Displaying items by tag: Coal

Zambia: President Edgar Lungu has launched a US$548m cement plant project to be built in Ndola by the government and China’s Sinoconst. The plant will be a joint venture between the government-owned Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investment Holdings (ZCCM) and Sinoconst, according to Reuters. The project is intended to diversify the country’s industries away from copper mining. The unit will have a cement production capacity of 5000t/day and will use two 20MW captive coal-power plants.

Bhutan: A broken gearbox at a coal mill at the Penden Cement Authority plant in Gomtu has reduced its production. The plant has had intermittent mechanical issues with the gearbox in one of its two coal grinding mills since April 2017 leading to a breakdown in May 2017, according to the Kuensel newspaper. Then in June 2017 a similar problem occurred with the main drive gear in its other coal mill. The plant has been producing cement using imported clinker since then although it shut down completely for several days in late June 2017.

So far the cement producer has been unable to procure replacement parts. It has also been reported that the company has had difficulty importing clinker from India following the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

India: The Delhi High Court has rejected an appeal by Dalmia Bharat in a coal import deal with Glencore that went wrong. The cement producer will now be required to pay US$4.3m in damages and US$0.27m in interest, according to the DNA newspaper. Dalmia Cement, part of Dalmia Bharat Group, originally arranged a deal to import coal in multiple consignments. However it later refused to accept some of the shipments citing poor quality. Glencore then won damages at an arbitration tribunal that ruled that Dalmia had breached its contract.

Philippines: Eagle Cement has ordered a coal mill from Loesche for its Barangay cement plant in San Ildefonso. The vertical roller mill is intended for the third line at the plant and it is designed for grinding 54t/hr of mixed coal or 34t/hr of pet coke. The grist is ground to a fineness of 12% (coal) or 3% (pet coke) sieving residue with 90µm. The scope of supply also includes an LSKS-classifier and corresponding filters, blowers, an inertisation unit, the gas analysis and the main drives. All components are scheduled to be delivered before the end of 2017.

Pakistan: Pakistan International Bulk Terminal (PIBT), the country’s first dry bulk unit for coal and cement, has started commercial operations with a consignment of coal in early May 2017. The US$285mn Muhammad Bin Qasim Port, which was built with support from the World Bank, will also be used to export cement and clinker, according to the Express Tribune newspaper. The terminal is capable of handling 12Mt/yr of cargo and has a storage yard spread over 62 acres. PIBT, under a 30-year build, operate and transfer agreement with the Port Qasim Authority, built its own jetty and is equipped with two coal ship unloading cranes and one cement and clinker loading crane.

Tanzania: Kibo Mining has signed a memorandum of understanding with Mbeya Cement, a subsidiary of LafargeHolcim, to collaborate regionally and to share materials in the Mbeya and Songwe regions. The agreement includes arrangements to supply coal, limestone, fly ash, electricity and cement between the parties. It also includes plans to bring together local development bodies to develop the region.

Kibo Mining operates a thermal coal deposit at Mbeya and it is developing a 250 – 350MW coal power plant at the site with the help of Chinese contractors.

Tanzania: The Ministry of Energy and Minerals has given Dangote Cement a 10km² plot of land in Ngaka, Ruvuma to mine coal. The decision follows the acknowledgment by President John Magufuli that Tancoal, the local coal producer, is unable to meet domestic demand, according to the Citizen newspaper. At present manufacturers are unable to import coal from South Africa due to a government ban. In late 2016 Dangote Cement made a deal with the government to supply natural gas to its cement plant at Mtwara following a temporary shutdown at the site.

Pakistan: Pioneer Cement has signed contracts with Chengdu Design & Research Institute of Building Materials Industry (CDI) to build a new 8000t/day clinker production line at its cement plant in Chenki, District Khusshab in Punjab. The order also includes a 12MW waste heat recovery unit and a captive 24MW coal power plant. No value for the order has been disclosed.

Egypt: Misr Beni Suef Cement has delayed the installation of a coal mill at its Beni Suef plant to the third quarter of 2017. Farouk Mostafa, managing director of the company, said that the delay has been caused by a shortage of US Dollars needed to pay to import the mill and its spare parts and general currency variations with the Egyptian Pound that has raised prices, according to Daily News Egypt. The mill was originally planned for December 2016.

India: Anjani Portland Cement has commissioned a 16MW coal powered captive power plant at its cement plant in Anjani Puram. The cement producer operates a 1.3Mt/yr plant and is a subsidiary of Chettinad Cement.