Displaying items by tag: ACC

India: ACC’s net sales grew by 8% year-on-year to US$1.15bn in the first half of 2019 from US$1.06bn in the same period in 2018. Its operating earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 18% to US$191m from US$162m. Its cement sales volumes rose by 2% to 14.7Mt from 14.4Mt and its ready-mixed concrete (RMX) sales volumes jumped by 15% to 1.79Mm3 from 1.56Mm3.

“I am pleased that EBITDA improved significantly on account of better realisations, operational efficiencies and supply chain efficiency improvement. Despite subdued cement demand, our strong customer relationships, loyal channel network and range of innovative products have helped us deliver a robust quarter,” said Neeraj Akhoury, the managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of ACC. He added that the company’s concrete business grew ‘strongly’ due to eight new RMX plants it added in the second quarter. Altogether the company operates 82 operational.

India: Ambuja Cement is looking for ready-mix concrete (RMX) and aggregate assets to buy as part of its growth plans. A company source quoted by the Business Standard newspaper said that it was considering ‘growth options’ in all of its core businesses of cement, RMX and aggregates. Industry analysts have interpreted this as an effort to diversify the business away from dominance by the cement sector. However, expansion in the RMX market is expected to be difficult owing to the lack of local organisation in the market.

The subsidiary of LafargeHolcim has a cement production capacity of 63Mt/yr, including those of ACC. Both Ambuja Cement and ACC use a master supply agreement to coordinate sales, marketing and logistics.

India: Cement producers and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) have launched the Indian Cement Sector SDG Roadmap. The planning framework uses the United Nation’s (UN) sustainable development goals (SDG) to set a series of goals in energy and climate, people and communities, the circular economy and natural resource management. It is intended to contribute to the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

This initiative has been convened by nine cement companies: ACC, Ambuja Cement, CRH, Dalmia Cement (Bharat), Heidelberg Cement, Shree Cement, Orient Cement, UltraTech Cement, Votorantim Cimentos. It is also partially funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Notable goals from the roadmap include promoting railway and waterway transport networks, improving transport safety, increasing the use of blended cements and encouraging the use of alternative fuels. The framework also plans to increase the number of women in the indsutry workforce at every level from entry to board.

India: ACC’s sales rose by 8% year-on-year to US$551m in the first quarter of 2019 from US$509m in the same period in 2018. Its sales volumes of cement grew by 6% to 7.5Mt from 7.1Mt. Ready-mix concrete (RMX) sales volumes grew by 19% to 0.94Mm³ from 0.79Mm³. Its operating earnings before interest, taxation, deprecation and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 8% to US$76.1m from US$70.4m.

"Our three-pronged strategy of customised solutions for consumers, focus on premium products and operational improvements are enhancing our bottom-line and powering ACC's strong growth trajectory,” said Neeraj Akhoury, managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of the subsidiary of LafargeHolcim.

The company noted that fuel and slag prices rose in the quarter although this was compensated by market growth, cost reductions, fuel mix improvements and general production optimisation. It added that plant capacity utilisation improved during the reporting period. ACC also commission eight new RMX plants in the first quarter of 2019, bringing its total to 80.

India: Bimlendra Jha has been appointed as the managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Ambuja Cement, with immediate effect.

He joins the subsidiary of LafargeHolcim from Tata Steel where he has spent nearly three decades of his career. Over the past six years, he has held multiple leadership roles, including Executive Chairman Long Products Europe, Executive Director on the Board of Tata Steel Europe and CEO Tata Steel UK, looking after operations in UK, Sweden, and Canada.

He holds a B. Tech in Ceramic Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Varanasi and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management, Marketing and Finance from the Xavier School of Management Jamshedpur.

India: Ambuja Cement’s earnings fell in 2018 due to rising energy and fuel costs. The subsidiary of LafargeHolcim says it has implemented efficiency and cost saving programs to mitigate these effects. Its operating earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 6% year-on-year to US$265m in 2018 from US$266m in 2017. Despite this, the company’s sales volumes of cement grew by 5% to 24.2Mt from 23Mt. Its sales revenue rose by 7% to US1.54bn from US$1.44bn. Overall, the consolidated results for both Ambuja Cement and its fellow subsidiary ACC, saw growth in EBITDA, net sales and sales volumes of cement.

India: ACC’s operating earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 11% year-on-year to US$267m in 2018 from US$296m in 2017. Its new sales increase by 12% to US$2.02bn from US$1.80bn. Cement sales volumes grew by 8.4% to 28.4Mt from 26.2Mt. Ready-mix concrete (RMX) sales grew by 16.6% to 3.16Mm³ from 2.71Mm³.

The cement producer said that despite rising prices of slag, petcoke and diesel it had focused on productivity and an improved raw material mix. It also built 18 new RMX plants during the year.

India: Three contract labourers have died at the ACC Sindri cement plant in Jharkhand. The labourers were working on a conveyor belt when it unexpectedly started running, according to the Pioneer newspaper. Other workers were also injured in the incident. A police investigation is underway.

India: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has penalised four cement producers in Tamil Nadu for failing to follow emission standards. Chettinad Cement’s plants at Puliyur and Karikkali, Tamil Nadu Cements’ plant at Alangulam, Dalmia Cements’ plant at Salmiapuram and ACC’s plant at Coimbatore have been accused by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change for not complying with emission standards for particulate matter, SO_x and NO_x, according to the New Indian Express newspaper. ACC and Dalmia Cements have been fined around US$420/day since 31 August 2018, Chettinad Cement has been fined around US$5000 for a 12 day delay in compliance and Tamil Nadu Cements has been fined over US$23,000 for a delay of 55 days.

India: The board of ACC has approved plans to build a new cement plant at Ametha, District Katnl in Madhya Pradesh. The unit will have a clinker production capacity of 3Mt/yr and a cement production capacity of 1Mt/yr. The subsidiary of Switzerland’s LafargeHolcim plans to expand a 1.6Mt/yr grinding plant at Tikaria, Uttar Pradesh and a 2.2Mt/yr grinding plant also in Uttar Pradesh. The board also agreed to build a 1.1Mt/yr grinding plant at an existing unit at Sindri in Jharkhand. The projects are expected to cost around US$417m.