06 October 2020

Croatia: A European Union (EU) court has ruled in favour of the European Commission’s antitrust veto of Germany-based HeidelbergCement and Schwenk Zement’s 2017 acquisition agreement with Mexico-based Cemex for acquisition of its subsidiary Cemex Croatia. The court said that the deal was anti-competitive in that it had the potential to push up cement prices in Croatia, in spite of HeidlebergCement and Schwenk Zement’s offer to grant other cement suppliers access to a terminal.

Pakistan: Provincial Minerals Minister Hafiz Yasir has issued licences for the construction of eight new cement plants. The News International newspaper has reported that the state has already invested US$244m in one of the plants, and a further US$1.83bn-worth of upcoming cement production capacity will be located in the Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province.

Nigeria: BUA Cement has broken ground at the site of its upcoming 3.0Mt/yr-capacity integrated cement plant in Guyuk, Adamawa State. Governor Ahmadu Fintiri proposed nearby Yola as the site for a second BUA Cement plant in the state, which he said would “further diversify the economy away from sole reliance on petroleum products.”

The company is currently building a 50MW waste heat recovery (WHR) plant in Lamurde, Adamawa State.

Philippines: LafargeHolcim subsidiary Holcim Philippines says that it will “strengthen its commitment to development as a supporter of manufacturing and construction” on Mindenao, where it operates the Davao and Misamis Oriental cement plants, to help the island recover from the economic effects of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Sales senior vice president William Sumalinog said, “We are not slowing down at this time when the government has deemed it essential to continue upgrading infrastructure. Doing so not only raises the level of competitiveness of the manufacturing industry, but also shields the economy from the blows of the pandemic. We remain confident that we are well-equipped to deliver great value and support to builders working to improve the competitiveness of Mindanao’s economy and to all our stakeholders in the region who are united in their dreams of a better Mindanao."

US: SSI has announced the launch of the Pri-Max, a primary shredder “built to reduce the volume of bulky materials while achieving processing rates of up to 150t/hr.” The product design incorporates new patented technologies, including “a new method for maintenance and replacement of wear parts as well as major assemblies.” The company says that this will “substantially decrease maintenance costs and improves ease of use.”

Director of sales and marketing Dave Fleming said “The Pri-Max is typically the first step in large processing systems, making it a critical component to customer productivity and success. Customers wanted longer service intervals and more flexibility in how they could choose to maintain wear parts in their machines.”