWu Cement’s net profit over the six months to 30 June 2019 was US$4.83bn, up by 20.6% from US$4.00bn over the same period of 2018. Its cement segment reported a net profit of US$5.37bn, up by 9.1% from US$4.92bn in the corresponding period of 2018.
In its financial statement, DongWu noted a year-on-year growth in China’s total cement output of 6.8% to 1.05Bnt in the first half of 2019, with prices also increasing by 4.1% to US$60.9/t, though growth rates have slowed.
Infrastructure developments have driven swelling demand, while compressed supply has brought the centrally organised economy’s cement reserves to a medium-low level.
Uzbekistan: Uzbekistan’s cement imports totalled US$105.6m over the six months to 30 June 2019, up by 32.3% from 2018.
Chinese investment in Uzbek domestic cement production saw two cement plants of 1.2Mt/yr and 2.4Mt/yr capacity enter development in 2018. Huaxin Cement’s Zafarabad plant is expected to become operational in December 2019, with Gansu Hengya Cement’s Kattakurgan plant also due to enter operation in the coming months.
YTL posts final quarter results 30 August 2019
Malaysia: YTL’s net profit in the quarter ended 30 June 2019 was US$0.58m, compared to a net loss of US$15.1m in the same quarter of 2018, as its cement section’s profits before tax grew to US$3.02m, up by 20.0% compared to the same period of 2018, as it benefitted from the higher profit share of its associates.
LafargeHolcim inaugurates new cement depot for Abidjan plant 30 August 2019
Ivory Coast: LafargeHolcim has constructed a depot in Bouaké, the second city of Ivory Coast, for storage of cement produced at its facility in the capital of Abidjan.
In a press release sent to the Agence Ivoirienne de Presse, LafargeHolcim explained that the aim of the development is to bring consumers and its supply closer together. It hopes thereby to maximise the national presence of it 2Mt/yr cement plant.
Eurocement upgrades Pikalevsky cement plant 30 August 2019
Russia: Eurocement has invested US$2.26m in upgrades to its Pikalevsky cement plant in the Leningrad region.
Eurocement has reported that tests have proven a 27% decrease in the water separation rate and an increase in the rate of curing of Pikalevsky’s cement following the upgrade. Strength indicators showed a 20% improvement in performance to 25MPa after three days, and over 60MPa after 28 days. Setting start time also increased to 175 minutes. Eurocement’s solution for particle size distribution in clinker after grinding has caused a notable boost in durability indicators.
Representatives of KHD, Aumund and Siemens aided in the installation and instruction of plant employees in the use of the new grinding technologies.
UK: Aggregate Industries has released a range of admixture-driven waterproofing solutions, blended with a custom mixes of BASF’s MasterLife WP 799, called WatertightTM concrete.
Aggregate industries has described the high performance integrated waterproofing systems as ‘insensitive to weather, groundwater and sprinkler systems.’
GrapheneCA unveils grapheme-based concrete admixture 30 August 2019
US: Nano Graphene has launched a concrete admixture. OG Concrete Admix improves concrete’s water resistance by a factor of four and more than doubles the strength, while significantly reducing cracking.
In GrapheneCA’s promotional material, it mentions a lowered carbon footprint amongst the benefits of its admixture for concrete producers, with less cement being required in the production of concrete using OG Concrete Admix.
